Plant collector or garden designer?

Eleanor and I also Dmailed a few times and I sent her photos of what I didn't like so she could understand what I meant, too. As far as "discouraged" we automatically get that when the anemones don't return or the bunnies eat the lilies. It's not in short supply with those of us who want every plant to bloom picture perfect.

Laurie - Last night I was dreaming of the picture you posted. It's so idyllic.

Oh, Pirl - sweet. Thank you, I'm really touched.

To All, I took no offence at what Dear Eleanor said or didn't say in her long ago posting about gardens. But what ever I read, or didn't read, in that posting, it immediately made me think about some parts of my beloved garden that I could and should improve upon ASAP.

So Eleanor, your posting was a good thing for me. It started some much needed Introspection. My spring list of chores got longer. I will be doing more weed whacking and general cleaning up of the property in some areas that have sadly lapsed into a bit of a tangle. Also in response to this critical thinking that you ignited in my brain about my garden design, I will have to add a few more shrubs and plants to my order list. That is hardly my worse nightmare, rather pure joy. And my dump run list has grown too, as I have put on ignore some piles of junk that desperately need moving along. Ti's a pain I will have to endure, but my garden will be better in my eyes because of your inadvertent remarks. Thank you grammyphoeb for what you didn't know you did for me and my garden. I took an overdue critical look at my garden by your unintended prodding. So post away, I always enjoy reading them. I find it hard to weed in boxing gloves, so I never wear them. Patti

Thanks all!! You're such good friends!! Eleanor

The worst garden is none at all.

...or those who never try believing it's too much work. Just one spectacular container is fine if that's all they can handle.

I bought a friend a basket of perennials for her birthday a couple years ago, and told her what they needed for sun/shade, size at maturity, etc. I guess I had my own ideas of what she should do with them. I was disappointed in what she did. She has a huge yard, and I am envious, but she really doesn't have the gardening bug.

Some people just don't. Can't expect everyone to share it I guess.

Back to the crape myrtles.....................I'll have to look them up. There's some for my area, they always look so beautiful. I've just been out of the nusery loop for a little bit. A nice maroon color...................thanks, victorgardener.

You're welcome, Alice. Please call me Victor. There are many in the red and deep pink shades.

Okay, Victor. I'll let you know if I find something good. It could take some research..........maybe even online.

Ecolage caries many. Good place to browse.

ah, Victors are so lovely in the red and deep pink shades.

Good deal.Thanks, I'll browse when I get time.....................back to work. Bye. Alice

For all that have grown where the weeds and unruled brambles won the reforestation battle...look at it this way. "For it is better to have run the race and lost than not to have run the race at all".

Getting rid or a lost bramble jumble builds muscle, character and experience. Next time you may win the race. Don't trash the hoe.

Think "CHANGE" "YES YOU CAN" "YES YOU CAN" "YES YOU CAN" ]:O)

Thanks for the encouragement, Doc.

I often wish I had 44 hours in the day in order to accomplish more. I am relentless & have lots of energy, so quitting happens when it's pitch black out! Of course I did purchase a Halogen light stand, so I can continue to work without sunlight.

I have a tendency to look at gardening in the same light as raising children: they take time. Even if a crew is hired to perform the necessary work, it's not instant. Patience with the outcome, patience with the plants, patience with oneself.
Plus it is easy to get discouraged or overwhelmed due to time or weather issues, injury, lack of funds/supplies, etc. This is why I started to engage in the process mode: it has worked for me. Taking pictures with a digital camera has allowed me to record the before, during & after, and exists as recorded evidence of my labour. Usually, I don't "feel" that I've accomplished much - the camera shots often prove me wrong.
But I am truly a goat - I will normally try to conquer a task before giving up. That way I can walk away without regrets or angst, knowing that I gave it my best shot.

It's that combination of energy, weather and the camera that makes it all so worthwhile at the end of the day when we can see we really did make a difference, that drives me forward.

Almost 4 yrs ago, I was berating myself for always working in the garden, not really stepping back & enjoying it. Then Fate stepped in on a lovely July day (after driving 6 hrs home from Pittsford, NY), I went to bring my son's 75 lb. sweet dog home to him--he pulled me down steps, onto the concrete garage floor, & broke my hip. End of gardening for the summer. No one offered to weed or water--my family did, however, start to harvest what was ready in the veg garden, but I couldn't cook it anyway. I sat & at first fumed at a season lost. But then, the act of just sitting and admiring kicked in--it was a flawed set of gardens, unkempt, but still loved. Just sitting near the rock walls, & sniffing the vanilla & clove from the Orientals healed my soul, & probably my hip. So--gardens don't have to be perfect to be loved.

Sorry about your broken hip! I am glad it gave you the opportunity to sit and enjoy. A perfect garden would be a real downer for me and have me gardening under halogen lights!

I think many of us don't take it in as much as we should. I know I don't.

Neither do I. We should demand it for ourselves but we don't.

OK, group New Year's Resolution:

Sit and smell the flowers!

Good one and one we'd enjoy if we could force ourselves to just do it.

But aren't resolutions made to be broken? That one is so easy - and virtually guilt free!

True, Laurie. It's not like we have to give up some fun bad habit or try to be as thin as Paris!

Pirl, I would be happy to stay fat and go to Paris. Patti

I'm all for that - no problem!

I'm trying to catch up on all of the threads. I've been working overtime the last couple of weeks with Colin (my grandson). I don't think I've met you before ROBINDOG, but I'm very happy to make your aquaintance!! So sorry about your hip but it sounds like you made the best of a bad situation and something good did come out of it!! Eleanor

Hi Eleanor----Good to talking to everyone. Another good thing came from the broken hip---my son &DIL took Oliver for some obedience classes! He's still a wild child, races all over the place, but he protects the granddaughters from the coyotes & bears on the property, & he's very good with the little ones. Has everyone made out plant orders? I finished yesterday---now if I can only stay away from the garden centers.

Hi Robindog, welcome to the forum.

So what all did you order? Anything new and exciting?

I haven't started yet. My first will be Fairweather.

Hi Robin. I live not far from Pittsford NY!
I actually do sit and relax and enjoy my garden, probably too much!

I like to sit under the shrubs in my orchard to get a critter's-eye view. If I stay still enough, the birds come right to me. Bird seed helps...
A wonderful time to enjoy the garden is at dusk. While the light is slipping away the colours diffuse, so mostly what you see is form/shape & the relationship of size. Also, like to enjoy a walk-around when there is night fragrance. If we didn't have to enjoy the company of Mosquitoes, I'd sleep outside, too.

Catalogues-seeds-plants-ordering: and then we got our 4" of snow - what a reality check that was...

I hardly ever sit when I'm outside. I'm always seeing something to do.

But I do enjoy the dusk in the garden, as you said Katye, and most mornings my husband and I take our coffee and go on a tour. He usually finds a weed to delay him (more often than not a seedling of trandescantia, which we will never eradicate).

oooooooooooooooooooooh....bad weedlings.
They just don't know when to stop, do they?

I don't sit too often, either. But I force myself to take a break every couple hours, just to avoid potential injuries. It was easier to go without stopping 20 years ago.

Isn't that the truth!

Katye, I agree- dusk is lovely. Unfortunately with us in Maine, mosquitos also rob much of the enjoyment out of that time of day. If you had told me before I moved here that bugs were bad in Maine, I would have laughed!

It's funny, I'm not a morning person at all, but in the summer I really do look forward to bounding out of bed, grabbing my coffee, then heading out to see what's blooming or looking good that morning.

Saturday mornings, let me rephrase: DRY saturday mornings are a slice of heaven to me. Coffee, the pups, & out I go in my jammies: I just gotta see what's going on. Fresh air, sun (when not obscured by clouds, here) and all the songbirds that have decided to call my orchard home - I'm always afraid I'll miss out on something. So that's when I get jazzed - a quick note of what's in bloom or budding out.
Nighttime is a time of reflection, though. I have a big sky view, so it's fun to lay on the lawn & take it all in.
I'm making myself crazy. I won't be able to do this for several months.
Back to the seed catalogues.....

Wow, your place sounds wonderful, Katye! I need to spend more time outdooors on summer evenings, I have to say. I love the stars we have here, but seldom take the time to appreciate them..usually you will see shooting stars when you look at the night sky here in the summer if you just take a moment to wait for them. How many more days left in winter now??

Too many.
I'm waiting for this: