Garden's Talk
“Gardens are a form of autobiography.” Sydney Eddison
Who does your garden say you are? Romantic, pristine, low maintenance? We all have a garden style, just as we all have a clothes or a decorating preference. This signature style doesn’t happen overnight - it gets developed with experience.
Sure, you can buy a ‘designer' packet of seeds or try and copy a picture from a magazine, but the magic happens when you venture into unknown territories. And really, because every plot of land has different sun orientation, temperature zones and soil consistency, your garden is sure to look different than every other.
But that’s the fun - finding what suits you both in taste and temperament.
Take my husband, for instance. He loves to work with and amend the soil, build straight garden walls and plant vegetables. I would say he is Mr. 'Functional.'
And I’m oh so thankful for him because I prefer to gather perennials from old abandoned home places. I love to garden for aroma and group eclectic items together. I am what is called a 'Cottage' gardener in that I like to mix edibles, herbs and flowers in a bit of a random way. The more the merrier.
'Formal' gardeners, however, like to plant traditional flowers in borders, trim hedge-like bushes into shape and highlight feature trees with ground lights. A formal gardener appreciates landscape that stays "in bounds," so to speak. Whereas 'Pristine' gardeners go the extra step and keep every blade of grass in perfect health.
It’s a matter of taste, but the common thread is that we all started with the same dream of creating something beautiful and wonderful, something that reflects our inner muse.
Perhaps you're more of a 'Romantic' gardener like the one pictured above with soft, come-hither colors packed-in tightly and complimenting colors – not complementary contrasts. Garden sculptures dot the landscape, adding favorite animal statues, lighted art, wall plaques, fountains and gazing balls placed for fun and effect.
Even if you buy a seasonal mum or marigold and place on your front stoop, the care you take in arranging it and watering it tells the world something about you.
Every gardener has a story to tell – we say it in sweeps and shapes and flowers as art. We get to start fresh each spring, building on last year’s successes and forgiving its failures. What better way to express our belief in ourselves and our future?
Don’t live to impress others, live to express yourself.