It is easy to see on a day like this how early humans would believe in the sun as a deity. Imagine a fear that the darkness of night, even when the stars and moon are visible to provide illumination, might last forever. How welcome the first light of morning would seem then. It is my favorite time of day, as the color switch is flipped to the on position.
I like to go outside at dawn, when it is light enough to not trip and fall on the steep slope and slippery paths but the great golden orb has not yet risen high enough to wash over the garden.
Sometimes I have the camera along to enjoy and record the magic show, as the flower colors begin to brighten.
There are spider webs everywhere, many stretching across the pathways right at the level of my head, the better to catch the unwary flying insects perhaps. When there is enough moisture in the air, as there is this August, the sunlight provides faire warning for traveling sightseers.
Each section of flowers gets its moment of glory as the spotlight slowly moves across the beds.
Backlight is like a wand of wonder to ordinary scenes. Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ growing under the stand of tall pines at the eastern edge of the property glows against the brushpiles maintained for wildlife habitat.
Unlike the golden light of the setting sun, the first light of day is pinkish. It lifts the wood, stone and flora to a higher plane of perception.
From under the deck looking out towards the Gravel Garden and beyond, I am filled with awe at the transformation.
Moving on along the gravel path we stop and gaze back at the Daylily Hill and Heather Bed, anchored by the perfect match of Hosta ‘Sunpower’ and Crimson Queen Japanese maple. To read more about this pair, click here.
Walking westward to that edge of the property and climbing the steps to the lower terrace beside the pond, we turn and face the rising sun. This is how the garden actually looks, complete with the hose in disarray near the house. One can get a good feel for the sloping steepness of the land from this angle, where the house and garage are in relation to the topography here.
Those first moments of wondrous light are a humbling experience to me every single time they are witnessed. I am thankful to be able to live and garden in such a place as this.
Frances
Fairegarden 