Secret Garden Tour

I have found myself behind in all thing writing since April.  With my blogs, I still am not done with the Europe trip.  Since that time, I have had fun at the Secret Garden Tour and gone on an adventure on the Sioux Charley Lake Trail.  Later this week, I will be going on two more adventures.  I thought I would interrupt the spring trip to share the Secret Garden Tour.

  As we started out the warm summer morning to drive around Helena, I wondered what the gardens would be like compared to my own.  I love gardens.  I have always wanted to have a gorgeous garden that I could display.  I have some work to do.

My favorite garden was the first we visited.  The gentleman had created most of his city lot into a shade garden.  I can't recall how many trees he planted, but once we came to the front of the house, the cool shade welcomed us with hostas and ferns everywhere.  He built a stream that ended with a pool filled with fish.  I fell in love with hostas many years ago.  Unfortunately, until this year, I have not been able to grow them.  I don't have any consistent shade in my yard.  I left his garden determined to create a cooler environment for shade plans.  I may have to wait for ten years for bushes and trees to grow, but I will have shade!  I am also thinking hard about water.

Another garden I enjoyed reminded me of my own front garden.  This helped me to believe I may be able to be on a tour someday.  Many of our plants were the same.  The only reason her garden was better then mine was that it stretched all the way up her hill.  I need to add more gardens!!!

The rest of the gardens didn’t impress me much.  Sure, one had a creek with a bridge over the flowing water.  I can’t top that.  The flowers and design weren’t at all that impressive.  Another was fun with a water feature and wandering paths and some lawn art pieces.  The other two gardens were community gardens.  Those reminded me of the beauty of vegetable plants.

In the end, I was rejuvenated with all my gardening plans.  In these hot days of summer, I have scaled back my work.  I am traveling a lot, so the gardens will have to rest until the end of the month.  I am excited to plant flowers, bushes, and a few trees this fall.

I have a yellow and black bird just outside my window as I write this.  He is eating the seeds from my sunflowers.  Bees are buzzing all around.  If I don’t end up showing my gardens, I do have a lot of creatures that enjoy my work.

On the tour, I did take a couple of good flower pictures.

I also found some fun pieces I would like to add to my gardens.

           I think a peony in the middle would be gorgeous.  This next spring, I think I will build one.

           I think succulents would be perfect on the top of this mushroom.

My husband would probably protest, but I think frying pans around his grill and smoker would be really fantastic.