In every garden, there are spots that every visitor notices. It’s like the main attraction at a circus or the most popular ride at a theme park. Everyone wants to see it and experience it. It’s the star of the show. This area of my garden is filled with a variety of annuals, but mostly perennials that burst with various shades of color throughout the summer. First, there are the beautiful purple globes of the allium and the amsonia, or storm cloud blue star, producing hundreds of small, star-like blue flowers that appear as if you are looking at a pillow of blue cotton. Then, as they fade, delicate white flowers of the penstemon shoot up in the same area, and the common yellow yarrow bursts forth with little handfuls of bright yellow blossoms. Finally, the “big boys” strut their stuff: daisies, fireweed, various coneflowers, and coreopsis fill the bed, and pink and red sun impatiens give the area its final touch.

However, that is not my favorite spot in my garden. It’s my secret spot where things grow that people rarely see. It’s a place of serenity that is inconspicuous yet perfectly balanced. My quest for mindfulness and calm is an ongoing journey for me that is often out of my reach. The main flower beds in my yard aren’t places of tranquility and peace; they are full of color and action, just like my mind most of the time. It’s the secret spot that reminds me to breathe and give myself time to sit and do nothing.

The secret spot is in the far corner of my yard, shaded by a large white oak and a sweet gum tree, both over 80 feet high. Beneath their canopy grow some of my favorite plants that only show their true colors for a short time. The first to bloom are several perennials in the hellebore family called the Lenten rose. Their blooms are subtle yet distinctive. Then, my favorite flowering shrub begins its brief debut in mid-April: the peony. I have five different types of peonies that have large, saucer-like blooms the size of a baseball glove. The colors are incredible, ranging from peach to pink to dark red. They’re just amazing.

Then finally in the middle of May the bottle brush tree blooms these huge white columns of flowers that last through the end of June. They’re so unique.

Hopefully there is a secret spot in your life that you can rely on for some tranquility and peace. It can be anywhere not just in a garden. Just find it and cherish it. We all need that in our frenetically paced lives. Cheers!