Corona of Color

Barbara Clare's Corona of Color. Photo by Barbara Clare.

Today's my birthday. To celebrate life and elevate my spirit, I'm surrounding myself with a Corona of Color. Not only am I decked out in bright happy colors today, a vibrant image of the color spectrum radiates behind my desk chair. I rescued the fabric from a broken umbrella, saving it for future use. Who knew a colorful array of dazzling polka dots would support me and lend virtual cheer to others during this Coronavirus crisis?

I've been wanting to help out community during this difficult time. And on my birthday, I especially wanted to offer a gift to the world. I have no sewing abilities so I can't create protective masks. But...

I am fortunate to live on 1.5 acres of natural wonderland. Majestic oaks, a magnificent magnolia, an astonishing sheltering redbud as well as evergreen hellebores graced the property when we bought our home in 2014. The old growth garden template was exceptional, but the site was also ridden with weeds. It clearly needed some love. I immediately set to revealing its potential.

I've become what I call "an extreme gardener." I research the plants to add to our garden beds, find where I can purchase them, buy them, plant them (even trees and shrubs that require digging large holes), wheelbarrow topsoil to them, water, mulch, feed and weed them. I've added hundreds of plants, and now, in 2020, the vision I've had for our paths and various garden beds is finally revealing itself. Design is emerging!

As an extreme gardener, I can offer you this:

Garden Friends Stick Together. Photo by Barbara Clare.

I invite you to escape the confines of your home for a "Social Distance Garden Tour" of our gardens. There's nothing like breathing fresh spring air and taking in the delights the natural world has to offer us.

For those who live too far away to visit us, I've created a video (with my husband Ray's help), of what's blooming now (we've got some color!) in our front gardens.

If you like this video and would like to see more of our gardens, let me know and I'll see about making a video of our back area.

If you enjoy my posts, Sign Up to my Blog and you'll get a notice in your email box each time I've published a new post. And please pass it on to friends. I'd like to spread my COLOR CHEER as far as possible.

Now, let's escape our worries and take a stroll through our private wonderland.

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Plants Featured in our Garden Video:

Tiarella. 'Appalachian Trail' (Foam Flower)

Serissa japonica. 'White Edge' (Snowrose or Tree of a Thousand Stars)

Deutzia gracilis. 'Nikko' (Slender Deutzia)

Physocarpus Opulifolius. 'Seward Summer Wine' (Ninebark)

Ajuga reptans. 'Catlin's Giant' (Bugleweed)

Iris tectorum. (Japanese Roof Iris)

Phlox subulata. 'Blue Emerald' (Creeping Phlox)

Assorted Aquilegia. (Assorted Columbine)

Polygonatum odaratum var. pluriflorum. 'Variegatum' (Solomon's Seal)

Aquilegia canadensis. (Native Columbine)