In response to the barren surroundings, I dream of things like this...
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| Iowa State University Extension Office |
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| Country Living |
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| Country Living |
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| Country Living |
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| Country Living |
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| Country Living |
Wildflowers and romantic cottage garden flowers hold so much appeal to me. If there's such a thing as a garden personality, mine is surely of the laid-back variety. No particular landscaping for me, no sirree. I love beds brimming with free-growing flowers and greenery. Vines that grow as they wish? Broad bushes covered in blooms? Yes and yes, please!
How fabulous is this picture? Imagine lounging in that wonderfully chippy vintage chair next to the luscious honeysuckle vine...I can almost feel summer!
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| Country Living |
Sadly, I don't actually have a flower garden. Yet.
My yard is fairly shaded due to the surrounding woods in the spring and summer. The front yard receives the morning sun and the back yard gets the afternoon sun. I don't know how much success I'll find planting full-sun flowers in the raised beds located in the back yard. But I'll try!
Fortunately, my dad's house is next door and it's situated in the middle of a 10-acre pasture. Since the sunshine is plentiful there, I've started weeding an old vegetable bed as another place to attempt raising flowers.
As I prepare to grow my first flowers, I picked up three large seed packets at my local co-op from Botantical Interests. The artwork on the packets hooked me and I spent way too much time ooohing and aaahing over them at the store. I only hope they yield flowers as pretty and abundant as the ones depicted on the covers!
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Now, I did plant daffodil, hyacinth, tulip and iris bulbs in <cough> early January. I'm not counting on any blooms til next spring due to the late planting, so these three packets of seeds are my real hope for flowers this year.
Eventually I would love to grow peonies, hydrangeas, honeysuckle, jasmine, lilacs and jessamine. Fragrant flowers and shrubs are simply divine!
For now, though, it's baby steps--and a lot of garden dreamin'.
What flowers do you love or grow?
Gardening is one of my favorite topics! It's been on my mind alot lately, it's that time of year when I start to get the gardening itch. In fact, my first seed catalog came today - Yippeeee!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite annuals to grow are Zinna's. I love their range of color and size. I've grown at least three beds of the 3 foot variety for years. Last year I planted a few of the 12" type and loved them. So much so I have big plans for them in this years garden.
I also love, love, love Phlox! Have you tried them?
What a completely inspiring post. I'm drooling over those pictures!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for you taking those first baby steps with your garden. It's a lovely time, a bit like falling in love! Really!
I just got such a kick learning about all the new plants I could grow and then seeing them...well, some of them...flourish in my garden has been amazing.
Thank you for putting my button up on your sidebar!
Big hug,
Sarahx
I'm also taking baby steps. I bought my house almost 2 years ago (I can't believe it's been that long!)...and the yard was pretty much a blank slate. The things that I hated and were overgrown and not salvagable have been torn out and slowly I'm adding in plants and flowers. But it takes years to get large lush plants and gardens that look like these (especially when you are taking clippings and baby plants because that's all the budget permits.) :)
ReplyDeleteI started a paver border last summer, but it got SO hot last year, I didn't get it finished.
I can't wait for spring so I can get my hands dirty again and work in my yard!! Someday I'd like to have that picture with the blue 'shed' in my yard. :)
Wonderful pictures... Very inspiring. I love that picture with the hydrangeas and the one with that little blue shed.... I'm so dreaming of a white shed, when all I have for now is an awful uninspired wreck (it really can't be called a shed yet!)
ReplyDeleteYour dreams sound wonderful! Your inspiration photos are just divine!!! I could live in any one of those gardens, and your style sounds like mine. I would love a Rambling Rose type of garden, that is why I am still determined to have a trellis over a garden gate and I wanted it loaded with vines and roses. Dreams I know, because I can't build one and buying all of those roses and vines cost too much. But, hey, a girl has to dream!
ReplyDeleteHugs, Cindy
I love all your inspiration photos! I like the free flowing feel of these gardens. I'm with you on that! I hope your plantings give you a happy surprise this Spring! :) Michelle
ReplyDeleteThose inspiration photos are simply lovely. I dream of transforming my garden into something so lush and beautiful. And luck you to live next door to 10 acres of roaming space!
ReplyDeleteGreat inspiration photos. It's great that you get to live next to your Dad and borrow his yard. Good luck with your bulbs - maybe they'll surprise you and pop uo this year!
ReplyDeleteCompletely gorgeous. University extension offices kinda rock.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful images!! Oh to have a garden like the second and third picture! sigh... The seed packets are beautiful! I hope they come out like on the picture as well! I would love to try something like that too!
ReplyDeleteGreat Pics ,love the old chair on the verandah!
ReplyDeleteI am yournewest follower:)
Beautiful Photos. Makes me wish Spring would get here!
ReplyDelete~Heidi
Those are the prettiest seed packets I've ever seen. They are so sweet and give such hope for spring. I love your banner! It is so charming and makes me want to just come and sit down at your home. Newest follower.
ReplyDeleteCindy
What wonderful inspirational pictures. My yard is brown and ugly and I can't wait for it to green back up. I always work in our huge yard. I am in Georgia and am from North Carolina so I know all about this gray weather we have had. I am your new follower.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm totally in the mood for some spring gardening. Oh darn, it's still brown and dead out there. I guess I'll just have to look at these beautiful photos and daydream a little longer. Thanks for posting this :)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love this post. It's my dream to have a garden and little shed/house like the one you included from Country Living. SIGH! One day...but that makes me think, I really need to start collecting china for a garden tea set. Hooray! Another thing I can go trove estate sales for!
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