Moon Garden

After planning, laying out, lifting sod, building an arbor, laying stones, and turning dirt last summer, my moon garden sat dormant for the winter. We giggled all throughout winter because it looked like we had a grave in our backyard. I'm sure the neighbors were beginning to wonder about us!

I've been working hard this week to get the garden ready for it's final staging. I pulled out all the weeds (no small undertaking), turned the soil and leveled it out (no more grave!) and was all set to paint the arbor today, but alas, it's raining. Hopefully the weather will cooperate either later on today or tomorrow so that the painting can commence.

I did spend part of the afternoon yesterday planting some of the new plants for the garden. I bought two different white roses, artemesia, 'Alba' bleeding heart, variegated snake grass, hosta, astilbe, sedum, Goat's Beard, a new variety of tiger lily that is gorgeous (it has a deep burgandy face with white outer petals I couldn't resist), and a climbing hydrangea for the arbor. It's a good start to what I hope will be a lush white and silver 'Moon Garden'.

This week we'll be laying in the pea gravel and I've got my eye on a gorgeous statue of the goddess 'Flora', the patroness of gardener's. The final touch will be a white bench to lay upon and daydream the day away . . .

12 Days of Yule ~ Day 9

9th Day of Yule – Remembering the Noble Virtue of Industriousness
December 28th

"Life requires that we work hard. Never sit back and take the easy way out in regards to your ability to create a lifestyle for yourself. No matter the lifestyle you choose, know that your elevation in life, or lack of it, may be (but not always) the direct result of your depth of diligence. Do the best you can, and know that your efforts have been suitably rewarded."

Be the Best of Whatever You Are

If you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill,
Be a scrub in the valley -
But be the best little scrub by the side of the rill;
Be a bush if you can’t be a tree.

If you can’t be a bush, be a bit of the grass,
Some highway happier make;
If you can’t be a muskie, then just be a bass -
But the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can’t all be captains, we’ve got to be crew;
There’s something for all of us here.
There’s big work to do, and there’s lesser to do,
And the task we must do is the near.

If you can’t be a highway, then just be a trail;
If you can’t be the sun, be a star;
It isn’t by size that you win or you fail -
Be the best of whatever you are!

~ Douglas Malloch ~