monday. garden-time.

i weeded this weekend. a lot. mostly, it was just re-weeding the areas i already did earlier this year (garden, flower beds, etc). but, there's one area that i pruned and groomed, pondered and inspired-upon. out in front of our deck in the backyard, just waiting for something spectacular. something we can all enjoy when we're sitting out on the back deck, drinking tea in the morning, eating dinner in the evening, playing with the kids, or just taking a minute out of the day to breathe.

in my plotting and planning, i dragged out my old issues of martha magazine, clippings, and inspirational ripped out pages i've conglomerated over the years. it's so fun to look back at some of the things that i used to think were sooooo cool. that really. are. not. and maybe never were.

one thing i did find, however, was this:


an all-white blooming garden. obviously, it's a bit larger area than what i have to work with ... with a budget much bigger than mine. but, with the space i'm working in, it's mostly shade, and gets a little dark, especially toward the end of the day.

the all-white blooms, mixed with the different shades of greens just popped out at me. i'm envisioning early mornings and early evenings when the sun's not quite full and the whites and greens can brighten up this dark little area. so, i've spent the last two days researching local plants, nursery-hopping, and making my list of what i'm hoping to find.

lilac. the white kind. for the full sun space in the bed, and to take up a large amount of room with something lovely and pretty and good-smelly. plus, we live in the lilac city ... i think it's about time we had one.


hosta. not only is it already in my yard just waiting to be transplanted, and therefore, freeeee—it looks so pretty in the shade, and will carry those white, silver, and green tones and make an excellent filler.


sweet autumn clematis. this is one of my favorites to grow. it vines, and will work perfectly to climb the deck posts up to our awning. this white variety blooms late in August-September, so it will be pretty and green all summer, and burst with these white flowers when everything else is settling down for fall!


annabelle hydrangea. a shade-lover and has beautiful white-turn-almost-green flowers. and perfect for a larger foundation plant.


lily of the valley. i'm picturing this shade-lover right in the front of the garden, almost cascading down the rock wall.

allium. these easy-to-grow bulbs are purple in my front yard, and they might be my favorite late spring bloomer. they look like giant puff balls—and even better, you can plant them in white!


helleborus. this beauty is another shade-lover, and though i don't know much about it yet, i think it's just lovely!


so, now who wants to finance this little garden of mine? loan payments would come in the form of home-cooked meals, baked goods, tea on the back porch, and being surrounded by the scent of lilac and hydrangea all summer long.