Made in the Shade with a lot of help from a friend

A wheelbarrow is a gardener's necessity!

A little vignette, created with items on hand, a vintage toy push mower, a french wash tub, and a few odds and ends.

Above: the pesky fittings for the fountain pump, I want to design a universal fitting, made out of a magical flexible substance.

I have been working on a shade garden under the maple trees. And fiddling around with a pesky fountain. My dear old lady that pours a jug into a basin has lost much of her original tubing, and what remains is hard and no longer pliable. I have made three trips to the hardware store to plumb her but so far its an epic failure!

The ghostlike bag is one of my rose nurseries, containing a precious cutting of my beloved "Constance" from Kingfisher Farm. You can see coral bells and ferns, as well as the magnificent hostas from my neighbor's garden beyond the chain link fence.

The slope down from the concrete deck is a challenging place to garden, and I would like to terrace it with limestone.

Kim points out a place to plant a few more perennials.

With the generosity of my friend Kim, I have been expanding the area under the trees, and she not only gifted me with lovely ferns and shade plants, she insisted on helping me dig them and plant them in my garden. Her own garden is quite simply a little Eden.

A pond and borders with delightful fountains and gecko sculptures make it a whimsical place. Her knack for mixing flowers and foliage in the earth as well as water are exemplary. After being in her creation, you walk away inspired and uplifted. Kim has many "memory" plants, starts from dear departed friends and relatives, and her belief is that gardens and plants are to be shared. Here she is designing a pocket garden using my iron gate as a focal point.

I designed my own rose nursery made from tomato cage and dry cleaner bag. I used what I had on hand, and dipped the stems in rooting hormone and tucked them into potting soil. In case one location fails, I have 2 separate sites. So far so good, we have had a lot of rain and cool weather which is ideal for starting roses and transplanting plants.

Kim still smiles after hours of transplanting flowers and removing turf. She's the energizer bunny!