Garden delights with the Whimsical Gardener
My friend and fellow blogger Catherine of The Whimsical Gardener invited me to lunch in her garden yesterday, which was abloom with fragrant star jasmine, glowing white abutilon, and these shell-pink ‘Colorado’ water lilies in her stock-tank pond.
Catherine recently moved her 4-foot-diameter tank from a focal-point position in her small back lawn to tuck it into a garden bed near her patio. She and her husband fabricated a cool fountain from plumbing pipes and a spigot. A thin stream of water, recirculating from the pond up through the pipe and back down into the pond, creates a musical gurgle. I may have to steal this idea, as it looks so great with the silver, industrial-looking tank.
Star grass (Dichromena colorata), a sedge native to Texas, bloomed in front of a trellis smothered in star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), creating a glowing, white combo.
A wider view reveals that a purple blossom of ‘Madame Ganna Walksa’ waterlily has appeared. I shared this tropical lily with Catherine, which originally came from Philip at East Side Patch. It’s a monster. I have a sneaking suspicion Madame will stretch out her arms in midsummer and swallow Catherine’s patio!
Her arbor-shaded patio is utterly charming, graced with a swing, a screen of star jasmine, and a pretty dining table. That’s Blitzen lounging in the grass, after a good roll.
A ceiling fan keeps the space cool on warm days.
The arbor is beautifully constructed.
Star jasmine has such a sweet, enticing fragrance when it blooms in the spring. Someone is enjoying a hiding spot in there. Can you guess who?
One of the little screech owls that’s been nesting in Catherine’s owl box! Catherine said a noisy jay fussing at something in the vine alerted her to the owl’s presence a few days ago, and it’s been roosting during the day on one of her bird houses hanging on the trellis, tucked amid the vines. The owl is sitting at eye level and stays put with a wary eye, even when you get within a few feet for a photo.
We sat in these sky-blue Adirondacks for an hour or so, talking and bird-watching. Catherine’s yard is truly a bird haven, and we saw not only the owl but woodpeckers, cardinals, blue jays, white-winged doves, and finches. Her garden is much softer and lusher than mine, with several beautiful Japanese maples, few spiny plants, and a slightly more tropical flavor. I really enjoyed the different feel.
She’s giving a few succulents a go on her patio, like this blue chalk sticks (Senecio mandraliscae), which looks lovely next to her blue chairs.
Catherine has an artist’s eye for decorating and has added a number of lovely objects to her garden, like this tree-root sculpture that hangs on her garage wall. What a treat to spend a relaxing couple of hours there with her. Thank you, Catherine!
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A lovely garden space, indeed. Thanks for sharing your visit with Catherine, Pam. But now I’ve decided I must have some of that white blooming sedge! Have you seen it for sale around town?
I used to have it in my own stock-tank pond—the smaller one that I had in my old garden—but it must have died out over the years. I’m pretty sure I bought it at Hill Country Water Gardens all those years ago. Maybe Catherine will tell us where she got hers. —Pam
Thanks for taking us along on your visit with Catherine! What a lovely garden. That arbor is gorgeous. All that intricate woodwork….Swoon!
I know—that arbor is wonderful. It adds such great structure to her garden. —Pam
Oh, I just love that beautiful arbor. I’m also loving the water lilies in the stock-tank pond. What a gorgeous garden. Thanks for the tour Pam.
It was my pleasure, Steph! —Pam
With a breeze, I picture that as almost perfect. I’ve always wanted to see some full views of her garden, but such a hidden space is even better. I’m attracted to her effect this time of year here in the desert, so far from that…..
Thanks for the tour, and I hope you had more time enjoying it without camera in hand!
I did indeed, David. After a brief photo tour, I put the camera down and picked up a plate of scrumptious food. 😉 —Pam
Cat’s garden is beautiful! I loved seeing some wider shots of it. I didn’t realize it was so shady. It has such an intimate feeling.
The sun was pretty bright at noontime, so I actually didn’t get any good shots of the sunnier part of her garden, toward the back of the lot, but her garden does get a good deal of sun in the afternoon. The part by the house gets dappled shade. —Pam
The arbor is so pretty and welcoming on a warm day. The swing, the chairs, the plants, it all looks so inviting. The spigot on the tank is a great touch. The star grass is so nice, I’ll have to look for that one soon.
Thanks for showing us more of this lovely garden space.
You are welcome, Shirley! —Pam
Lovely, lovely! And that tree root sculpture is to die for! I’m still waiting for my water lilies to bloom. They have plenty of leaves, as does the lotus so I’m hoping!
I bet it won’t be long then, Cheryl. I envy you your lotus. —Pam
Such a lovely space. Thanks for showing us some long shots. I keep up with her blog, and her photography is amazing. But, she teases us with tight shots of her beautiful garden.
I must say…I’m a bit jealous of your owls. I think there may be an owl nesting box in our future, here.
Thanks again….
Her photography IS amazing, and yes, she does favor tighter, more atmospheric shots. You definitely need an owl box, Linda. —Pam
that is stunning. It looks just like summertime back there! I want those blue adirondack chairs!
Me too! —Pam
I was going to say that this is such a different view of Cat’s yard because she always gives us tight shots instead of views of whole areas, but I see Linda already beat me to it.
Nothing like another person’s perspective for seeing a space differently. Her garden is really lovely. I wish I’d had softer light to do it justice. —Pam
Thanks Pam, for a wider view into my garden! It’s both interesting and pleasing to see the garden through your lens 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed your visit. I know I did – it was an almost downright decadent way to spend a couple of hours in the middle of the week! Soaking up warm, April sunshine, listening to birdsong and laughing with a sweet friend…life is good.
Btw, I did buy the sedge from HCWG. It’s a favorite in my pond. In the late fall I cut out some of the flowers and let them dry. They sit in a little glass vase in my office and remind me of their beauty no matter the season.
Yes, it was a decadent day amid a busy work season—and just perfect. Thanks again! —Pam
Don’t you just hate to go to someplace that is so charming. It makes one want to go home and start remodeling. 🙂 We can’t have it all darn it. What a lovely wonderful place. I could move right in there like that little owl.
I know—didn’t he find the sweetest spot to hang out in? I LOVE visits to charming gardens like Cat’s. —Pam
What a wonderful garden in which to while away a couple of hours. Gardeners so often don’t have the time to actually sit down and and just have a quiet moment with nature. Clearly Cat gives a special welcome to wildlife. I’m not surprised the owl has made a home for himself there. I was glad to see her tank-pond. We just purchased one of a similar size although it will not enjoy quite so shady a spot. Maybe it will be the recipient of some of the passalong water lily next year.
Catherine says her pond gets a good long blast of afternoon sun, which is why her water lilies are so happy, I’m sure. —Pam
Pam and Cat – wow! Beautiful Garden. Now this one belongs on the garden tour.
What is the groundcover plant in the shade pic? It looks very lush and happy.
I’m also thinking of the water tank…yours is beautiful! Can’t decide if I have a nice enough part sun spot so it doesn’t all evaporate in the summer.
Chris, a little shade definitely helps prevent excessive evaporation in the summer. Banking soil up around the back, if you tuck it into a garden bed, also helps keep it cooler. See Cat’s answer to your question about the groundcover below. —Pam
So charming…and the spigot water fountain is utter perfection…I’m totally stealing that idea someday 😉
I know, right?? —Pam
Jenny, you will absolutely be the recipient of some of the water lily! Can’t wait to see how you design your tank. You’re right too that it was so nice to just sit and enjoy the time instead of feeling like I should be working. It was so nice that I texted a couple girlfriends last night and invited them to happy hour on the patio Friday. Then, DJ and I had some blackberry mojitos and enjoyed it too.
Chris, thank you 😉 The plant at the border of the shade bed is yellow columbine. I started with one plant and the volunteers all lined up neatly at the border over the years! The potted plant is African hosta (a pass along from Linda at CTG) and then next to the pot on the right is a ‘pee wee’ oakleaf hydrangea. Variegated ginger to the left of the pot and behind the maple to the right is Japanese aralia. Some cast iron, river fern, dwarf beautyberry, sparkler sedge and heartleaf skullcap fill in here and there.
I have one of those passalong African hostas from Linda too, Cat. It’s a hardy little thing. —Pam
What a lovely tour! What a lovely space! And what lovely people, both Pam and Cat!
Aw, thanks, Linda! —Pam
Apparently Jasmine is a performance-enhancing plant (seriously, some studies just came out about how smelling them can help baseball players and other athletes play better. Cat’s garden looks beautiful, and your photos are fantastic!
Hmm, maybe I’ll take a whiff the next time I have a big deadline to meet, P. —Pam
What are the floating “bubbles” in this pond? They’ve very cool. This whole garden is stunning. What a gorgeous space. If I had it in me, this is just how I’d make my space look and feel.
They are blown-glass floats, Robyn, and yes, they are very cool. Perhaps they can be found at water-gardening nurseries? —Pam
i have BIG owl envy!
Aren’t they incredible birds, Janine? Screech owls are very easy to attract to your garden if you have an open tree canopy and put up an owl box for them. They are widespread across the U.S. (there are eastern and western species) and readily nest in boxes. —Pam