Gardening: My Wannabe Style

Everybody who gardens has a gardening style. I love the overgrown look of rustic country gardens. The haphazard way the garden seems to grow wild. Every garden bed I plan is intended to have that old fashioned look. I say "intended" because it never actually happens. As I plant I always end up leaving a bit of working room around each plant for weeding and what not. So I'm always left with the feeling of close but not quite what I was dreaming of. I have tons of gardening books and magazines to continually tell me how to get the look I'm desiring but still I just can't crowd my plants. My favorite example of a book that has me continually saying "I want that" is more of a photo archive then a how to book but it's still my favorite gardening book. It's a bit of history, a bit of nature, a bit of exploring, and a lot of gardening inspiration. I can drool over it's photos for hours and I've owned this book for two years! The gardens featured in this book are exactly what I want when I dream of a rustic garden to surrouding my log home. Now, to overcome my crowding phobia.

Winter Garden Interest

On the shores of the Great Lakes the wind always blows! In the hot summer garden the constant breeze is refreshing, welcomed. However, in the days of snow and cold that same breeze is bone chilling, despised. Yet an interesting phenomenon has occured in the snowy windswept areas surrounding my little corner of the world. Snow balls. No. not the kind made by rambunctious children or Peter Pan-like men who seem never to grow up. No, we've been blessed with naturally made snowballs. It's quite intersting to see these littering playgrounds, farmer's fields and my Aunt's lawn (as seen here). I'm not sure this is quite gardening but... with this much snow it's nice to see anything interesting in the garden.