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There are many ways to spur you into making improvements in your garden, but, as was the case a few months ago, inviting a large group of people into my garden has given me the impetus to move things around and add a little bit more.

The transplanting continues

Once again I have been working to salvage some of the plants that were placed in inhospitable or unseen areas of the garden by its previous owner. This time I targeted a collection of plants that were placed along the long alley along the north side of my home. In the past, I have used this alley as a dramatic entranceway for parties I was holding in the garden, but otherwise the plants here remain unseen for most of the year.

As I prepared for the Harvest Open House and Potluck I held yesterday, I decided to remove the last few standalone plantings in the alley. They struggled to survive the lack of sun and water and made the alley feel cramped and sometimes, impassable. I moved 2 camillia bushes and a nandina. After I dug up these plants I was amazed they had survived at all. They had been planted in ground so hard that their root balls had not grown much beyond the size of their original 1 gallon pots. I hope that by moving them into prepared beds they might stretch out their roots and offer another green spot in the back garden.

Also in the alley were a collection of canna rhizomes. These flowers returned every year, but no one was able to enjoy them as they were hidden from the view from the road and even from inside the home. These bright yellow and orange flowers are quite dramtic so I moved them to an area along the fences in the back garden. It has only been a week sinc I transplanted them, but those that were showing growth before they were moved continued to spring up unabated.

Time for the party

Since the party had a harvest theme, one of the first tasks was to purchase some straw bales for both seating and mulching. One bale was broken up to lay a path from the driveway, across the front garden and down the long alley. At the end of the alley the guests emerged into the back garden where we had laid out an impromptu pumpkin patch full of sugar pumpkins to be "picked")as party favors for both children and adults. The remaining straw bales were spread about the back garden and 5 were arranged in a "U" under the wisteria trellis. I have many friends who are musicians and since I recently took up the guitar after years of dawdling this area became the music area. As guests came and went, the mix of musical styles and players varied considerably-- and the straw bales made for comfortable seating

You could almost see people relaxing as they entered the garden, leaving their troubles among the green or letting them be carried off by the music. Each gathering I have in my garden, small or large, builds my desire to have more. Yes, there is a bit of work involved in neatening the shrubs and blowing up the leaves, but the joy I see reflected in my guests faces is the best reward. I hope that the memory of this party, the people they met and the garden itself remains in their thoughts for a long time to come.

Keep digging!

Douglas

What was happening a year ago (or more) in my garden? October 10, 1999 Munch, Munch, Munch September, 1996 Fighting The Scorching Sun and Opossom Links

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