A Plant Binge

How many times have you entered a nursery center with looking as your only goal, but leaving with handfuls of plants?  The worst case is at the end of the planting season when everything is marked down to pennies.  How could you not purchase a few more goodies for the garden?  I fall into this category often, but I do follow a few personal rules.

1. Try to buy at least three (or more) of one plant.  Though you may not have a destination in mind yet, at least there will be a nice grouping for the final design (and it will look like you planned it).

2. Try something new.  If you're only paying 99 cents, why not try a new plant?  If it doesn't do well, no biggie.  My garden is filled with sale (and even free) plants that no one else wanted or recognized.  I now have some amazing plants that I would have never dreamed up on my own.

3. Is there a season you're lacking great color?  Late summer or fall perhaps?  Try to find plants that fill those gaps.  Don't let the lack of bloom in the nursery distract you - just because it's not blooming at that moment, doesn't mean it's not fabulous.  Read the tags and grab the beauties others missed.

4. Pick up those small, special plants (less than 12" tall).  These itty bitty plants are perfect for the front of your border or tucked in small spaces.  Buy as many as you can.  It's so much fun spreading these out along the front of a planting bed to pull it all together (what? a sale item creating a a cohesive design?).

What other hints do you have?

The Craft of Gardening

It's been extremely dry here in the Midwest, so I've been watering quite a bit resulting in lots of thinking time.

My thoughts this week...what is the difference between design and craft?  Is there a difference?  I design gardens...look at the problems and opportunities, then create a plan on paper.  I also design with my hands by installing plants, moving them, watering them, pruning them...to create something beautiful.  Isn't that craft too?  Though we discuss gardening as art and design, it's also a craft...at least for those willing to get a little dirty.

{...and yes, I do wear skirts while watering, it's just more comfy}

Clay Flower Pots

I often find myself drawn to the most common garden elements...like simple flower pots.  I snapped these images in England a few years ago.  Soil and all, there is always something so beautiful about a functional object.

The Allure of Gardening

One week ago it was blazing hot here...heat index 100 degrees.  When the temperature is that intense I typically want to stay within air conditioned confines, but for some reason I was compelled to be outside.

For three days I weeded, watered, and planted in that blazing heat.  Oddly, my 9-year-old daughter wanted to be with me (she created a cute little fairy garden...maybe I'll share images of that soon). Don't worry, we drank lots of water and stayed in the shade as much as possible (my daughter even begged me to purchase a small kiddie pool to stand in).

We accomplished a lot, felt good about it, plus had really nice showers at the end of the day.  I can't believe the allure of gardening.

Image courtesy of Jonas Peterson

I Love Gardens

Since my last post even more big changes have happened in my professional life. One can look at them as negative or positive. I choose the latter.

Photo courtesy of Simply Bloom Photography

With all the changes, what has really solidified is my love of gardens. I love designing them, standing in them, learning about them, writing about them, teaching about them, eating from them and crafting from them. Gardens are so special and I'm about to burst just trying to figure out how to appropriately communicate my adoration for them.

Photo courtesy of Simply Bloom Photography

What are my big changes? If you don't mind I'll share that at a later date. Right now I'm sifting a lot in my head and trying to figure out how to focus. Ah, to focus...

The Topiary Part

How did I arrive at the title of this blog? I wanted words that described my garden ideal. The "topiary" part refers to my passion for garden history and formal design.


Photo courtesy of Obsession with Jello

A co-worker recently said to me...why do people always want to see a formal garden with clipped hedges, topiary and perfectly groomed paths? Frankly, it's because they never get to see that. How many of you have a knot garden in your backyard? Think about the energy that goes into a garden like this. Yes, it's time consuming, but think of the personal connection you develop with that type of landscape (you either hate it or love it), but in the end we're all intrigued with it.



Just so you know, this blog is not just about formal gardens...it's really about how we manipulate our outdoor environment to make it our own. What's up with the "tiramisu" part? That's in the next post.