She Sells Seashells....

No, not really! I do not sell seashells! This little tongue-twister always pops into my brain when I work in the herb garden! Why may you ask, does an herb garden make me think of seashells? To be honest, it is not the herb garden in itself, it is the decor! When we repurposed Puddlepond into the herb garden, Son built me two small benches/shelves to border one side. These were more or less a glorified fence to keep the dogs from demolishing the garden. They are very rustic..just two large posts with a plank nailed to the top. At first, I had the grand notion to use these as shelves for potted herbs. I could put some of the smaller plants in clay pots and use the garden space for large plants such as fennel or dill. That did not happen!

Since the posts lining the garden and used as supports for the shelves are "cut-offs" from the pier posts, the herb garden has sort of a nautical theme, I suppose. Instead of a row of plants, the benches now hold a glorious array of seashells! These were lining the windowsills of my living room before being carted to the garden. Ms. Put, the cat, was forever knocking them to the floor when she would prowl around from the sofa to the windowsill then on to the desk. She is a very agile cat so most of the time, she could maneuver through the obstacle course of shells with no casualties. But this was a game of annoyance that she would play with Ezzy, the mutt! Ms. Ez, with her usual patience, would watch all of these acrobatics until she could stand it no longer. With one leap, she would send the cat packing! My lovely seashells would come clattering to the floor scaring the cat, the dog and me! Then Ms. Ez would take the brunt of the humiliation as she would sit and watch me pick up the pieces. If ever a dog could feel remorse, this was the time. Ms. Put, on the other hand, would be long gone and I could only imagine her snickering about the whole incident! After the first time, I knew better than reprimanding Ezzy for the accident. She could not help herself and well, it WAS the cat that instigated the scene!!

The shells were by necessity relegated to the garden. Now, if the seashells are to take a tumble, they will land in the soft garden soil! I am pleased with the effect the shells and pier posts give the herb garden. This all sort of ties it into the whole Bayou thing. The shells gleam in the sunshine and add a lovely bit of ambiance to an otherwise rustic theme. There is one added benefit to having the shells in the garden..during the rains, they fill with water creating small watering places for the birds!