Dreams Are Made From Gardens Like This

The Jan Harvey Garden

In the year 2004 Jan Harvey's garden was featured in the annual food Pantry Garden tour. Years later now, the Garden tour is sponsored by the same organization, but with the new name - Stepping Stones. I was unable to attend at that time. In the mean time I had driven by and saw the possibilities of this garden's realities / fantasies for my own home . I had seen similar gardens in the Better Homes and Gardens magazine, and had hopes of what could lay behind the gate. It was my nature to dream of having such a example dream of a garden in my own yard. If the opportunity came , I could do similar since I had a small side yard like this on the south of my house where it receives sun most of the time except in the front where the roses would be.

In the mean time I was dying to see inside this garden to see, if I had similar ideas/ fantasies as the reality of hers. I was almost sure it was so. There was no way, I would miss seeing what was beyond that gate.
{ No I never went to the fence and peeked in. Wish I had thought of that. But then there are limits. lol}

Those photos that I saw of similar gardens gave me something to desire. It was a soothing to my soul. I have always thought that surely this garden is like those photos and I was right.

The owner of the garden offered explanations of the plants with Numbered locations corresponding to the additional pamphlet they gave us at the registration entrance. I regret not checking the name tag of one of the hosts there, who was exceptionally accommodating to our questions.

Click the pictures for the enlarged images, otherwise you really miss out. The small photos do no justice to the garden's merits. Most of these are not edited. To do so I would have to darken. I am sorry the light colors do get washed out. It's my camera and my abilities, which you will see are not so good.




The beginning with anticipation

Seen and unseen the walk contains Malva, Talictrum, Allium, Penstemon, Lysimachia, Filipendula, Astilbe, Lupine, Anemone, Alematis [maybe Clematis] , Tanacetum.

Which will lead to this circular bed ..........

Looking back to the entrance I am now being followed by a couple, which limited my dalliance over each awesome find. The garden walk was as it should be, a narrow path and I couldn't side step to allow them to pass.

A gorgeous lavender Clematis, with Pink and white. The daisies are perfect. On the opposite side I see she has the coveted Josephine. [I welcomed the opportunity to see it up front.]


Ahh, Poppies, foxglove, campanula, Lobelia, Lilies, I was so glad to see them. Imagine the Lilies evening fragrance.

All the colors and romance of a greeting card. All that's missing are teacups and saucers. Possibilities of a few well done crystal totems I probably would have inserted here.


Just love that coral pink color with the blue. One can never have too many poppies as far as I am concerned.

In this case, one has to stick with thin plants, with the other combinations. This works out just fine. This was the year to see all versions of the Creeping jenny in nearly all the gardens.

I didn't get to ask if her foxgloves and some other plants reseed themselves. I love them in the summer time. I may just have to have that lily.

Isn't this to die for, it almost makes me get into the Victorian mode. I certainly would swing into a Jane Austin mood. It takes a little work to keep those Hydrangeas blue. Unless they are the Nicky variety. [ Hope I have the name right] There is a similar one near the exit area,

You have to click this one to go ' ahh' gaga over those blue Hydrangeas! In addition to the great blue of the Hydrangea, there are touches of the yellows in their greenish tints and a bit of coral tinted pinks. Here seen and unseen are alchemilla mollis, Cornus below the steps are yellow barberry shrub, two and species of Carex, two species of Thalictrum, two species of Aruncus [ goats beard], Astilboides, and Korean Angelica.

These were exactly the color and plant combinations I had hoped to see and those I love. It lived up to my expectations and more.

So here now, we have arrived to the circular bed, just where I said we would. In the tour I went past here through an arbor down to the Hostas and other more shaded plants. Some areas are a little romantic and worthy of my little tour here, but sorry, this where I end it today, since I was mainly showing what I liked of her examples for my side garden, if I ever were blessed with the opportunity of creating something of my dreams made from this garden.



Now I see having a little shade there in the front of my house is not so bad.

You might get a glimpse of a photo or two later, when I do a post on the fencing ideas that I liked about her garden.

If you didn't click, you missed out. Really.

just me jo

A day in the life of Ramona - A morning in the life of Jo in the garden

~~ A Morning in the daily life of Jo and her garden~~

Good morning, come on in I am home. I kind of want to relate and share this little story today.

A couple of days ago something like a memorable serendipity moment

happened as I took my walk around the property to see what I could: about what was blooming, for changes of growth, for new emerging seeds, make mental notes for what I need to see about.

As I passed the Clematis a tiny bird flew out as I walked over to chuck out the extra water out of my seeds.

Then I walked down to the rock garden area. I noted that the peony had opened up in the rock garden and the others were still in bud.

I proceeded down to the plants in pots, which I had done up for a fund raiser. There I particularly took note of and my little patches of moss growth. Sure they were doing fine.

I meandered to the weedy patch of the Siberian Iris.

I pulled a couple of weeds noting they pulled hard. I made a mental note to amend the soil, when I have a chance. At a close distance, I noticed a new hot pink bloom of the toad lily which was surrounded in weeds. I made another mental note to weed there soon. I really was anxious to see how everything was doing with all the rain we had. So, I particularly wanted to see the climbing peas. They were doing fantastic. And as I walked along at the exterior of the garden I did see the dames rockets at the edge accompanied by the yarrow nearly ready to show it's inner beauty. . .I glanced over at my 'make do' temporary spot for more peas and they were fine.
I again inspected the leaves of a unknown vine. I went back out the way I went in and continued down to the Rosemary Verey wannabe spot. On the way I noticed a white iris bloom just below the Indigofera. I really thought that this is a good Sunny spot for the Irises. As long as weeds don't creep in too much from the lawn. And then at the Rosemary Verey wannabe spot I right away checked to see if the cucumbers had emerged at all. Not yet. But surely it will be soon.
My eyes took in the new plants in the corner, and stooped down to pick a fresh crop of lettuce. Oh, a good handful of the more mature larger pieces. As I came back up and turned; I then took in the neighbor's children's voices and actions.

It is amazing to me how tiny these two tots seem to me these days in comparison to my own. Were they ever that tiny at age two something or three. They were small mind you, but these seem so tiny in frame. Anywaaay, they were peering down this little chicken wire hand made cage to the foot tall tree below. I don't remember exactly, if I noted exactly what they said. But it was as if they themselves were making sure it was okay, checking to see if it had grown, voicing opinions making judgements on it's growth. The father standing there asked clearly and loudly if everything was okay? They made comments that seemed to say it was fine and off they ran to play and spend the rest of the morning in their usual way.

I was thinking then of how positively wise and thoughtful those parents were to involve the children in that planting of the little tree. I have not yet glanced fully enough to see what it could be. My best guess with out even looking is that it is a lilac bush sucker from their tree. i say that because they loved picking the flowers earlier, when their bigger bush had been in bloom. Or it could be an apple or one of the other trees which has been declining. Mostly I was thinking about those possible future Gardeners in the walk back, so much so that I failed to check or note anything else on my way back to the house.

I was musing over the Irony or humor in the similarity of those youngsters and myself. We each had checked our little gardens. Theirs very tiny as themselves, but all the same procedure and interest as myself. And I knew I was also going in to spend my morning as I usually did maybe in play on the computer, and attending to normal tasks about the house and the rest of the day. Just as they did. I felt contentment in that little pleasure of the discovery.

And then today I was reminded of today's featured blog I had discovered a few days back. I had intended to share this and why not the two together. I really love it when things match up!. Her words here seem to reflect my thoughts about my feelings of Serendipity that day.

So now you can go off and check out the rest of her blog. Thanks for stopping by.

A Day in the Life of Ramona: "Thursday, May 21, 2009
Serendipity In The Garden On A Thursday Afternoon


Serendipity...


~ the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate,

especially while looking for something else entirely ~

~

Guess what I discovered while weeding in our yard today...weeding wasn't the boring chore I thought it would be...instead I felt completely grateful for a garden full of goodies. I guess you could say ~ I had a serendipitous afternoon in the garden...cha"

Well thanks for stopping by and do come again.