Fox

I am truly a lover of nature.  One of the surprise delights of gardening is its attraction of a variety of wildlife.  I love the sounds of birds singing happily amongst my garden grasses.  Especially after a hard rain, it is as if they are singing the hallelujah chorus!
Some wildlife are not so welcome.  The Deer can certainly do some major damage.  We will talk about them at a later time. Still, there is something about them, that thrills me each time I spot one of these majestic creatures nearing my yard.
One morning, I decided to go for a 5 mile hike on a nearby hiking trail.  I felt the need to be one with nature.  I spotted a few deer on the trail, which a
always excites me.  Refreshed and renewed from my walk, I returned home.  While enjoying a very large glass of water, I looked out the kitchen window.  My garden and waterfall are the first thing in my view and I had to do a double take!  A fox was sunning himself happily on the top of my waterfall.  I grabbed my camera and he allowed me to take over a dozen photos before meandering off through the back yard. Talk about being thrilled.  While I am not the photographer that my daughter is, I still managed to capture some decent shots of the little guy.  I was able to get frightfully close to my furry friend without any ado.

I have not seen the fox since that morning, but I am sure he will return.  There are chipmunks and other small creatures who live deep beneath the rocks of, what I lovingly call, my miniature Grand Canyon.  We think they believe they are at chipmunk DisneyLand.

Gardening truly is more than flowers!  It helps to create a miniature ecosystem right in your own backyard.

Gifts of the Garden

The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses.  ~Hanna Rion

God's Heart in a Garden

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
~Dorothy Frances Gurney, "Garden Thoughts"

Growing Ideas

I have never had so many good ideas day after day as when I worked in the garden.  ~John Erskine

Power of Gardening

Gardening improves both self-esteem and mood, according to a recent study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.  This comes as no surprise to those of us who seek tranquility amongst our petunias.  There is also evidence that tending a patch of earth can make you more generous and hopeful, as reported in Prevention Magazine.  It seems that connecting with nature stimulates biochemical pathways in our brain that satisfies our primal longing to commune with Mother Earth, restoring us to well-being.

I have always been a nature girl.  I feel at peace when I am surrounded by the beauty and stillness of flowers and trees.  I started gardening a few years ago.  My Father was a gardener and I used to wonder why he would spend hours digging around in the dirt. He has Alzheimer's Disease and no longer remembers how to garden, let alone what he planted in his garden for those many years.  But now I know my Father's secret. The secret that most gardener's know.  There is a sense of balance, tranquility and well being that comes from spending your time digging in the soil.  Nothing can restore our sense of peace like a garden.

This blog will not be just about gardening, but about the life lessons that are uprooted as I feel the earth between my fingers. I am one of those gardeners who needs to feel the earthen goodness on my bare fingers.  There is something primal about it that I cannot explain.  Many a time have I started out with protective gloves on, only to discard them in a heap.  I do my best thinking in my garden.  Some of which, I hope to share with you in my blog.  

This has not been a good Spring for gardeners.  It has been one of the rainiest on record.  April showers turned into May showers.  I long for a sunny or at best, dry day to head out to my refuge, my garden.

Garden of Dreams

In my garden there is a large place for sentiment.  My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams.  The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.  ~Abram L. Urban