Smiles in My Garden

My garden always makes me smile . . . but there are also smiles IN my garden!

Sneaky little smiles.
Like this one . . . 

This little frog has been in my garden . . .  somewhere . . . since about 1998 or so. I used to take the kids to the plant nurseries with me when they were little, and I'd often keep them occupied by letting them "pick something out" for the garden. Usually, I ended up with some odd-colored annual or another, but one year, it was this goofy little frog. He's getting pretty worn now, over the years -- and one of his eyes is totally scraped off, thanks to Jenny finding him in the garden when she was a puppy . . . and giving him a good puppy-chew! This year, I stuck him in one of my front containers.

Every time I see him, he brings back memories of my early gardening days.
And I smile.

And there's this guy . . . 

A goofy little garden gnome I found at Walgreens a few years ago for $2.99. He used to be bright and vibrant. Now he's weathered and chipped. I actually like him more as he weathers, standing guard out there every season at the base of my (also weathering) garden bench. Most visitors to my garden don't even notice him, nestled there in the sedum . . . but I know he's out there. He's kind of my gardening good-luck charm! One of the first things I bring out every spring.

Everytime I see him, I remember that you don't have to be "fancy" to be charming!
And I smile.

And there's this guy . . . 

My little Jizu statue. Standing about 10 inches tall, my Jizu guards the little "puddle pond" in my garden. I bought him several years ago during a visit to the Japanese garden at the Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids on a visit with my mom. (She just loved the Japanese gardens there.) I love the story and symbolism behind the Jizo statues (you can read more about them here if you're interested), and I love having my little Jizo nearby.

Every time I see him, he brings me a peaceful feeling.
And now he reminds me of my mom, too.
And I smile.

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How about you? Do you have any smiles in your garden?

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Be sure to hop over to Carole's today . . . for more Three on Thursday fun.

Comments

[Carole]

I have a frog, too, that my mom gave me ages and ages ago. It's barely recognizable as a frog at this point but I still put it out because it was from my mom. I need to up my game and add more little garden extras!

[juliann]

I have a sweet bunny that my mom gave me 25 years ago and a few cement birds and frogs. I do love finding smiles in the garden.

[Carolyn]

What a fun post, Kym! I only have one smile in my garden (besides my own!), and that's my Buddha. The two little bird statues beneath my elderberry don't quite smile...but I think they would if they could!

[Bonny]

I love all your smiles and how they came to live in your garden. I don't have any smiles, but I do have a brass sundial that my mother had by her bleeding hearts. I made sure to pack the sundial after we sold the house, but it wasn't until I was almost home that I forgot I had also meant to dig up some of the bleeding hearts. I'm thinking that I may take the sundial to Ryan's new house!

[Sarah]

I adore your little Jizu! I don't have any sculptures or figures in my garden, but now that we're getting it to be more to our liking (read: tearing out all the plants that a previous owner put in that I hated), maybe it's time to add some!

[Vera]

Such sweet things in your garden. We do have a sundial with two frogs on it, a cement bird and I think there are some other things too. All given to us by others and all have happy memories. I love your Jizu statue (and thanks for the link - now I want to add one to my garden area).

[Dee]

I love the story of Jizu. I'm glad you have one in your garden.

I have a Dedo gargoyle (with a similar purpose to Jizu), but he stays in the house. He is too small for the garden. He protects our home from the inside. :-)

Have a wonderful 4th weekend. Hope you have lots of fun stuff planned.

[Mary]

We don't have much of a garden, but we do have some pots that could benefit from some smiles. I love the Jizu story and that might be perfect! Happy Friday!

[Kat]

I love these little peeks into your garden! I have a couple of little pottery birds tucked in my thyme, but my favorite is a little bunny my kids got me for mother's day some 20+ years ago. It can't be a garden without that bunny! :)

[Jane]

I love the little whimsical pieces in your garden. They make me smile too.