Lush

Here in Michigan, we are getting a taste of what it must be like to live in the Pacific Northwest. It's been very mild, with lots of rain interspersed with a few sunny days. The conditions have made everything so lush and green! The grass grows so fast that it needs to be cut twice a week. The only problem is trying to get it cut between rain showers!

We have lived in our little Michigan cottage for two years now. Wow, where did the time go? In some ways, it feels like only yesterday we were packing up and moving from the Chicago 'burbs and heading home.

Those two years have really seen a lot of growth in the garden. The bushes and plants have really matured and filled in so nicely.

Gone are the pokey overgrown barberry bushes. Gone are the weeds. Gone are the odd mishmash of plants and day lily that just attracted the deer. Now, the garden is a harmonious mixture of bushes, trees, and plants, with so many shades of green to make it interesting.

I love this Creeping Jenny ground cover! It gives such a surprising jolt of chartreuse color. It was once hidden under those barberry, but it's happy to see the sunshine now. So far it's playing nicely with the hydrangeas and roses, but I will probably have to keep it in check.

This hosta was hidden under the barberry, too.

The clematis is very happy in the corner, but I need to find a way to extend the trellis up higher so that it can climb.

These lovely weigela bushes were hidden behind the barberry. I'm so glad we decided to keep them. They are thriving now that they get air and sunshine.

The boxwood along our sidewalk were half dead, and I was tempted to yank them out and start fresh. Instead, I pruned out the dead, watered regularly, and they have really come back to life. Sometimes, if you just give a bush some good pruning and care, it will surprise you.

The best part about having an established garden now is that I don't feel compelled to rush to the nursery and buy flats of annuals to fill in the bare spaces. I am really enjoying the shades of green and subtle colors and textures as they unfold.

Life is lush, and we are so thankful to God for the lavish blessings.