It’s not often though. Me getting things right, that is. We learn and grow and become better people through our mistakes. At least that’s what I hold high hope to. But every once in a while, I get things right. When we first moved into this house our life got topsy-turvy & chaotic. Our lives were stuffed in boxes, our regular routines were thrown to the wind. There was little to feel in control of. And this front planting bed used to reflect just that. It’s right in front of our house, the first thing you see when you step out of your car and it was growing as chaotic and rag tag as my mental stability was at the time. So I ripped it all out. Cleaned this bed down to dirt and did something I’ve never done before. I bought plants in mass quantity and planted in clean orderly, symmetrical lines.

I’ve watched these plants grow in over the last two years and I’m so happy with them. In terms of garden design my virgo brain and my artist brain battle it out. One part of me likes things crisp and clean and tidy and the other likes things wild, overgrown and secret-garden feeling. I’m learning as I go, that if you start with a clean, crisp, tidy layout at the beginning, that things will eventually start to grow to take on a wild abundance. But in an orderly way. Orderly wildness, if you will. As I go about reorganizing other parts of the garden I’m keeping this in mind. Thinking of repetition & clean lines to begin with, which will hopefully grow to mystery and abundance in the future.



And always, I think of how to get the most color in autumn.