Low maintenance gardening...

I know the rains have come to Oaxaca and I look forward to seeing how the gardens and the countryside responds.  Here, in New England, it has been a long wet and cool spring.  It is wild to see so much green and lushness after spending the long dry season in Oaxaca with nary a drop of rain for months.  The gardens here are pretty much on their own and are designed that way.  Ground covers instead of lawns, myrtle, pachysandra and one of my favorites Lilies of the Valley.

They are invasive and really hardy and their fragrance is sublime.... think perfumes.  It is also satisfying to see things like this dogwood and Japanese maple that I planted as little saplings, now nice sized trees.

Hostas just keep on coming back and filling out.

Here's a plant from colonial times, Solomon's Seal, that spreads nicely.  They're the tall ones in back.  I started out with just a couple and I have lots now even after giving tons away.  It's roots look like Jerusalem artichokes.

And it has nice little blossoms hiding underneath the leaves.

And there are poppies that keep coming back year after year.

So that's the garden in El Norte.  It lives on independently, asking only that I weed occasionally.  In Oaxaca, I have agaves and cacti, here I have hostas and Lilies of the Valley.  They would love the lilies there.  The story behind them is perfect for the faithful.  From Wikipedia.  "The flower is also known as Our Lady's tears or Mary's tears from Christian legends that it sprang from the weeping of the Virgin Mary during the crucifixion of Jesus. Other etiologies have its coming into being from Eve's tears after she was driven with Adam from the Garden of Eden."

On the other hand, they are poisonous.