Nurturing Nature: A Gardening Journey

“A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all, it teaches entire trust.” – Gertrude Jekyll 

Welcome, Friends, to the Blog today. My garden is bursting with new blooms that I can’t wait to share with you. Gardening is such a leap of faith…what you plant in one season you nurture and hope it will come back even better the next year. Each plant that raises its green stalks and leaves after a cold winter restores my faith in the resiliency of nature.

My garden leans more toward cottage charm than formal rows. I love letting the plants mingle and meander, mixing textures and colors in ways that always seem to offer a little surprise around each corner.

The photo above shows my rhododendron, which I planted just two years ago. It’s really coming into its own now—and what a treat this spring has been! While the bush is still modest in size, it’s absolutely covered in stunning purple blooms. I couldn’t be more delighted with this burst of color!

“It was such a pleasure to sink one’s hands into the warm earth, to feel at one’s fingertips the possibilities of the new season.”
― Kate Morton

What a fun surprise this morning—a tiny little tomato has appeared! Every year I give cherry tomatoes a try, with varying degrees of success. This time, I got a head start by potting them up early and setting them on the front porch. They get sun all day, and the warmth from the cement helps keep them cozy in our cool spring weather.

If the temperature dips below 40 degrees, I tuck them in for the night inside. And now, all that back-and-forth and babying is paying off—not just flowers, but actual tiny tomatoes! It’s such a small thing, but it made my whole morning. How exciting!

“Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as paint, and the soil and sky as canvas.” 

I think this is a mock orange plant that I put in last summer. It’s now about 3 feet tall with multiple buds waiting to bloom. I also put in a few orange balm plants that are growing nicely in their large pots in the herb garden.

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

When you run your hand over the leaves they pick up this lovely orange scent. They are nestled in with some trailing rosemary. A walk through the herb garden is a gift to the senses. The fragrances mingle in the air inviting you to touch and carry them away with you. Beautiful textures and colors surround you and nature’s critters add their voices to the garden experience. Hummingbirds will be returning soon to partake of the nectar the garden provides. Blue birds have begun courting and establishing nests in the bird houses. It’s a busy time in the garden.

“Gardening adds years to your life and life to your years.”

The clematis is really starting to put on a show! It’s coming into full bloom now, and I just love how the flowers twist and twirl along the vine at the corner of the house. These beauties bloom for such a long time, giving us weeks of their lovely shapes and textures to enjoy. It’s like a little garden celebration right there in the corner!

“Gardening simply does not allow one to be mentally old, because too many hopes and dreams are yet to be realized.” – Allan Armitage

In the first row, from left to right, we have the purple irises, just on the cusp of blooming, their delicate buds ready to burst into color. Beside them, the flower stalks of Japanese irises are maturing, reaching up toward the sky in anticipation of their graceful blossoms. The peonies, always a sign of spring’s arrival, are already receiving visits from their faithful companions—the ants—who help the buds open with gentle care.

In the next row, the yarrow is starting to bud, its feathery foliage promising a burst of color soon. In the back of the garden, the white lilacs are beginning to bloom, filling the air with their sweet, heady fragrance. Closer to the kitchen, the sage is showing off its first buds, and I’ve already started harvesting the tarragon that has gracefully returned from last year’s planting. Though it’s still too early for basil and some of the summer-loving herbs, lemon thyme, chamomile, Italian parsley, and oregano are beginning to fill out, bringing a subtle fragrance to the garden and a touch of green to the air.

Cooking with these fresh herbs is one of life’s simple pleasures—there’s something magical about adding a pinch of freshly picked basil or a sprig of thyme to a dish, transforming it with such vibrant, homegrown flavor.

“The garden reconciles human art and wild nature, hard work and deep pleasure, spiritual practice and the material world. It is a magical place because it is not divided.” – Thomas Moore

The vegetable garden is getting some well-deserved pampering this year. Over the winter, we tucked away our compost like a secret recipe, and now it’s been folded into the beds, raising the soil and giving everything a rich, nourishing start.

A lovely patchwork of greens is beginning to unfold—tender lettuces in a few varieties, chives standing tall, sage with its soft, silvery leaves, and a few Brussels sprouts with high hopes. The raspberry canes are waking up, stretching out their fresh green leaves, while onions pop up like little promises in another corner.

Some unexpected guests have arrived—volunteer squash plants that appeared all on their own, as if they just couldn’t bear to miss the season. I’ll be giving them a proper home in an adjacent bed, hoping they’ll repay the favor with blossoms and fruit. And true to my style, flowers are dancing in between the vegetables—gladiolas and lilies emerging to add a bit of poetry to the practicality.

Next week, once the frost has had its final say, we’ll tuck bean seeds into the soil and wait for the magic to begin.

“No single sort of garden suits everyone. Shut your eyes and dream of the garden you’d most love then open your eyes and start planting. Loved gardens flourish, boring ones are hard work.” – Jackie French

The blueberry bushes are quietly at work, and if you look closely, you’ll spot the beginnings of plump little berries forming among the leaves. It’s a hopeful sight—one that promises sweet handfuls on summer mornings, maybe scattered over yogurt or tucked into pancakes. And of course, there’s the dream of a warm blueberry pie, bubbling and golden after a good meal.

Our lot isn’t large, but we’ve made the most of every inch, wrapping our home in a series of purposeful garden spaces. Herbs spill from terracotta pots and garden beds—rosemary, basil, thyme—offering fresh flavorings for whatever’s cooking. There are neat rows and cheerful clusters of vegetables and fruit—lettuces, onions, raspberries, tomatoes, and now blueberries, each bringing its own color and character to the mix.

Among the flowers and foliage, the garden hums with life. Birds flit through the branches, pausing at feeders or dipping into the birdbath. Squirrels dart across the path with tails flying, and chipmunks peek shyly from under the deck. Occasionally, a rabbit hops through like a character from a storybook—and once in a while, a skunk waddles by on quiet feet, minding its own business.

It’s a patch of earth that feeds both body and spirit, offering not just food, but beauty, peace, and the quiet delight of watching nature go about its day—right outside our window. Thanks so much for joining me here today. I hope your week holds many gardening adventures whether you have fields or just a few potted plants to enjoy,