Garden Photo of the Day

Sanctuary From Stress

A place to unwind after stressful days at work

Today’s pictures come from Rosemarie Hobelman.

Hello to all,

This is my flower garden on the eastern plains of Colorado. My garden changes every year. I add or move things around. My garden is my sanctuary from a stressful day at work. While sitting in the garden, I get to watch the butterflies, bumblebees, and an occasional hummingbird arrive to enjoy the garden. I keep plenty of water and birdseed out for the rest of the flying creatures. I love to listen to the meadowlark in the early morning hours; it just starts my day off with a relaxing mood.

My wildflower garden does very well on the northwest side of the house. I plant an assortment of wildflowers every year.

Bright red yarrow (Achillea millefolium, Zones 3–9) with pink veronica (Veronica spicata, Zones 3–8) and white sage (Salvia nemorosa, Zones 5–9) I honestly can’t remember the name of this rose blooming with delphinium (Delphinium grandiflora, Zones 4–8) along the “hobbit” fence. The “hobbit” fence was my boyfriend’s idea. We had so many branches lying around from a tree that we decided to recycle. It turned out pretty well.The same corner the first year it was planted and my all-time favorite foxglove (Digitalis purpurea, Zones 4–9). This is where we sit. It is near our willow tree, and we read until it gets too windy. The eastern plains of Colorado can be very blustery and annoying. I wear an old pair of riding boots to garden in. They come in very handy, as we do have snakes around, although I have not come across any in my garden as of yet.

My boyfriend also built me this potting bench and table from lumber we had left over from a previous project. I found I don’t need to spend tons of money on store-bought containers or pots. I use whatever I have lying around: an old wheelbarrow, colorful popcorn tins, or old metal colanders. I also visit a very inexpensive secondhand store that has a lot of country items.

 

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Comments

  1. garden1953 05/08/2018

    Hello Rosemarie. Love the fence made from sticks, it's so very cute. Your gardens are wonderful and I know gardening in Colorado is challenging at times. You are doing a great job!

  2. User avater
    treasuresmom 05/08/2018

    I also really like your little fence. Love to hear when gardeners try to recycle. It fits in with our purpose of trying to beautify the world.

  3. User avater
    meander_michaele 05/08/2018

    Hi, Rosemarie, I love your plant combinations, your creative projects, and your attitude...a great threesome to make a fun and successful garden...plus, it always helps to have a talented and willing woodworker like your boyfriend.

  4. Maggieat11 05/08/2018

    Great idea for re-purposing the twigs. It looks really good. And how nice to have a special potting table built by your boyfriend! Thanks for sharing your garden with us.

  5. cheryl_c 05/08/2018

    Hi, Rosemarie, I also love your Hobbit fence, and hope that maybe Fine Gardening might do a short feature article about how to construct one! The rustic quality plus its ability to serve a both a visual divider and a plant support make it particularly interesting to me - I'm thinking of screening an area where we just recently got rid of an unsightly brush pile.
    I also love your digitalis! Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

  6. sheila_schultz 05/08/2018

    I love your attitude, Rosemarie, and obviously your gardens do as well! I often thought how lucky I was to be gardening in Denver and not on the eastern plains where the fierce winds and wild weather would challenge the spirit of any gardner! Your winged visitors must be so grateful to have something to hang on to as they are being blown East!

  7. sharonmalvicksorensen 05/08/2018

    Lovely garden in a harsh climate. Congrats. I made this exact potting bench and put large casters on it. Very handy for putting in the garage to overwinter plants.

  8. btucker9675 05/08/2018

    What a lovely, colorful garden - thanks for sharing the cheer!

  9. user-7017435 05/08/2018

    Good morning Ms. Hobelman, I like the open & airy look of your garden. Those delicate looking plants seem to defy & flourish in the harsh conditions you describe. I like the photo with the potting bench & the prairie beyond.
    Good luck, Joe

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