I got lost in my garden today! My garden now fully encompasses the backyard of my property, which is less than a quarter of an acre mind you. I was waking up my garden as I do every morning and I just got completely swept away. I was watering, admiring growth, and taking note of what I needed to do, and it happened. I went to grab a fallen blossom from my orchid bush to put in the birdbath and bam, I was gone! Perhaps I was caught up in the heady fragrance the blossoms kiss off into the air. Perhaps it was the sun shining against the crisp, cerulean sky while the wispy clouds slowly drifted by. Or, seeing all of the dragonflies, butterflies, and bees flitting about. I think it was the overwhelm produced by the supremely fabulous combination that swept me away.
Suddenly I found myself leaving my hose behind on the ground to go sit and watch the glory at the back of the garden, where my fence once stood. The fence that I am dearly missing, has, in its destruction, given me so much more. I have always wanted to put a gate through the back fence so I could partake of the nature that the area behind my home offers.
Time and expense have always kept me from putting the gate in. It did for nine years anyway. Now, it is gone, entirely. Well, not entirely, I still have much to do to get it completely gone. For now, it serves as a placeholder and somewhat of a boundary until I can get it all figured out. At the very least, I am absolutely certain that there will never be a complete barrier to the back as long as I own this property. I have replaced my west side fence with a temporary option. It will do for now. The back, however, will be lined with garden beds, a compost bin, and possibly a shed and a few other things.
Anyway, back to my few moments of zen. I allowed myself to just sit there for a few precious moments to take in all the beauty that surrounded me. I watched the gold, red, green, and blue dragonflies dart around the waking wildflowers. I watched as delicate peacock butterflies danced around as well. Then, of course, several gorgeous monarchs joined in the dance, while birds zipped by. Suddenly, a beautiful Gulf Fritillary made its own appearance and then re-entered my garden so I had to follow. The spell was broken for the moment. Still, I appreciated the feeling of getting lost in the beauty of it all.
I know that my passionflower vine is full of Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars but I have only caught a glimpse here or there of the GF Butterfly. Today, I was afforded the grace and beauty of this delightful butterfly. I took a few moments to capture some of her purposeful flight. Do you ever get lost in your garden? If you haven’t yet, you just might want to try it. It is a delicious feeling to be sure.
Happy Gardening,
Jennifer