I mentioned yesterday that it had suddenly struck me with amazement — again — that I was living in such a beautiful place.
And the same feeling struck me again today.
It makes sense why I feel so grateful and so blessed; I live in a truly magical place. I was out working in the yard today — overdoing it as usual — and for a change, I stopped to rest on my pretty bench because I was too tired to drag myself to a chair under the gazebo.
I sat there musing about my magic place. A few seeds, a few plants, some water, and suddenly, there it is — a magnificent yard, with views on every side. (Not suddenly, not really, but as the saying goes, nothing happens then everything happens.)
I’m not being ingenuous. When I moved here, there wasn’t much but weeds, dirt, and a rotting garage, so obviously I did a lot of work, but still, isn’t it magic? I didn’t really have anything to do with the plants sprouting from seed and then growing and having babies, and all of them showing off for me. I gave them the space and opportunity to do what they needed to do, but the rest was them. All the intelligence they needed to know what to do was in them, packed in a tiny kernel of information. I could only marvel at their cleverness at being able to do all the real work.
It’s a good thing they know how to come to life because I don’t. Putting the seeds and started plants in soil and watering what doesn’t die is about all I know how to do.
And apparently, it’s enough. Because sitting there, I saw a whole lot of beauty.
To the right of the garage is the gazebo, of course, and the raised garden, filled with petunias and a whole lot of moss rose that planted itself. There are also dozens of marigolds that decided they wanted to join the petunias and moss rose, but I am thinning those and transplanting them elsewhere.
In front of the bench where I am sitting and to the left of the garage is . . . well, all I can call it is a mini park. Toward the back are the four food plants I just put into the ground as well as a patch of wildflower seeds. Behind the bushes, the lily forest is growing so very tall. One lily towers over me! With any luck, I’ll be seeing flowers in a couple of weeks.
And peeking from behind the bushes, along the fence, are the hollyhocks that planted themselves.
True magic.
***
Pat Bertram is the author of Grief: The Inside Story – A Guide to Surviving the Loss of a Loved One
Bertram's Blog 
June 11, 2026 at 8:49 am
I’m so thrilled for you and your beautiful space! 🙂 Glad to see this!
“If someone thinks that love and peace is a cliche that must have been left behind in the Sixties, that’s his problem. Love and peace are eternal.”
-John Lennon
June 11, 2026 at 10:05 am
Thank you! And yes, love and peace are eternal. It’s especially easy to believe that when sitting in a garden.
June 11, 2026 at 11:10 am
I smiled at the thought of stopping on the bench and just taking it all in for a moment. There really is something beautiful about realizing that what once looked empty has become something full of life. I also loved your thought that we make the space and the plants do the rest. There’s something quietly profound in that. Enjoy your magical place and don’t overdo it too much in the yard.
June 11, 2026 at 12:24 pm
Thank you. I’ll continue to enjoy my magical place and will try not to overdue. I think I’m done with the long jobs for a while. Anyway, I hope I am.
June 11, 2026 at 11:50 am
You and the seeds have done wonders. CONGRATULATIONS!
June 11, 2026 at 12:24 pm
Thank you.
June 11, 2026 at 11:52 am
If at the end of the season you want to share, I am accepting seeds that with any luck will grow. Thanks for your posts. They keep me hoping I will find the energy to do something soon.
June 11, 2026 at 12:26 pm
I have plenty of seeds for you! I’m hoping that when my friend gets back from Thailand, he’ll be going to Pueblo, and will invite me along. If so, I’d like to meet somewhere. If not, I’ll get your address and send you seeds. Echinacea and larskspur for sure.
June 12, 2026 at 1:21 pm
Thanks so much I am tired of the brownish ground. Boring. I would like some blues and pinks and yellows and greens alll aroung. THANKS!
June 12, 2026 at 2:12 pm
If you want color this summer, get zinnia seeds, not in the tiny packets in stores but in bigger packs online. Burrell seeds is a good place. Zinnias grow well here.
June 11, 2026 at 12:14 pm
I”m looking at the grouping of pots next to your sweet bench and it’s answered questions I’ve had about placing pots in my perennial bed so that my eyes are happy when I see them. Thanks for that!
June 11, 2026 at 12:28 pm
I use pots to fill in spaces empty spaces in the garden in the fall. One of the pots in that grouping has a hangar. I’ve been waiting for the flowers to get prolific enough, and then it gets hung up.