Merry Christmas

 I'm a happy woman.
It's just the right size...
 redder than it appears in these photos...
and sitting close to the recliner where I've been hanging out lately.
Merry Christmas.

Always Exaggerate...

"Generosity"  in one of our 2014 flowerbeds....
“Cram, cram, cram, every chink and cranny … I like generosity wherever I find it, whether in gardens or elsewhere … Always exaggerate rather than stint. Masses are more effective than mingies.”  (Vita Sackville-West, garden writer and creator of Sissinghurst, UK)

After watching our third episode of Love Your Garden (thanks to the tip from FlowerLady), I told my husband I was a little worried about the density of planting employed by A.T. and his cohorts.  Though I personally love the look of "generosity", I worried about root-rivalry and eventual plant atrophy.

However, my anxieties have been lifted, and I look forward to creating exaggeration and masses in our flowerbeds - old and new - next spring!

By the way, I got that Sackville-West quote from Jack's book review.  I've added Sissinghurst to my winter reading list!  Maybe you'll want to, too, after reading about it!