So in the spring, I planted some French lavender. I adore the smell, the tiny purple buds, and have this isolated full sun spot to put them in. Voila!

Only, look how tiny they were! I was beginning to think I should have bought three in order to fill in the space. Wow, was I wrong! Because…

I took this picture TODAY! Sorry about all the curly brown leaves mixed in, but oh my gosh! They’ve taken over my little crescent moon garden!

What do I do next year? Leave them? Take divisions? Any ideas?

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Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leafs a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

- Robert Frost

I’ve been working on incorporating physical activity into my life. I’ve noticed for a long while that I simply feel better when I exercise. And so I stumbled into what I thought was the ingenious idea of simply exercising for the lift in my mood rather than for any fitness gain.

Turns out however that these two pretty smart guys thought of it before me. I read their little 200 page book on the subject over the past two days. I was hooked like it was a fantasy novel! The name of the book is Exercise for Mood and Anxiety: Proven Strategies for Overcoming Depression and Enhancing Well-being by Michael Otto and Jasper Smits. It is above and beyond your ordinary self-help exercise book. This book really is gold. Their advice is built upon personal experience, clinical work, teaching – both Ph.D.’s of psychology – and scientific research, lots and lots of scientific research.

I read it for personal knowledge and well-being, but the book is so immersed in up-to-date research that I’ve used it extensively in a project this semester. Here is one of favourite passages. The author is reflecting on the joy of moments when out exercising, referencing the above poem by Robert Frost. I was startled and delighted to hear my own experiences in his words. Excellent book for anyone needing a mood lift or struggling with depression or anxiety.

“… exercise gives you a chance to enjoy sensations for sensation’s sake. The feel of a breeze against your skin while running deserves to be noticed and enjoyed mindfully. Likewise, the feel of water on your body and the sounds of your breathing deserve mindful attention while swimming. Outdoor activities put you in closer contact with the environment and the seasons that you might otherwise be: the feel of light rain, the shift in scents as autumn comes, the difference between your cold face and warm body in winter, and the first springtime experience that nature’s first green really is gold.”

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blue fingernails for blue flowers.
my aesthetic trade-off.

ruined the former to plant the later,
but oh what a glorious day!

creeping phlox and delphinium
buddleia, perovskia, not to mention hydrangea
i expect full repayment next year.

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Today I’m pleased to introduce you to Heliopsis helianthoides or, as I like to call her, the Flower of the Valley.

Gorgeous stands cornering homes, store signs, flower beds and barns. You can’t get away from this bloom of sunshine that lasts from June through August in the Ottawa valley. More than any government signpost, they signal tourists upon their arrival in beautiful cottage country.

And who can blame the gardeners, for among their many virtues, they are waist high (at least!) and attractive with deep green, very “full” foliage. Sometimes called false sunflower, the common name fits it well as it is happy in just about any soil, fills in nicely and handles drought. Once upon a time, I had them in the garden at our first home.

Wait, have I declared my everlasting love for them as cut flowers yet? They last so long and hold both their shape and color, splashing summer into every nook and cranny. Oh such a beautiful flower. One of my favorites of all time.

On our camping trip last month they were in full show everywhere we went. If only I had such timing to hit the autumn colors at their height!

And then we came home and I immediately noticed their absence from gardens in town. Where did all the heliopsis go?! How could anyone forget you? You are deserving of love, my beauty.

Could it be that trends exist even in gardening? Silly people. My path was clear before me: rescue this forgotten horticultural damsel by growing and displaying and introducing everyone to her.

I cornered some poor girl at a garden center, ready to lecture, but more importantly to find where out they were hiding the heliopsis. She had none in stock. /sigh

Well, that mystery was easy to solve. If the most popular greenhouse with three huge locations in the area didn’t have her, then no one had helio for sale. She did have some 7 foot tall variety, but I’ve seen those fully grown here and there, and they are the gangly awkward cousin of my majestic beauty. Sometimes bigger is not better. No thanks.

She just shrugged and said they weren’t in demand and that they could only get them like twice in the season which is to say not at all really.

Thank goodness they had some Shasta daises I could pick up to make myself feel better… for now.

You know what this means, right? Next year for our trip to the Valley I’m packing a shovel.

p.s. have you seen my new “about” page? I made it better!

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