I love LOVE! | Daylily Blog about things I love...

I love love.  This time of year I start to get happy inside about how the season is turning out, and my heart is always full of warm feelings about gardening.  Last week I had about 100 people come to the house over 3 days to tour my little green piece of the universe.  Just before the first garden club showed up on Monday, I had a few minutes of quiet reflection in the garden alone and I started thinking of some things I love.  (Please click on the photos to enjoy them full screen.)

        
(L-R) My grreat-grandmother's bowl, H. 'Enchanting Esmerelda,' and a shot of the front border bed.

I love using my great-grandmothers 125+ year old bowl to serve sinfully summerful Jolly Ranchers.  The sweet/tart taste of my favorite watermelon flavored Jolly Rancher takes me back to my childhood, sucking on them incessantly while pedaling against the wind on my equally pink and sweet Huffy bike. 

Both the bowl and the Jolly Ranchers are pieces of the me who was once a child in someone else's garden.  I am eternally grateful to have those memories.

(L-R) H. 'Northern Fancy,' a vase of six kinds of lilies on my patio table, H. 'Ron Valente.'

I love using formal, meant-for-the-inside vases OUTSIDE in floral arrangements.

I love serving cream cake (from my grandma Sucich's recipe) and fresh berries to visitors in the garden.

I love using the simple cake server I picked up at our summer haunt, The Inn at Bay Harbor.  It reminds me of the chef there, and reminds me that my soul really does ache for the northern Michigan coast.

   
(L-R) H. 'Dyna Girl,' H. ' Sandra's Smile,' and H. 'Bare Necessities.'

I love my husband and son for evacuating the house for a couple of days while

I prepared for the tours.  The greatest gift they gave me this year was "the month of July" to do with as my gardening heart desired.  I owe you, boys.

I love having the courage to open up my little green space to strangers who want to hear about my passion for gardening.  I especially loved noticing that after all my guests had left, all of the watermelon Jolly Ranchers were picked out of the bowl.  I guess my guests love them as much as I do, and I love that, too!