My Magical Pocket of Garden Beauty
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I’ll own it: I’m a produce snob. How could I not be with my family history? Mom grew up on a fruit and vegetable farm and taught me how to not only identify good quality produce but how to “improve” bad produce when I can’t get my hands on the good stuff. This snobbery has bled into my gardening hobby a hint, but mostly, I just love plants – all plants – and adore creating a beautiful space with them.
I live in an apartment in the Chicago suburbs, though, so I’m “stuck” with a patio container garden and a tiny patch of land in front that includes the evergreen shrubs the property owner planted years ago, a bunch of mulch, and a host of ancient irises that need replanting.
In this unique space, and through the many years I’ve spent writing about plants, enjoying my tiny garden, and researching Illinois natives, I have come to dwell on the beauty of my space. I may not have a lot of ground but what I’ve got, I delight in exploring through my creativity.
Plants in My Little Garden
On the patio, I’ve collected a menagerie of flowering and fruiting plants, from wildflower natives to bell peppers. My flowerpots contain cantaloupes and morning glories, “cottage garden” mix seedlings, and much more as the season’s temperatures fluctuate more than usual this year (thank you El Nino).
Thankfully, the bonkers weather is supposedly ending soon but my garden has certainly taken the hit thus far. My irises faded before Mid-May. My hyacinths only lasted a week. The daffodils melted before April. And now, as June pushes to the middle, my tiny seedlings still blink back at the sun, tiny and restrained after the hot-and-cold dance they’ve twirled with all spring.
It’s been a weird one.
Nonetheless, my mix of fruiting plants, leafy greens (I love you, Swiss chard!) and my wildflowers have added delight to this tiny pocket of the world. My indoor herb garden has added beauty and flavor to our home as well, and I’m thrilled to maintain that year-round, along with the AeroGarden my mother-in-law gave us a few years ago for Christmas. I even have a tiny glass globe fairy garden.
Indoors, I grow dill, oregano, lettuce, thyme, parsley, and coriander (cilantro). Outdoors, I’ve got cantaloupe, watermelon, Swiss chard, four varieties of lettuce, bell peppers, morning glories, Bachelor Buttons, three different wildflower mixes, and three different cottage-style garden flower mixes, along with marigolds, and two varieties of tomatoes.
These plants live on and under my grill side burner, on the brick “shelves” I crafted on the end of the patio, scattered throughout the mulch patch, and dangle from hooks in their hanging pots.
Other Elements of Beauty
I love my plants! But I also love adding decorative touches to play in my garden space. You’ll find birdbaths given to use from a stranger on Freecycle.org. You’ll spot a collection of tall, medium, and short shepherd’s hooks found on Freecycle and purchased from local stores. Numerous planters in an array of colors came to us from friends, Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist freebies.
I’ve added an assortment of colorful solar lights from Linkind (read my review) and garden pathway lights to help us navigate safely. You’ll find additional solar lights in decorative shapes, such as flowers or lanterns, from Amazon and local bargain stores.
And don’t forget the beautiful hummingbird spinner with a dazzling crystal prism, the hummingbird themed hammered décor pieces from bargain stores, bird feeders, wind chimes, and a handful of other décor items.
My prize pieces, though, include a village of fairy garden pieces I’ve gathered over the years. From bargain store houses to homemade or upcycled accents, I’ve found homes, beds, garden implements, and even a luxurious martini glass bath for my aerial visitors.
The Creative Glow
While I have no control over the weather or when the condo board hires folks to spread the mulch that can ruin any seeds already planted, I do have the creative ability to create a stunning garden space.
This has become one of my greatest creative outlets in the past year, while I’ve continued recovering my voice from COVID aftereffects, dealt with job loss, and fought against anxiety, situational depression, and string of poor health moments.
I sit on my patio with my cup of tea, listening to birdsongs, watching rabbits and squirrels, and drinking in the glory of a perfect cuppa each morning. Here, I find peace and quiet before the chaos of life ensues. This alluring pocket of the universe is my private glimpse into heaven, with fragrant blooms, delightful music, and vivid colors.
And I can look at this living work of art and know that I helped to create it with my talent and keen eye for color and fun and plant magic.
Need more beauty? Find plenty of lovely reads at the MockingOwl Roost.
- It’s Raspberry Season! – The Creative Garden Series, Essay
- Almost Paradise – The Creative Garden Series, Fiction
- Secret Garden – Poetry
- The Total Solar Eclipse – My Favorite Things
- My Favorite Carving – Poetry Reading
- Anatomy of a Memory Part 1 & Part 2 – Fiction
- Traveling Back in Time with Outlander – Literary Travel
- Holding the Love – a Song
- For Sale – Flash Fiction
Editor-in-Chief of The MockingOwl Roost, Rita Mock-Pike is the granddaughter of aviatrix, Jerrie Mock, first woman to pilot an airplane solo around the world. Rita has found inspiration from her grandmother’s life and flight and pursued many of her own dreams in theatre, podcasting, novel writing, and cooking up delicious food from around the world. She now writes on food, travel, pets, faith, and the arts. She’s happily married to Matt, and faithfully serves the very fluffy kitten queen, Lady Stardust.
