Looking Closely...

Being a gardener without any real garden to speak of forces one to become reliant on gardening in pots.

Dare I say it? Yes, why not...hey, it's my blog after all!

I loathe being restricted to pots.

Don't get me wrong, I love pots as feature elements in a garden. I just prefer to put most plants in the ground & let them do their own thing as nature intended sometimes gently guiding them to work in with what I want & sometimes not. Besides, gardening in pots is far more work intensive & so very limiting in very many ways.

In other ways it is a good thing. When you are running around on a daily basis hand watering all those 'darn pots' you seem to develop more of a personal interest in the individual plants rather than a planting as a whole. Small things that often get overlooked in a larger planting often bear closer examination.

Before you know it those work intensive pots & their inhabitants have you in their grasp, bending close to look for the small stuff the wonderful details so often missed when they are just part of the crowd.

The beautiful claret veining on the leaves of Heuchera - "Green Spice"

The remnants of a morning dew on Alchemilla mollis.

Ok, so I had to kneel on the ground for this shot!

Seeking Inspiration

Inspiration has eluded me recently, somehow suffocatingly close 6" wooden fences doesn't quite cut it. I've looked back through past bead photo's to see if I am tempted to revisit anything - the verdict there was 'not really'.

Not a particularly great time of year to go for a cruise around the city & take in the sights. Out there is busy, everyone seemingly consumed with the pre-Christmas rush....so all that I feel tempted to do is flee home to the relative peace there.

What to do? A quick trip around the garden, such as it is, & I found myself patting myself on the back for at least bringing one of my favorite flowering plants with me to this place.

The delicate tracery of Astrantia major. I have always loved the simplicity of this flower. It reminds me of fairies somehow & to see it growing en masse is a magical sight to behold.

I picked a few that were starting to open the other night & brought them inside. Today I went back outside & wondered if these would ever look as they had in past my gardens, planted in groups & allowed their freedom.

Whilst they may not be my beloved english roses, lily's, iris, or many of the more colourful scented perennials that I so miss, I did realise that I was pleased that I had thought to at least bring a few little pieces of my favorites with me in order to put my stamp on this rental we moved to a little over a year ago.

Things have established themselves quite well in the last year, I've managed not to lose a single hosta, the Thalictrum rochebruneanum (meadow rue?) looks like it has always been there & the Alchemilla mollis (lady's mantel - see I do know some of the common names!!) is settling in nicely.

While I love the soothing effect of the all greenery I brought with me - I do miss having having some distinctive colour & a house situated in such a way that the garden can be viewed from the living area.

Hmmmmm! I just realised that some rather insidious convolvulous is creeping it's way in. One day I shall be blessed enough to have a garden without that particular nuisance!!