Prayer flags decorate the garden.......

While visiting the island of Maui in Hawaii in February, I noticed Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags hanging bunting style above the entrance to a tiny shop filled with unusual items. The flags were weathered, the colors muted, the cotton fabric wrinkled and frayed. I asked if they sold them and was shown a much brighter package - the Tibetan five elemental colors - which I purchased. I know eventually they'll fade into those softer shades after a few months of weathering in the Summer sun and showers here in my back garden.

Note - beneath the flags I have a small dogwood tree growing straight and looking very healthy. This is exciting as we've lost all but one other dogwood. This little tree just appeared last year out of the blue and I'm giving it lots of TLC.......and maybe the prayer flags fluttering above will help too!

The back garden. A haven for wildlife, from tiny birds to foxes. Goodness it's truly looking like a 'secret garden' this Spring. 

I started this garden a1most 16 years ago in the aftermath of Hurricane Fran. It looked like a war zone then! With $2.4 billion in damage and 13 deaths, North Carolina was hit hard, not just the coastal region but inland also. Our damage was substantial during that horrible night, my car crushed in the driveway, and many large oak trees fell on our house necessitating a new roof, but thankfully we were not injured. What was formerly just a natural heavily treed area in back became my new project. After assistance with clearing and preparing the lot, Bob and I have done all the work ourselves. It's amazing how quickly trees, shrubs, and plants grow, even with limited sunlight. We still have a thick overhead canopy of trees despite the ones that fell and the removal later of several tall but dangerous pines. Now, slightly overgrown, the huge privets, blooming currently, are more the size of small trees than shrubs and are blending into the azaleas. Pruning is on that lengthy garden 'to do' list. I missed many of the azaleas in flower this Spring, they bloomed whilst I was away and Nature wouldn't wait for me - but they were lovely according to my neighbors.

A huge leftover pile of firewood due to our 
extremely mild Winter - at least we'll be 
ready for the next cold one.

One of the benches snuggled into the landscape.

The annual clambering up the back fence of the 

New Dawn roses - a bit sparse 

this Spring as I pruned them last year - their 

palest, shabby chic pink, always a delight.

Looking toward the potting shed - it had a little clean 
out and tidy up recently!

What does your green space look like? 

Do you have a perfectly manicured garden 

or, like me, allow Nature to run a little wild?