I was looking around at the beginning of the month posts at Gardening Gone Wild last week. The Garden Design Workshop is about garden benches. Oo! oo! oo! I have some of those! I have a wonderful story about my favorite bench. And the assignment for the “Picture This” photo contest is “Green World.” Well, my world is certainly green, in more ways than one, since I am an organic gardener. I immediately thought of the photos of the birds nesting around this place as a philosophical depiction of a “Green World,” one where no pesticides are used so there are plenty of bugs for the insectivores to feast on.
I also had in mind the amazing collage of hostas in the Hosta Dell.
But gosh, everybody has hostas, don’t they? How about hostas with little green tree frogs perched on them?
Then I thought of the incredible green ferns that sprang to life everywhere there was water flowing and splashing in the Grand Canyon. I’d call this one, “Instant Green World! Just add water.”
Well, I have also been trying to capture the intricate tapestry of textures and shades of green that are showing in the Scree Garden, especially when they are backed up by the chorus line of green in the Hosta Dell.
This area frustrates me no end when I try to photograph it. The patterns of light and shadow cast by the den tree, house, pergola and surrounding trees make this spot a challenge to capture adequately. But I just love sitting on my garden bench and looking at it. For that is the view I see from The Bench, which has really come into its own as the plantings around it are maturing.
This was taken last fall when the salvias were prime. Right now they are tiny seedlings scattered about behind it.
This is how it looked this morning, as I was wandering about the place. See how patient Ruby is being? All she wants is for me to throw her stick. And I am being stupid, pointing that little box and things, bending over, kneeling, etc. ad nauseum.
I suppose I should have moved that hose. But that would have meant turning off the water that was running to the blueberries. Sorry.
Anyway, when you walk up to the bench to sit down and enjoy the view, the “footstool rock” is making an amazing picture with the thyme creeping across the rippled sandstone.
Usually when I am sitting on this bench, I think about my son and my husband, without whom I would not have this focal point for the Stroll Garden. It is worth taking the time to visit this blog post, where I tell the story of how this bench came to be. This is where the rocks that form it came from.
Here is a shot I got of it right after it had been put in place, but before I had installed the “footstool rock”.
Despite the fact that it is made of stone, this bench is amazingly comfortable to sit on, and I have also discovered that it is just the right size and shape for me to lie on and stretch my upper shoulder girdle and the deep rotators of my hips. Altogether a very satisfying bench in this garden. It combines beauty, sentimentality, focal point, destination and comfort all at once.
And it lives in a Green World. Right behind it is one of my ornamental Japanese Maples. It is just coming into leaf, and I spent a long time peeking up her skirts (so to speak). I will leave you with the photo that finally made me say, “It’s a ‘Green World,’ without a doubt.”
So, I must be off. It is definitely time to stop screwing around on the Internet and get to work. I need to get my beets planted. And there is a hardy rosemary plant languishing under the pergola, waiting emplacement in the herb garden, which will happen right after I thin out the patch of daffodils that has gone nuts where I believe the little plant would be happy.
And so the infinite regression begins.
Good luck in the contest HMH
I’m not holding my breath. GGW doesn’t seem to care for me much, probably because I am cynical and I don’t exclusively garden blog. But it is fun to try anyway.
Love teh tiny frog.
I miss hostas – far too hot, dry and sunny for them here in Sydney. I used to have quite a collection in my garden in Norfolk (UK) – but I never had a tree frog using one as an armchair!
I love the feeling of sitting on stone which has been warmed in the sun, so I can imagine how good that bench must feel.
I love shoulder-and-hip stretching benches. (There used to be a nice tall padded one in my gym that was perfect and it went out with all the “intimidating” hardcore equipment, sigh). Having one in full sun would be a sublime luxury.
Love your green world, that pic of the hosta with widdle green froggy is fab! Good luck with the competition!
There is so much to do at this time of year, isn’t there, so that leaves us hardly nay time for the internet. Oh well, garden comes first.
Thanks for showing me around in your lovely green haven, I enjoyed it.
Oh, I just love frogs! Wish I could have a few…
Anyway, great photo!
Good luck in the contest. All of your pictures are great and show off the color green. I especially like the froggy touch.
Well that’s really a good job for taking photos of refreshing place. I hope that all the wonders of the world, the refreshing sensation, cool place won’t destroyed by the changing atmosphere. I hope we can all unite to make a change, to protect our environment. Simple contributions are beneficial and can result to huge change. Using eco-friendly stuffs, and valuing how to conserve energy is a big plus in supporting to protect our Mother Earth. Some areas around the world are experiencing drought due to the heat of the sun and climate change. I hope everyone will participate doing green activity. =)
Aw, you know we really do like you, right? It means a lot to us to have you as a regular GGW reader, as well as a contributor to both Picture This and the Design Workshop. I’m so glad you joined us again this month to share the links to both the original post on your bench and this follow-up. You must be very gratified to see your progress. (By the way, though I’m not a judge, I’d give your shot of the thyme-draped rock a prize!)
Thank you Nan. You probably don’t know how much your kind words mean to me. But it is a lot. And I will be joining you more in the future, as well.
[…] New Garden Bench (healingmagichands at The Havens): The next phase of the Stroll Garden in this Missouri garden hadn’t yet begun at the time of this post, but one element was already in place: a gorgeous new stone bench. For an update, visit On Assignment: Green World & Garden Benches. […]