The blog has been sitting silent until recently, waiting for me to work out some changes in real time. We downsized. Once we made the decision to do that I made a plan and began to plant less and add more ground cover and mulch to make the space more manageable for the new owner who might not be as inclined as I was to participate in a very demanding landscape.
I find myself once again connected to my garden in a way that makes me appreciate it differently. My new garden is right outside my back door. The larger garden I left, with some trepidation, was below a second story magnificent stone Veranda with a splendid view of a giant 300 year old Oak that seemed like a caretaker, offering shade from the beating sun, for the gardens spread out along the earth beneath it. I could walk out and view it all from above.
Here, in this new smaller garden, I find myself once again in a place that looks very much like where I started. Life goes in circles. Some think that it is the explanation for that experience we all have had called Deja Vu. The more living I see the more convinced I am that it might be true.
This garden is different than any garden I have had in the past yet it shares one thing with the garden that was mine when I was inspired to start a business dedicated to the pursuit of the perfect blend of home and garden style. The new garden is terraced all the way to my door. My first garden was flat. Both begin right outside the back door. It has connected me to the garden in a way I had forgotten. It is a nice surprise. I am reminded as I make my morning coffee that the seasons are changing. I see a leaf fall and then more. I know winter is coming and wonder how the bones will look once all of the trees, bushes, and flowers go dormant. I will use that to make my plan over the long winter days of what this new garden can become. People who garden are eternal optimists. They are believers in tomorrow. I cannot wait for spring.
Your home and your garden is always a reflection of the season of your life. What you want and need changes over time. With luck you will say “I have been here before” and be in the moment. Maybe that is the reason for Deja Vu? Whether your space is grand or modest, no matter what your current lifestyle, your ability to incorporate nature into your surroundings can bring you great pleasure and nourish your soul.
Trends come and go. Styles change. But the inspiration from nature is always there. It is timeless.