So Happy To Find St. Francis

Another very hot and dry day in Alabama.  Yesterday was high 90's and no rain in sight.  Watering seems futile, but we try.  You know conditions are tough for the plants when even the natives like the wild ageratums look wilted and dying.  I just watered them yesterday.  I will be out there with the hose again tonight.  Night watering is not supposed to be as good for plants and morning, but in conditions like this, I opt for night so that the water has some time to soak in before it evaporates entirely.  I do hope we get some of the predicted possible rain tomorrow.  The probability is only around 30% though, according to the weather channel.  This summer has reinforced my plans to plant only native shrubs in the fall.  I will only have to baby them for a year instead of forever!



After my friends Michael and Laura so generously gave me stepping stones and rocks from their garden redo,I was able to build a pathway going down a little hill and a garden area in what had been just a weedy , waste area.   The little garden area comes to a point where the pathway divides at the bottom of the hill.  I planted a crape myrtle purchased from the Birmingham Botanical Garden plant sale at the back and 3 lorapetalum to the rear and right of the crape myrtle.  A lone, blue hydrangea sits to the left.  Then I put Stella D'Oro daylilies  to the front of the crape myrtle.  It seemed as though something was missing, it needed more of a focal point than the crape myrtle. A Saint Francis statue seemed like just the right thing, but of course, when I decided that was what was needed, I couldn't find one.  It took months of looking to find just the right size.  I even looked when I was in North Carolina, no luck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found St. Francis












Photos taken in August, 2012

View of back garden . The back part behind crape myrtle and in front of retaining wall used to be my shade garden.  There was a large oak tree and a sweet gum tree shading the area, as well as the Southern magnolia which is now half the size it used to be.

Just about the time I was about to give up and put something else there, a friend, I think it was Molly or Lynn, told me about a place in Pelham, about a half hour drive down Highway 31.  Meyers Plants and Pottery seems to be the best place in the area to find garden statuary and decoration at reasonable prices.  They have an interesting selection of bottle trees and colorful artwork to put on fences and posts.  I was in heaven, and there was just the right size St. Francis. He makes me smile every time I look down there and see him sitting behind the daylilies!

I think I mentioned in a previous blog that he escaped damage in the tornado even though the crape myrtle was bent and broken and there were big branches down all around him.  The crape myrtle has recovered and looks beautiful right now with lavender colored blooms. I still haven't found just the right little bench to put down in that area, but it will show up when it shows up. I will wait for the perfect one.

If you are not doing so already, please pray for rain and cooler weather for all who are suffering in this heat and drought!
Susan