This wonderful garden is the work of the Head Office of Sheridan Nurseries.  What a show they produce with their grand entrance.  I could certainly use some of their expertise and strong backs in my own garden but I do what I can.

 I refer to myself as a moody gardener. Some years I make quite a show of the garden and other years I'm not the least bit interested. Knowing that about myself, I planned the garden as carefully as possible for low maintenance and [hopefully] good design so it would survive the 'not interested' summers.

The first year we were here in our old Victorian house was incredibly busy with renovations as well as starting the garden. There was a point when we were in a real time crunch and the fellow who was taking care of the lion's share of the work had hired a young man, part time, to help with some of the fetching and carrying. He was completely unskilled and just a little slow in catching on how to do things but entirely good-natured.

One day in late summer, I was indoors all day trying to help finish some of the painting and I had asked him if he could help by tidying up the garden a bit.....I showed him what needed to be done which was merely to clean up where the leaves had fallen into the beds and to pull some weeds.

A while later, a friend stopped by to see how the work was coming along and she asked, "What in the world has happened to your garden?!?" When I went out to look I was greeted by a smiling Dave, so pleased with the work he'd done.

He'd pulled up all the shrubs and perennials I'd planted in the Spring--the ones I'd meticulously nurtured through the dry summer so they'd 'take hold' and he had re-planted them where he thought they'd look good.

Rare for me, I was speechless as I heard him proudly say, " I fixed your garden for ya."