by Karen Hirst
We all know of the sensual pleasures offered by our summertime gardens with their richness of colours, fragrance and varied shapes and sizes… each specimen showcasing its own claim to fame. There is always one new colour, one new plant to add to the collection. Each spring tempts the gardener into adding an additional foot or even one more new bed to accommodate the annual purchases made at the Garden Centres…the passion for gardening is rewarded with a cornicopia of treasures that can’t be denied.
However, not all garden treasures are grown in garden soil. With their own claim to fame, some take up seasonal residency camoflaged among the plant foliage and others are showy visitors basking in the sunlight atop the colourful blooms and leaves, each providing a unique adornment to the garden.
Our perennial gardens at Three Mile Bay, White Lake provided a welcoming environment for some of the gems I speak of.
A lovely green frog with his black spotted back may have felt he escaped notice but I was fortunate to catch sight of him sitting on one of the flat stepping stones catching a few of the morning rays filtering down through the Astilbe and Ornamental grasses.
Butterflies alighting atop the Siberian Iris and Chives with the yellow of their expanded wings contrasted against the black edging and stipes, with a dash of blue and orange make these an elegant addition.
Not to be outdone by the vibrant green of the frog or the yellow of the butterfly, numerous colour combinations of Dragonflies were frequent companions found throughout the perennial garden beds…each a delightful visual addition.
Add some bumble bees, a variety of moths, the spectacle of a Hummingbird showering in the spray of the watering wand or supping at the trough of and open faced Lily, the Monarch Butterfly migration in the fall and the summertime garden becomes an entertainment centre of nature’s offerings, second to none.
