The people who owned this place before me were very enthusiastic gardeners.
There are extensive flower gardens all the way around the house and around the studio, with beautiful flowers and shrubs.
Lilacs, hydrangeas, all kinds of tulips, irises, daffodils, and things beyond my ken. That master gardener class last year did me a lot of good. (Uh….) To keep up these gardens is quite a bit of work. I made some effort last year before letting the wildflowers take over.
They’re back this year, despite the huge quantities of mulch I deposited.
I’ve finally come to a conclusion, and a new term. Natural gardening.
Natural gardening means to let nature drift in amongst the intentional flowers, finding beauty in the commonplace, the ordinary, the inevitable.
So now I don’t have to feel guilty anymore. I’m a natural gardener!
(You can be one, too! It’s EASY, I promise.)
Ag Adventure says:
I am all for natural gardening!
One word of advice though, watch out for all the creeping buttercup (the yellow flowers) it is HIGHLY invasive and toxic to animals. We started with just one little bit of it a few years ago and now it has spread throughout four large paddocks and a pasture. It spreads through seed, runners, and rhizomes. It has just about choked out all of the grass that we had used as summer pasture.
Just thought you might want to know. 🙂 I am actually going forth to battle the yellow death on our place this weekend. Four wheeler ho!
On May 24, 2013 at 9:29 am
mamawolf says:
The flower gardens are beautiful. Cottage gardens are more appealing to me than the rigidly designed type in my opinion. Natural gardening is a perfect term.
On May 24, 2013 at 10:13 am
Leah says:
I like natural gardening….it’s the prettiest! :happyfeet:
On May 24, 2013 at 10:40 am
MMHoney says:
Hello from my place to your’s-
I can tell you that you have horseradish. (the broad leaf in last picture) Wear gloves to process the roots. My best to all of my friends.
On May 24, 2013 at 10:57 am
brookdale says:
I’m also a fan of natural gardening. Might as well go with the flow anyway! I never can tell which are the weeds.
Love your big blue ladybug! Did you make it?
On May 24, 2013 at 3:03 pm
Joell says:
:purpleflower:
I startrd going natural a few years ago—gardening that is. I dont really like the look of a “formal” flower garden. Most of my gardens are flowers that friends have given me and wild flowers, I have hostas that go back 70 years. I love the way it looks, and I dont like mulch either, if someone notices weeds in my garden, they can feel free to pull them up.
I was looking at the third photo, are those chives in bloom?
I made the mistake several years ago of bring home a lemon balm plant, good grief, it is every where, I pull it up but can’t get all of the roots, but we have learned to get along with one another. Yup, au natural is the way to go.
On May 24, 2013 at 6:46 pm
EMarie says:
:ladybug: I love natural gardening….never have really liked a regimented, formal look. I seek to replace grass with naturally-growing wildflowers, intentionally planted perennials, and shrubbery for little birds to hide in. :ladybug: :snuggle:
On May 24, 2013 at 8:41 pm