Stars of the Garden

This year I found some stars for my garden.  Now, first let's define garden.  By "garden" I mean the 15' by 4' small plot of unplanted soil that sits next to my front walkway just as you are making the final turn to the front door.

Please do not be thinking country garden, English garden, cottage garden, French knot garden.

No, no, no . . . we are thinking please-please-won't-something-grow-and-bloom-garden!!

In my defense, it appears that the wickedly lazy workers who built my house decided to bury many of their leftover materials in said front bed.  Which is why when planting my daffodil bulbs that first year, I ran into large masses of gravel, sand, wire, and occasional chunks of wood.

I have found that when looking for stars for a plot of land that has less than ideal circumstances for growing, simple, tried and true, low maintenance plants are best.  If they've been around and thriving for 100 years, if they haven't been hybridized into near perfection, they probably can grow in my inhospitable plot.

Hybridized, lovely mounding petunias?  No!  They wither away to mere scraggles.  The newest spreading Plentifall pansies in lovely lavender blue?  No!  They find my plot unaccommodating.

This year my stars have been the hardy common vinca and the very pedestrian yellow marigold.

Unassuming, easygoing, and decidedly unsnobby, the vinca and the marigold have brought color and beauty to my world . . . even though I couldn't offer a thing in the way of hospitality.

They are my stars!