I found this austere lion’s head in a stone yard
more than a decade ago, had the trough made from
cinder block, cement, and stucco a few years later…
Every year it yields further to winter’s mossy embrace
Might make a buttermilk and moss cocktail to help
that right corner along…
The gold fish…
Are great companions…
We added many stone retaining walls
to wrestle the most use out of our yard…
Necessity, the mother of invention,
adding character in the landscape…
Cast stone capital…
has followed me around for over 20 years…
The overturned garden cloche winters inside
to force narcissus over pebbles
First offerings from the garden…
muscari, violets, narcissus
Garden steps growing their own winter garden…
Beautiful! spring is on its way. . .
You are lucky you got there first at the stone yard and found that fantastic austere lion’s head The last house I owned had a secret garden with a 20 foot laurel hedge — just begging for a such a piece, I looked and looked but never did found it until to day in your garden on your post How divine.. we had the basin but never the crowning glory — I did take the fish with me though and they are in a little pond. Now I can enjoy your garden through the pictures on the post. Just as well the new owners — ripped the secret garden apart and it is now a concrete garden — If I had left both pieces it would have broke my heart
Lovely blog,
Joanny
Lady, you always come through. Wonderful post. I adore.
It’s been said that a garden dies with the gardener. I think that applies to moving and leaving a garden behind. More snow today. All of my stone walls are draped in it. In the midwest, stone hardscape is one of the only ways to have four garden seasons. It also gives life to an amazing and not always wanted (SNAKES!) critters. I think on cold days down under the walls, scenes from the Secrets of NIMH: mice around a blazing fire. Happy day to you and thank you for the visual treats.
Love all your comments. I could always pack up my belongings and move, Grapes of Wrath style, anywhere else to pitch my tent. What gives me nightmares is leaving my garden behind. I’ve put more me in it than anything inside.
What I love most about your garden is true authenticity…the heart and soul you yourself have breathed into it. Like finding the lost lion and then pairing it with a basin of your own design. So much more compelling than ordering up a ready made fountain. As a frustrated gardener, I know your stunning roses, peonies and lavender are not only testaments to your artistic eye but also your devotion. The qualities of your vision grow beyond your garden and also bear witness within the walls of your home. Your custom mixes of paint, soulful pairings, rescues, reconfigurations and your amazing ability to know when to just let it be. Your beautiful courage is expressed throughout your garden and your home and I feel so privileged that you take us along for at least a bit of your meaningful journey with every post. ~jermaine~
Beautiful, I love this sort of thing. I remember seeing the water troughs and stone figures with water running from them in England. Here though the fish would not last long with the cormorants about!
Le Loup.
Hi Le Loup. We lost several batches of fish to raccoons before we perfected a wire mesh cover!
my neighbors have stopped asking me if i am pulling out the moss; i think it’s getting a little clearer that i’m busy pulling the grass out of the moss. if moss appears, i cultivate it. so beautiful, earthy and refreshing. thank you for the beauty.
this sounds strange: from your images you can almost feel the fuzzy warm moss and the cold stone if you were to run your hands across the images… nice. thank you!
Hi Soodie. It is so obviously a living, moving thing against the cold rock. After months of cold, wet and gray ..the merry bands of moss find their own paths and just gleam. Winter’s silver lining.
This is a wonderful interlude from a dreary, grey Michigan winter day…thank you! I wanted to take my computer and cup of tea and go sit out in your lovely garden.
Hi Trish,
You always share so much beauty in your photos ~ thank you.
How exciting to have the first offering of Spring flowers ~ love these three.
Enjoy your weekend
Hugs
Carolyn
Trish,
That stone is so beautiful! And even charming with the moss that embraced it! Jan and me love the old stones and we also bought a few for our garden and we can’t wait untill the moss is growing on them!
Beautiful pictures Trish!
Have a nice weekend,
Greet
Lovely pictures T. Does that buttermilk cocktail really work? I have a spot I might like to use. And I love the garden cloche overturned you may have given me an idea….I love it when you do that! Maryanne xo
Um… I’m gonna steal that lion head container right out of your yard. Your okay with that? Oh, excellent.
What a delightful spot to visit!
Moss is SO WONDERFUL!!
I’m trying to winter over 2 pots in the greenhouse AGAIN…
Enjoy your early spring!
annie
Trish and her beautiful French castle! (: Now I want moss too – but the right kind. Lovely images as always. And I love your proud and handsome cat in a an earlier post. Happy week, dear! xx Mon
So sorry for not being around much lately, manic busy with new Ghost stuff.
Am taking some time today to do the rounds of the blogs and catch up – refreshing the soul
Much Love
Di
x
PS Moss covered stone – MY FAVOURITE
i love your blog, your taste, your photos, the sight you have over things.