“People are turning to their gardens not to consume but to
actively create, not to escape from reality but to observe it
closely. In doing this they experience the connectedness
of creation and the profoundest sources of being. That the
world we live in and the activity of making it are one
seamless whole is something that we may occasionally
glimpse. In the garden, we know.”
– Carol Williams, Bringing a Garden to Life, 1998

This is a quote from a wonderful and insightful book Bringing the Garden To Life. For me it is the garden that brings me to life! Perhaps in my own garden it is a symbiotic relationship, but I am fairly certain much of it could survive without my tending. When I travel I always locate the gardens and museums I want to visit. It is there that I learn about design more than from any book or class.

I have always been drawn to gardens. It is a place to retreat from the parts of the world that make me weary. When my father died I went to the garden and planted and potted and dug. No counselor could ever give me the solace that a garden can.

Being around flora in nearly every form restores my creative energy and calms my mind. I love my job but it can be feast or famine. Spring time is a feast! To prepare for the rush of business that comes in the life of a landscaper and garden designer once the frost is gone and winter comes to and end, my husband and I took a trip to Oregon to visit gardens in late February. It was a lovely time where we could walk and simply enjoy the setting or talk about plants and design without pressure. People were apologetic saying how wonderful the gardens would look in spring. We explained we like the quiet and enjoy plants that are resting. We meant to go to some wineries on our 5 day trip but only got to one.

http://www.oregongarden.org/

http://www.friendsofhendrickspark.org/

http://japanesegarden.com/