08 April 2013

G is for Gardening

I'm a bit late this morning after returning from a very long day trip to Denver. One of the highlights of Sunday was a trip to the Denver Botanic Gardens where things are still looking pretty brown, with just a few hardy bulb flowers peeking their heads through the cold ground. Still it was a lovely day and there were loads of people out walking the paths. I came away with numerous ideas for my own gardens. Also a real appreciation for water features, hard-scaping, and architectural features like pergolas. Here are some photos of images that inspired me and might translate to my own efforts here at home:

Water feature with simple sculpture

A smaller pool that would work in my yard

A flagstone rock garden with native plants
Brick hard-scaping with a covered path to the right
An evergreen mound adds a mass of green

I don't think I would have noticed these features during the summer when the gardens are a riot of color. I got a lot more ideas from the barren gardens than I thought I would. It's all about getting the "bones" down right. That's true with anything, I guess,  whether building a house or writing a novel. Get a solid foundation first, and all the embellishments tend to enhance the picture.

Speaking of novels, maybe I'll make some headway in the next few days. It doesn't look like I'll be gardening much.



By "damaging thunderstorms" they mean high winds, hail, rain turning to snow, and a possible tornado. Nope. Definitely won't be gardening. How's the weather where you live?

11 comments:

S. L. Hennessy said...

I long to have a garden to plant. One day when I have a house I am going to plant absolutely everything.

Happy A through Z blogging!
http://pensuasion.blogspot.com/

susanalbert said...

Warm & windy here in Central TX, Dani. Those are great photos--lots of good landscaping ideas there. I agree: it's easier to see a garden when there aren't lots of blossoms to seduce the eye!

Sharon Himsl said...

My garden is in waiting mode like yours, but a bit warmer here in Eastern Washington. It DOES mean more writing time...so write away!

Anonymous said...

The garden looks a wonderful, tranquil place, so pleased you managed to visit Denver,
Awesome pictures made this an excellent G post.

Yvonne.

pamlovesbooks said...

i dont suppose you could do all of those gardening features in your yard? i like them all. Let me know if you need a book suggestion...

Regina said...

Dani,
Great pics, great post. I think you are right, it is all about creating the structure and then letting it flow.
Regina

Susan J Tweit said...

Dani,
DBG is one of my favorite garden stops in Denver too. I love all the details you picked out. One thought: instead of flagstone for a terraced rock garden, you could use broken concrete. There's a lot of it around, and you get to feel good about repurposing....

Great plan for the blog-post-a-day challenge with the letters of the alphabet! Of course, there are only 26 of 'em. ;)
Susan T

Jude Walsh said...

This was a good inspirational visit for you! When I went to the botanical gardens in Singapore I was stunned by the orchids and then gradually began to notice the setting they had created for them. We finally have daffodils in Dayton, such a late spring!

Silvia Writes said...

The simplest of art can be the most beautiful. Loved the water sculpture.
Garden looks so peaceful ... I want to sit there with a good book.
Silvia @ Silvia Writes

Unknown said...

Spring is here with summer on its heels. I'm drawn to the hard-scape. Ah, simplicity.

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Love those pictures. We have gardening weather here this week-86 tomorrow. Up until now, it's been unusually cold.

Mary Montague Sikes

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