I don’t live in a spectacular part of the country. There aren’t mountains rising in the distance or dramatic vistas. My views are more intimate but beautiful in their own way. The small vignettes of wildflowers in the woods are so pretty that they stop me in my tracks. I notice the patterns of lichen and bark on tree trunks. I’ve been dumbstruck by orange fungi growing on a downed birch log. 

I try to capture some of that in my backyard garden. 

I planted this shady corner by the screened porch with (if I remember correctly) ajuga, sweet woodruff and cinnamon fern.

The roses and climbing hydrangea on the side of the coop are in bloom. This looks carefree and exuberant, but it actually required planning and editing.  For once I got the pruning right – the flowers are abundant and the shape of woody parts are just what I wanted.

If you look closely, you’ll see that the planter by the coop door is in the shape of a chicken. I confess to having chicken things everywhere. (The props in  Tillie Lays an Egg are only about a tenth of my collection.) Still, it is possible to overdo the chicken motif. I’m aiming for charming, not tacky. (If my friends think I’ve gone overboard, they have my permission to stage an intervention.)

Anyway, it’s been pretty here. There are many studies that show that the beauty of nature is beneficial for your health. It’s been proven that surgery patients have a faster recovery if they have a hospital bed near a window with a view of a park. So, for those of you stuck in cubicles and watching the HenCam, think of it this way – you’re not “wasting your time” – rather, you’re improving your physical well-being!