Garden as Rejuvenator

After an especially trying week at work, I went out into my garden this morning, taking note of what was new. It didn't take long, helped by the blue skies, to begin to feel revivified. And that's one of the magical things about gardens -- be that ours, a friend's or a public garden -- they are able to lift our spirits, offer us beauty, raise our curiosity, satisfy a longing to participate in helping things grow. Even weeding can be transformative, especially since one is rewarded immediately for one's efforts. For me, it doesn't matter what I do in the garden; just being there relaxes and energizes me. I guess that's the definition of 'love,' at least when it concerns a something not a someone (though come to think of it, it holds true for a someone too). So, I raise a glass to gardens, long may they grow!
Here are a few things that inspired me today:

Not sure what I did right this year but my clivia produced the most vivid orange flowers it ever has. No snail problems either. The bed it's in, mostly a bit of morning sun leading to the back yard, is looking the best it ever has.

Arisaema thunbergii ssp Urashima. One of the whip-chord arisaemas. Not a large spathe but still colorful, ornate and strange.

Oncidium Wildcat Yellow Butterfly. This is one of the few orchids I've gotten to rebloom. Very striking colors. 

In the same long bed as the clivia, this Viburnum plicatum (pruned almost as a bonzai) is already loaded up with buds, with a few having opened.

On the other hand, I've let my exuberant Choisya ternata go wild in the back yard. It's weighted down with blossoms so fragrant I can smell them 20' away.

I thought this unfurling Philodendron leaf made for an interesting shot. And it's such a vivid mint green.

I almost didn't notice today that one of my tillandsias has not one but two large pink flowers about to open. Yowsa!

I just brought home a fragrant Clematis armandii 'Snowdrift.' It isn't even out of the pot yet but thought I'd share it anyway. Armandii is an evergreen species, likes more sun and often rewards those who take it home with some degree of fragrance. Snowdrift is especially sweet smelling.

Ixia bellendenii. Ixias are super easy to grow and reward the gardener with a long show of very colorful flowers. 

 Dutch iris.The first of my Dutch iris are in bloom. There just isn't anything more cheerful than irises.

The big event of the week is my Calothamnus villosus blooming. It has Greyia-like fringed flowers and these sprout directly along the branches. Make sure to look at this one full screen. Just fab!

Verticordia plumosa. One of my favorite Aussie shrubs, in part for its sweet pink flowers. A favorite destination for the bees visiting my garden.

Cunonia stipule. It's now beginning to open up and in this case I think it will produce more leaves. It's the first plant I've grown that has this kind of stipule. Most curious.

Chaenomeles 'Cameo.' The apricot flowering quince is a newcomer to my garden and these are its first flowers.

Campanula incurva. Though this shot isn't as perfectly focused as I'd like, I wanted to share the rare charms of this lesser known campanula. They are known for their icy-lavender, cup-shaped flowers.

Finally a decent shot of my Chamelaucium 'Purple Pride.'  This Geraldine Wax Flower as it's known is another hardy Aussie native.

Babianas. This nice little stand of babianas keeps getting fuller every year.

Physocarpus 'Nugget.' This closeup shows how golden the foliage really is. Like Viburnum plicatum, it barely has time to produce its leaves then it buds up in preparation for blooming.

 Calendula 'Zeolights.' Sometimes you get lucky. Doesn't this photo look as much like a painting as it does a photograph? And stop to contemplate for a moment how perfectly arranged the rows of petals are.

Osteospermum 3D Coral Sands. One of my favorite Osteos. Love the colors and the raised inner petals, owing to its 3D parentage.

Magnolia 'Butterflies.' Sometimes the tulip tree's flowers are just as pretty right before they open.

Moraea villosa, otherwise known as Peacock moraea because, well, the eyes have it. My favorite moraea and one of my favorite bulbs period.

Melaleuca and Adenanthos. Two fab Aussie shrubs and both hit their prime in this their third year. Mind you I 'cheated' and gave them a little water this last six months.

Bomarea. This guy is my "The Little Engine That Could." It's still a very small plant but has been in continuous bloom for the last six months. It's such a saturated red that the camera even has a hard time getting a good read.

Speaking of reds, here's my Iochroma coccinea. Though I didn't quite get the whole thing in focus -- my camera is being ornery these days -- this gives some idea of how fabulous this species of Iochroma can be. I don't baby it but it keeps on chugging.