Shasta Daisies

Glistening from a Morning Rain

Glistening from a Morning Rain

Four years ago, we decided to dig up a corner area of our lawn and plant a sunny perennial garden.

We had no idea of the work involved–digging out the grass, making the heavy clay a bit more friendly towards growing plants by adding lots of black dirt and compost, designing the plants keeping in mind color, height, soil and watering requirements, and blooming times. And that was just the beginning. Then came the search for the selected plants, planting, watering weeding, mulching. Gardens are lovely and I love that I have a patch of bright color in view of the house, but they require a fair amount of dedication. And lots of hard work. Worth it, though. Well worth it.

We’ve added new plants each year. Each year a few don’t survive the perils of a prolonged winter, but more frequently they are nibbled to death in early spring by hungry and very determined rabbits. We’ve learned to spray a nasty smelling organic type of rabbit-keep-away on anything green whenever it rains, and that keeps the damage to a minimum, and I admit I’m happy whenever I see red foxes prowling the neighborhood.

This year we had a late spring, but we’ve had more than enough rain to keep the plants happy.

Many of the flowers are thick with blooms for most of July–Shasta daisies, purple coneflowers, balloon flowers, yellow coreopsis, lavendar, gigantic sunflowers–and they all merge together in masses of purples, whites, and yellows.

I took lots of photographs earlier this week, after the rains had nearly stopped for the day, so I’ll be sharing garden flowers for the next few days.

About Bo Mackison

I'm a photographer, book-artist, traveler, naturalist, and creator of the Contemplative Creatives Journey, An Online Workshop and Community and Desert Wisdom Cards and Workshops. Though often not well known, I find the desert a welcoming place - a healing space. Its mysteries and gifts transformed me several years ago. Since that first encounter, I return again and again to fill my well in what most people think of as a desolate region. I'd love to share my desert discoveries and wisdom with you. Please subscribe to receive my five part mini email course The Gifts of the Desert. It's my gift to you.

Comments

  1. I like how you used depth of field.

  2. I like how you used depth of field.

  3. tmcchesney says

    What a beautiful garden of daisies, these are so bright and cheery!!

  4. tmcchesney says

    What a beautiful garden of daisies, these are so bright and cheery!!

  5. Love this shot!

  6. Love this shot!

  7. Daisies are the most perfectly simple flower. Love how you’ve filled the frame with such delight!!!

  8. Daisies are the most perfectly simple flower. Love how you’ve filled the frame with such delight!!!

  9. Beautiful flowwers and great perspective in the photo. Gotta love those rabbits (not). 🙂

  10. Beautiful flowwers and great perspective in the photo. Gotta love those rabbits (not). 🙂

  11. Daisies are my favorite flowers. These are lovely, especially with the glistening rain covering them.

    I’m looking forward to seeing more of your garden.

  12. Nice! There’s just no way to beat raindrops and daisies!

  13. I really like the depth of field and the rainy wetness of the daisies. Yes, flower gardening is a lot of hard work. I’m still battling the grass that wants to creep in with my gardens. Lovely capture of the Shasta daisies! 🙂

  14. Borrowing from Pooh, “who cannot be uncheered by a daisy?” Pooh was, of course, referring to balloons but I think daisies fit the sentence as well. Lovely photo – makes me smile!

  15. Borrowing from Pooh, “who cannot be uncheered by a daisy?” Pooh was, of course, referring to balloons but I think daisies fit the sentence as well. Lovely photo – makes me smile!

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