In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. ~ Aristotle

We can see the tiny pointed beaks poking over the humble haul of twigs carefully tucked in the pear tree in the backyard. We suspect they are sleeping, waiting for their mother, the huntress, off on her daily quest for food. She has at least three mouths to feed, maybe more. I don't want to get any closer and scare them, so I sacrifice a better picture. Thank God Kit can't get up there.

 

In the fourteen years we have resided in River Vale, we have dealt with many forces of nature as everyone - heaps of snow, bullets of rain, wind, scorching sun, dauntless deer and nervous woodpeckers. Surprisingly, this hasn't pruned my growing green thumb. This city girl has definitely become a domesticated nature lover. The inklings were already there. When I had an apartment of my own, the windowsills often spilled over with trails of pothos and ivy, easier houseplants to nurture for a novice. This gave me a confidence I reserved until needed to foster the real thing - a garden neighboring my own home. With sweat and spade, Robert and I have established a pretty and functional garden of perennials supplemented with new annuals each spring. I am always looking for colorful ideas to refine the landscape in place, so I make an annual pilgrimage to the local nurseries. But I always need some ideas first...

Inspiration can be found on the Internet, especially on sites like Pinterest or just in a quick Google search for creative garden ideas. Much of the success is in choosing the right plant for the intended spot, primarily taking into consideration sun or shade. Many times it has been trial and error, but some of those experiments have resulted in colorful surprises. Here at Chez Fitz, learning is part of the fun!

While I love the idea of a living wreathe on the front door, practicality always wins over novelty. On simple twisted willow, pink silk azaleas, gardenia, pansies and ivy grace our front door. I added a hint of silken forsythia to perpetuate spring's golden offspring that blooms and disappears quicker than a wink of an eye.

En route, I found an interesting new type of impatiens that thrive in hot, sunny conditions. Pretty salmon SunPatiens keep the garden sprite company while adding color to the coral bells behind. I was told they get really big and full so I am excited to see them blossom along the front path as the summer heats up.

To fill containers on the back deck, tried and true sweet potato vine spills over the sides and buddy up with marigolds, dianthus and trailing vinca. I love a lot of color in those pots, so the green, yellows and pinks need to soak up the full sun without bleaching out.

The palette isn't complete without something blue. Sitting atop the mosaic table I made last year, the tiny terracotta pot holds a bundle of blue torenia already delicately streaming. Over the years, we have added hydrangea bushes in purple and pink, wild red rose bushes, and migrated tiger lilies that multiply year after year in the front bed. The newest addition are white and pink rhododendrons we added to the existing ones so they can unite to create a living fence around the property.