Summer Ramblings-Every Garden Tells a Story (Part 2)

I am pleased (and amazed) at the response my post of yesterday, about the stories my front yard/flower garden tells, got.

I shouldn't say "my" garden - my loving spouse of 40 years is responsible for a lot of what you see, especially when my back gets cranky.

So I told my spouse he now has fans from all over the world.  His reaction? "I should hope so."

He doesn't read my blog - he doesn't do all that much online, bu he patiently puts up with my online meanderings.  So drop him a comment at the end of today's post and thank him.

Today, I'd like to tell you some more stories about my flower gardens.

In the center bottom of the photo above, you can see some white marigolds.  Another reader of a post this week reminded me of a time, long ago, when Burpee ran a contest for its customers - the winner would be the customer who was able to provide Burpee with the seeds of a true white marigold. 

Burpee had been trying for years and years to produce a white marigold.  Finally, they turned to their customers, and someone won it - 21 years after the contest began.  A couple of morals from this story - first, never give up.  Second, have conversations your customers or your readers.  Keep them engaged.  Give them reasons to like you, and to buy from you, or read you. (I can use these lessons sometimes, myself, as I am a natural introvert.)

The stones you can barely see at the bottom of the photograph - those are from some of our travels.  In 2002, we visited the Crazy Horse monument in South Dakota and we were permitted to take stones blasted from the mountain that is being sculpted into the monument.  The story of the Crazy Horse Monument is epic and I don't use that word loosely - I encourage you to read about it.

I also want to share a couple of pictures of my shady back yard with you. 

This pink turtlehead hails from Asheville, North Carolina, a milder clime than ours.  Some people buy souvenier t-shirts or mugs when they travel.  I buy plants and garden decorations, as I mentioned yesterday.  Many of the plants I buy are from warmer areas, and they don't survive our harsh New York winters.  But sometimes they do survive- like this pink turtlehead.

Our back yard tells its own story. 

Many years ago, the late Joan Gibbs, of Gibbs Perennial Gardens in LeRaysville, Pennsylvania,taught me the secret of shade gardening.  Don't strive for showy flowers, she warned, because you rarely will get them in the shade. (Although, that turtlehead is an exception, don't you think?)  Instead, look at leaves.  See the colors, the shapes, the shading, she continued.  Look at how plants look in each season - spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

That's what you want to strive for.  And with her advice, that is how I started my part shade/shade garden in the back of my house.  Such good advice she gave me.  Observe, and be willing to change how you think. Discard what you've already learned. Keep an open mind.

That works for such much more besides gardening.

So, those are my stories for this week. 
Do you want to hear more garden stories?  I have so many to share.

If you like what you see, comment, and "like" my blog's Facebook page. I will respond to all comments (eventually), although I'm a bit behind right now.