A Mystical Garden (with photos-don't miss this!)

Many moons ago I had a friend who, like myself, had a passion for gardening.  That might not mean much, but in these parts it means alot when it is the suburbs, and most women have "careers"; she and I were home with our kids and we weren't exactly soccer moms-- more like hard-working socialists with community attitudes and in our unique ways artists and lovers of spiritual matters.

As her children grew older, and I added more children to my family, she had more time for her "Garden Of Eden" and all of the "family" played a part in the excavation and creation of this magnificent garden.  It took two full seasons to bring it to fruition, including the hauling of loads of fieldstone, manure and good soil, and the plants, which everybody contributed to. 

A year later, she and her husband found 122 acres of property in Vermont to purchase and build on, and that being her DREAM she now travels back and forth from this old homestead to Vermont.  I stop by this garden every year.  It makes me think of so many old times within the family, those who had babies and times we sat out in the gardens having tea...those who have died and are no longer with us...even though she is not there to maintain them, which I find sad, the garden is still very much THERE and comes off as a wild, wild, jungle of heaven.

The other day, after Reisha had died, my daughter and I stopped up to see if there were any new kittens being born (this happens ALOT in the garden....and in the house!) but there was nobody inside so Susan and I strolled out to reminisce in the garden...

These Dahlias come back year after year, even without being lifted!

Foxglove!  In September?  This garden is so deeply nutritious, these plants just thrive, even still!  Foxglove is one of my favorites...I have always called it "Fairy Flower"--it is the extract of this plant that saved my son's life after his open  heart surgery...and it is very toxic.

At this time of year most gardens are dying down and drying and seeding up.  This one is, too, but it is still so prolific!  These roses were a joy to discover.

A different variety of Dahlia peeks through leaves of red nasturtium, which grows everywhere around this garden! 

Rose Of Sharon, once being urged to form a topiary, now grows wild and high, and although I find the shrub (tree?) to be so common it bores me to tears, I must say that in THIS garden it is truly magnificent--there are pinks and purples and they seem exotic in this setting.

Morning Glories travel up a trellis;  these have resown themselves persistently over the last four or so years...

As I mentioned in the beginning this garden was a community effort within the family, and this hand-wrought mirror might have been a shop creation just FOR this garden.  Well, I am sure it was made for this garden, and time makes me forget who made it, really.  Below this mirror grow many Forget-Me-Nots, her pride and joy, and I recall the first year in this garden, as we walked through the many phases of the first year's growth.  Each and every plant mattered, each stone that was laid or brought in had to be noticed, appreciated and placed in just the right spot.

I remember when the Candytuft went in;  I rolled my eyes...."Booooorrringggg," I told her!  Now look!  What a lovely thing to see along the edge of the driveway, this Candytuft thriving and leading into the garden through a handmade trellis, where you can see the Morning Glories and other vines prosper!

Now, now now...don't get nervous!  Even the grasses are beautiful here, and you can see goldenrod growing in the background, too.  I was amazed by the sunlight streaming through the grasses.  When I got home and brought the above image up on my PC, I wasn't exactly surprised to see what I might refer to as a kindred spirit in the top right hand corner of the image.

I generally don't share these images...but of this garden I don't mind sharing--not really.  YES, we are all photographers, and some of us are not, but if you can explain the face in the top right of this image, shoot!  To me, it is what it is!

I guess he is the garden cat!  Susan was so thrilled to see him, as he scurried through the garden around us while we walked upon the old paths which you can't see anymore!  He even has a diamond between his eyes, just like Reisha had, Miss Jocelyn noted!  All in all I am inclined to say that although nobody was around to show us the kittens, we DID get to find what we were searching for...a healing experience, something familiar to come back to!

Thanks!