my garden mockorange

 

mock orange  acrylic on a 8x10 canvas 

 As a landscape designer my love of gardening ,flowers and other plants  sometimes gets lost in' the business of being a gardner' . Walking in my own garden, I find criticizing the design with an objective eye is impossible so I am able to get lost in the beauty and uniqueness of each plant. Often the back of the herbaceous border is where i find my' secret garden'. A plant hidden by more showy ,pushy cultivars will be waiting patiently  to be noticed. Called by a whiff of a scent on a breeze, I discover the old fashioned mock orange behind the big bold rhododendron that looks like a huge cotton candy balls. Having been nourished by the snow and then the early warmth in Virginia this year it screams "Look at me! Look at me!" Lush and unusually large  from this spring's weather- not bitten and scorched by a late frost it is sensuous and bold . But there ,behind the rhododendron and the lush peonies, is the  gentle mock orange waiting - lovely in its softness and smell . It's old fashioned  softness reminding me it's scent has not been bred out of it as so many of its showier ,new sister cultivars. In its simplicity it is beautiful. It reminds me of Thich Nhat Hanh " the miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth in the present moment, to appreciate the peace and beauty that is available now.... It is not a matter of faith, it is a matter of practice."
When we paint to be present is so important so we can notice the colors ,the air,the beauty and the hidden secret garden.