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i have found a lovely, much needed, new perspective on my garden. my front garden is a polarizing spot. people either stop and tell me how lovely it is in all it's natural, herb-y, uncontrolled beauty. or they glare at me or at the garden and consider it sloppy and disgraceful. and for the last couple of summers i haven't spent much time in it. i've been busy in the studio and garden time came last. so it was even more overgrown than ever. i dreaded my garden and even felt the formidable weight of obligation. i didn't trim or weed and i started worrying that i may need to redesign my garden to be of the low maintenance variety. 
but last week i found the truth about my beautiful expanse of green in front of our house. the truth i knew for most of it's ten years, but that had been lost for the last few. i love my garden. and it is my place. it is the place i go to spend 10 minutes or an hour or an afternoon. as much time as i have. as much time as i want. it's not a job. i am not trying to create something for others to admire. my garden is clumps of herbs and rows of lavender. the dandelions and baby trees that come along, i try to keep to a minimum. but if i don't have the time or inclination for one week or even for a month, it means nothing more than i just don't have the time. it is still my own version of verdant beauty. the process, the individual herbs and flowers, the scents, watching the queen anne's lace start taking over everything in late july, finding little vignettes that i love and having to run in and grab my camera, talking to neighbors and strangers as they pass........ it is all of this that makes it my lovely place to putter in the sun.
i have found a lovely, much needed, new perspective on my garden. my front garden is a polarizing spot. people either stop and tell me how lovely it is in all it's natural, herb-y, uncontrolled beauty. or they glare at me or at the garden and consider it sloppy and disgraceful. and for the last couple of summers i haven't spent much time in it. i've been busy in the studio and garden time came last. so it was even more overgrown than ever. i dreaded my garden and even felt the formidable weight of obligation. i didn't trim or weed and i started worrying that i may need to redesign my garden to be of the low maintenance variety. 
but last week i found the truth about my beautiful expanse of green in front of our house. the truth i knew for most of it's ten years, but that had been lost for the last few. i love my garden. and it is my place. it is the place i go to spend 10 minutes or an hour or an afternoon. as much time as i have. as much time as i want. it's not a job. i am not trying to create something for others to admire. my garden is clumps of herbs and rows of lavender. the dandelions and baby trees that come along, i try to keep to a minimum. but if i don't have the time or inclination for one week or even for a month, it means nothing more than i just don't have the time. it is still my own version of verdant beauty. the process, the individual herbs and flowers, the scents, watching the queen anne's lace start taking over everything in late july, finding little vignettes that i love and having to run in and grab my camera, talking to neighbors and strangers as they pass........ it is all of this that makes it my lovely place to putter in the sun.
Hi Annette, I love your blog and your art!
ReplyDeletebut can I ask you a favor?!
Could you please name your posts, so makes it easier to follow your thoughts.
Sorry for the request...
have a great week and hopefully sunshine on our way...
xoxox
thanks for the suggestion babi, but if i titled my entries i'm afraid i wouldn't do any. seriously! when i post them to chasing lightning bugs studio facebook page and twitter, i have the hardest time finding a description to accompany the post. i'm afraid titling each entry would leave me too stressed and i'd just stop writing. there is something about just starting and ending and not trying to pull it all together with a title that really appeals to me. it breaks up the energy and the flow for me to try to find a phrase or word that sums up what i'm trying to say. i hope you understand.
ReplyDeletei hope we get some sun soon too!
not a problem, I will still be reading you! happy holiday!
ReplyDeleteoh this is so my kind of garden...
ReplyDeleteit looks alot rougher than these pictures right now. as it did most of last summer. but i love it, even when i don't have all the time i'd like to be out there.
ReplyDelete