A Lesson and Celebration of LBDs

The little black dress is now known in fashion circles as just the acronym LBD.  I only know this because I happened to be reading a fashion column (why, I'm not sure) and they kept talking about their LBD.  I had no idea what LBD was, but I googled it (what would we do without google search?) and realized they were talking about the little black dress, a simply shaped dress, black of course, usually a cocktail dress.

The LBD can be dressed up or dressed down, depending upon the occasion, with pearls, diamonds, no jewelry, or even a jacket.  I've had a couple of LBDs through the years, and I can attest to the fact that they can be quite versatile.

Is there a LBD of the garden?  I think there is.

In my garden, the leaves have been falling.  Plants that were once full of leaves are going bare.  Other plants have died down, backing away from the cold, sheltering their roots in the warm earth.  Some of the changes are beautiful, while other changes look sad and ugly.

Donna of Gardens Eye View asks us which Seasonal Celebrations we look forward to.  I look forward to seeing the garden dressed in its LBD - the evergreens.  Like a LBD, evergreens are versatile, classic, and appropriate for almost every garden.  They dress up the garden in winter, and can be adorned with berries, blooms, or left plain.  They also look elegant with a jacket of snow.

Evergreens may not be appropriate for all gardens, but for the gardens that have them, they are like the LBD - simple, yet essential.  I love to see the garden attired in its LBD.  When I've planted a new bed, I always include evergreens to adorn the garden area in winter.  So, as the plants die back for winter, I look forward to seeing the evergreens make their appearance known, almost like Cinderella making her grand entrance to the ball.

Beth at PlantPostings asks for Lessons Learned.  Recently, I have become excited about a lesson learned on evergreens.  I've heard that a garden consisting of mostly evergreens would seem dark, and heavy.  But I've been reading a book (I'll do a review on the 20th) about a garden of many evergreens.  I was enchanted by the image of having a garden that depended upon evergreens for beauty instead of blooms, or even a mix of deciduous foliage.  A garden that doesn't wait for the cocktail hour of winter to show off its finer.  A garden dressed up in its LBD all year long.  I realized that I have been using evergreens in my garden, but not to their full potential.

I usually use evergreens to outline beds, or as accent plants.  But the thought of having a bed dominated by evergreens has fueled my imagination, and I am making plans to have an area where the evergreens are the main attraction, not the backbone.  I am looking forward to having at least one section of my garden dressed up in its LBD throughout the entire year.  Of course, I want to add some jewelry to the LBD in certain seasons, and bulbs will be planted in this area, too.  But the main beauty will come from the simple form of the LBD.

An entire area in my garden dressed in its LBD - shapely, classic, and evergreen - is my Lesson Learned, and will be a Seasonal Celebration for years to come.

(Some of the photos are from last winter.)