No Respect

One of the fan favorites at the garden tour was my Rose of Sharon ('Althea'), which surprised me. "Wait, wait, wait," I wanted to say whenever they asked about it, "Have you seen the Foxglove? Or the Cleome? And don't overlook the Weeping Birch, and those stunning Dahlias."

Truth be told, my surprise was that others loved a long-timer in my garden that we've moved three times and that sheds blooms frightfully as the Japanese beetles settle in for a favorite meal. It's a plant that gets little respect from me, as a rule. Still, all that love directed its way made me step back and take a second look. Hmm. Nice shape. Flowers that make a statement. Nicely trimmed, as it was for the tour, it anchors a bed and provides structure, making every other plant more purposeful, giving definition and backbone to the garden.

As you can see from the photos, it's a pretty little thing with buds that plump up and swell, and blooms that extend and stretch, seducing the honeybees and coating them with pollen.

It makes me wonder what else in my life is under appreciated, what things of beauty and substance have suffered from being taken for granted. Friends? Family? Marriage? Books?

Perhaps all of these take a beating as life gets busy and priorities shift. Time to refocus. Time to remember what's important. Time to respect the ordinary things for the support they give to our lives.