As a photographer of limited skill and talent, I know there are scenes in my garden that I'll never be able to fully capture with my camera. And even the most skilled and talented photographers can't capture all of the elements - the scent, the sound, the feel of the air. So why is it that when I encounter one of those scenes - one that stops me in my tracks, makes my heart beat fast, causes me to whisper an awe-filled "thank you" - my very next impulse is to go get the camera?
Surely I want to preserve the moment for myself - the photos, after all, will remind me of the smells and the sounds and the awe. But it's more than that. I know it's more because the next thing I want to do is show someone the photos I've taken. I want to share the experience.
Is this universally true of gardeners - that we all want to share our gardens?
This time of year there is so much I want to share!
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| This little wren had to wrestle some of those twigs inside the bird house. |
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| The Shasta Daisies must be the cheeriest flowers in the garden. |
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| Red Yarrow, from our local Master Gardeners Plant Sale |
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| I thought the asters bloomed in the fall, but not this variety. |
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I planted a pair of these daisy gardenias beside our sweet dog Bear's grave.
A sweet flower for a sweet dog. |
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| Coneflower. |
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| I love them when they're opening up. |
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| Snow Fountains Gaura - a favorite of the bees. |
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Blue Salvia - the bees love this one, too.
Can you see the bee in the photo? |
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| Hosta blooms attract the bees, too. |
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| "Ditch" lilies |
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| August beauty gardenia |
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| My favorite shots of the hydrangeas are the close-ups. |
"Gardening, I told myself, is the most sociable of hobbies. The very nature of one's field of activities demands an audience. No one wants flowers to blush unseen or waste their sweetness."
Barbara Cheney - The Atlantic Monthly, June 1936
