I recently wrote a poem extolling the virtues of a wild garden and my garden on the southwest side of our house is such a place. It is the garden filled with columbine and fairies.
But I will admit that I have a couple of small gardens that are on the more formal side. Our screened porch faces east to the lake and this is the bed in front of that porch. I have a beautiful Bloodgood japanese maple that anchors the northeast end. The center has 3 nandina nanas for year round interest. And I have two very large purple glazed pots filled with pink and burgundy petunias. The smell is heavenly and the hummingbirds go crazy for them. In the photo, you will see a spot of red at the far end of the garden. This is an angel wing begonia in a pot sitting under the birdbath on the other side of our porch steps. I had a pink one last year and think I like this red so much more. Surrounding the small garden is a thick row of daylilies – stella supremas – the soft yellow flower of the stellas. They have a spectacular bloom this time of year and then will reset blooms throughout the summer.
On the north side of the house, we have pink hydrangeas just in their 3rd year. And the most enormous hosta I have ever seen. It is just fantastic and in bloom just this week.
I love these little patches of color – always filled with bees and butterflies, birds and chipmunks – my little formal bit of Eden!