And yet another...

...little bitty one...

Hand for scale...

This clump will be gorgeous in bloom. I have color showing on one of the tall buds. Depending on how warm the days, and how cold the nights, I am betting a couple more days. I may have a tall bearded in bloom for my birthday!

My bleeding heart was a birthday gift from a friend a couple of years ago. I had a pink one, too, but it did not make it through a transplant. It was very sad.

These little speckled violets hitched a ride when a neighbor gave me some lavendar. The lavendar no longer survives but the violets are seeding out vigorously. The stones behind the violets are from St. Louis, Missouri. An old friend happened to be where the city was digging up the old cobblestones from under street pavement down by the Mississippi river. He threw as many as he could in the back of his pickup, and I got a few. They make some fun edging.

I have some regulation 'violet' violets, too.

My solomon's seal looks better this year than it has since I brought it to live here from my old house.

And I have corn flower that has seeded out, too. These blooms are the color of my daughter's eyes. Yes they are!

While working in the yard a bit this morning, I was given to some pondering. Wonderful Guy and I are approaching our 5th anniversary. When we were debating his house or mine, one issue was leaving my yard. While it wasn't perfect, I had alot of sweat equity in it. Wonderful Guy's yard had great grass. He offered me this phrase, and I quote, 'you will have a fresh palette.' The yard factor was outweighed by many others, so I moved to this house.

That first spring, after barely completing my move, we decided where we wanted new beds. I was cautious as I knew how he had worked to get his lawn in. He never flinched, though, and marking out the new beds, he started killing grass. We transplanted some of my favorites from the old house (all the iris!), bought some new, collected others from different sources. And over time, we have enlarged beds (even today killing more grass for another expansion!), hauled mulch, divided iris, and revamped the sprinkler system. And I discovered how to grow tomatoes in my zone without pampering! Some plants have thrived, others are memories, and still others I keep buying and planting against all odds and hope for this zone.

So that brings me to today, walking around and thinking. I thought about how Wonderful Guy has just let me do my thing, how he has supported me in whatever I wanted to try, and how he has encouraged me to break out of my old thinking at times. The yard has been a joy for both of us to work in together, and while he might prefer some tasks done differently for ease and less doing over, wonderful guy that he is, he does it my way. (For example, I demand the use of mulch, and abhor the use of decorative rocks, so every other year, we replace the mulch that often blows away.) Just another one of the ever so many special ways that we truly bring out the best in each other...as long as he doesn't get it in his mind to weed, thin, or 'neaten' things up!

Most of the beds are now 3-5 years old, and for perennial beds, that means they have taken on a bit of personality. I realize again how the way I garden is a journey into the future. What I am doing this year won't really be seen in completion for a couple of years down the road. Mostly I don't do a lot of planning, either. My yard just sort of happens, with some educated guesses based on experience and knowledge. Some areas have turned out beyond my expectations, and that has been alot of fun. Some are still developing. And that's okay, too. My yard and gardening experience is one where I enjoy creativity, a closeness with nature and my higher power, and gain such a sense of peace and contentment.

I am thankful that I have the opportunity to sink into the reward I recieve from this creative outlet.

And I am very thankful today for the support and help and love of the fantastic gardening partner I have in Wonderful Guy.