A bloomin’ book
Cindy on July 29th, 2008
Gardening is a kind of disease. It infects you; you cannot escape it. When you go visiting, your eyes rove about the garden; you interrupt the serious cocktail drinking because of an irresistible impulse to get up and pull a weed.” ~Lewis Gannit
My new obsession this month is taking photographs of my gardens. The property around this old house is a work in progress that I began when my family and I moved here 16 years ago. Though I’m not a Master Gardener, I’m a devoted one, and these days I’m happiest when I’m scouting a perennial sale or digging a hole for another hosta. I know the day will come when I won’t be able to maintain such a large garden, so I want to record the blooms of my efforts while I can. After my husband made an iPhoto picture book of our son’s graduation pics this spring, I decided to make an iPhoto album of my gardens. It’s been a while since I’ve worked on a book for pure pleasure — not for publication — and I’m enjoying every part of this creative process. I’m collecting quotes on gardening to use throughout the album, so if you’ve got a few favorites, please send them my way! Meanwhile, I’ve been sharing a few of my garden photos with Facebook friends in my “Garden Magic” album. – CL
July 30th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Gardening allows a person to get quiet and multi-task. I work out problems in my mind while my hands are busy pulling weeks and shoveling mulch. There’s nothing like being outside in the fresh air where you can observe on the most intimate level. What looks like a static environment is alive with actiivity.
The picture book is a great idea. It helps the creative process to have a place to store the material.
A couple years ago a gardening group came to view my small perennial bed. I left one large weed, just to test them and to see who couldn’t resist the challenge of stepping in and pulling it.
- Suzanne
July 30th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Suzanne, you’re so right about the garden being a great place to sort through “issues” while you work. Love the story about the weed. I cannot resist the urge to pull weeds — anywhere.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:11 am
just wanted to drop you a quote that i heard once about gardens..
“You can bury alot of troubles digging in the dirt”.
and “Flowers are the poetry of the earth”.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Chloe, these are wonderful, just perfect for my photo album. Thank you!
July 30th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
“The kiss of the Sun for Pardon,
the song of the bird’s for mirth,
One’s nearer God’s Heart in the Garden
than anywhere else on the Earth!”
St. Francis, via Izzy-Harc
July 30th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Betty — Love it! I think I’ve seen that poem on a garden plaque a while back… wish I’d bought it now!
August 13th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
I wrote down a quote from the movie My House in Umbria. The General says, “Gardens make me think of the future.”
A few years ago when I was working hard to get grass to grow, my daughter gave me this quote from the Talmud: “Each blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it and whispers, ‘Grow, grow.’”
There is a quote from Anais Nin about flowers that is also about life: “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”