The Lazy Way to Garden

I must have mentioned  somewhere that I have two distinct gardens. This is my upper garden, in the front yard, an expansive area with mature trees and woodland atmosphere.  There are pines, oaks, magnolias, camellias,  rodies, azaleas, geraniums and numerous bushes, herbs and ornamentals.  There are sunny places, like this one, where hubby and I can sit side by side, or face to face, and soak in the sun whenever it chooses to grace our spaces.

Most of what grows here is native, or so entrenched that it does not need me to interfere much.  I can be lazy here, doing what I want, when I want. Do you see a hint of artichoke leaf by the bottom corner? I tried to enliven this area by putting plugs of thyme, rosemary, and this artichoke that is now chocking with weeds.  Weeds thrive in this environment where rain is abundant.

These gourds are not native growth, though some mushrooms grow this big and bulbous. These cultivated in my other garden, down by the lake. I brought them up here to "decorate" this strip in front of the house.  They become "talking points" with my neighbors, surviving all winter out here. In  a few weeks, as it gets warmer, I will cut them up, save the seeds, and eat or compost the flesh.
 Lazy and inexpensive decoration.

There is color from December on, ranging from the white of the Star Magnolia to the red of the camellia.  Yellow and pink and orange blooms are everywhere.  Whoever landscaped this place loved colors.

The only thing I have to do is gather spent blooms, trim errant branches, move the benches to follow the sun.  This garden came together after decades and centuries of selection and survival struggles.

All I do is enjoy.