November 18, 2009

Mulling Inspiration and Cider


With winter upon my garden, it's time to retreat indoors with a mug of something warm to drink and recall a few garden views that made my heart skip a beat. Not scenes from my young garden of course, but views from established gardens and parks. The photo above shows the stone path at Spokane's Liberty Park. Oooh, this is why I want a path in my garden eventually (though without the stone walls bordering it, unfortunately, that would be too expensive).


I have posted this photo from Northland Rosarium before, but it's worth repeating. I love the fat, lush hostas under the dappled sun and the elegant old bench. Appropriate seating is important to one's enjoyment of the garden. If I ever stop pulling weeds and deadheading, I'll need someplace to sit. I plan to put a couple of benches and a swinging seat within my garden.


Vine-covered pergolas are so romantic. This shot is from the Santa Barbara zoo, and it looks like the vine shown is star jasmine. Too bad I didn't visit in May to see it in bloom. Jasmines don't survive in my climate, but sweet autumn clematis would provide a similar effect with fragrant white blooms in the fall.


Here is another picture from Liberty Park. Of course I have a number of baby lilac shrubs planted in my backyard, since Spokane is 'The Lilac City' and has a lilac festival and parade each spring. I like the way these large shrubs have been pruned to show their interesting trunks and frame a view. I'd like to do that when my babies finally grow tall enough.


I'm hestitant about the maintenance needed to keep up a pond, and I have little children that might fall in, so I'll probably go for a small fountain or two instead. This fountain at La Purissima mission in California is so classic. I love classic.
Looking over these pictures makes me excited to keep working toward my dream garden. What inspires you to continue shaping your garden?

17 comments:

  1. Hi VW~~~ Definitely looking at photos like these.
    I used to cut out garden magazine photos and tape them on my laundry room walls. They just make me feel good. I'm also known for hoarding and hauling home muscle-tearing loads of library books of the gardening genre.

    Beautiful inspriration in these photos. The past few years I've really developed an appreciation for shade, dappled or otherwise. And these vignettes depict it beautifully.

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  2. Lovely photos VW, definitely something to aspire to - and I get the feeling I won't achieve any myself being too sporadic! :)

    This is the time of year to sit and dream about what we'll do next... And then when it comes to spring and summer, we're too busy weeding and planting to ever manage to do anything! lol

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  3. VW, this is a very good post. Partly because all the pictures you have shown are beautiful and useful in designing a garden. Also it reminds me to go back and look at all the pictures I took in gardens during the year, I am sure there are some 'classics' that would be inspirational.

    Best wishes Sylvia (England)

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  4. I love the way the lilacs have been pruned. This is the look I am trying for in my serviceberry allee. Thanks for the (added)inspiration.

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  5. VW girl !
    Wouldn't it be heaven if we had these views from our own windows and doors ?
    I am in love with them all but Spokane really grabs me ? LOL .. I guess because I am kicking myself that we didn't visit that area when we lived on that coast .. so many beautiful places to see.
    These are such gorgeous pictures to mull over with a wonderful warm drink .. perfect suggestion girl ! LOL
    I too have wondered about a water feature .. my garden is so small and I have neighbors practically sitting on my lap here .. eeuuwww ! LOL .. I am going to enforce many more vertical screenings to block them out as much as possible .. BIG sigh .. that warm "drink" is looking good right now ! LOL

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  6. Love those hostas! Seeing others garden pictures inspires me all the time.

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  7. At Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond there is a grove that has a large variety of hostas, with some very large leafed varieties. It was a cool (temp) place on a very warm day. Love the one you found with the great bench.
    That Lilac City is beautiful. Love your photo as well as the plants!

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  8. This post inspired me too, VW! That pathway with the stone walls looks so ancient, positively medieval, a look I love. Each one is wonderful though. Like Grace, pre computer days, books and magazine with tear sheets in a notebook helped my dream of gardens yet to be. Some of those photos have actually come to fruition in the garden I have now, in a very small way of course. Dreaming of gardens is the best dream of all. :-)
    Frances

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  9. The inspiration comes in many forms, blogs like yours, garden books, Botanical gardens but especially gardens of just "regular" people who plod on, despite challenges. I love the mossy stairs and walls. Too beautiful.
    Rosey

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  10. Grace, your comment made me look through the photos again and realize that they're all shaded! Probably because I have so little shade in my garden right now. It feels so exposed to the neighbors (I can see parts of 60+ other houses from various parts of my backyard). I guess I'm yearning for a feeling of privacy, plus cool shade in summer, of course.

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  11. Hiya VW...great post/pictures and you have me scratching my head! I can't for the life of me remember Liberty Park, what part of town is it in? Is it near Liberty Park Florist on the South Hill?

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  12. Knocked out particularly with those first two images, so I clicked on them and it took me into picassa stating 'Galerie publique de VW Garden'.

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  13. VW, Gardening is just so much fun! Tours of gardens, talking with other gardeners, magazines and books have been very inspiring. I love the courtyard with the pond, but like you wonder about the maintenance. VW, all of the photos you've shown have something to mull over...they are lovely. gail

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  14. Amazing photos, VW! Though most of them wouldn't be realistic in this yard, there are still features that can be imagined! I love the restful feel of each photo - as though I were the only one in each secret spot. ;-) And yes, after venturing through each passageway and around each fountain, I'd be happy to backtrack to that bench! Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving, a little early.

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  15. Such beautiful pictures. I been fortunate to have visited Spokane on occasion (my uncle is a professor at Whitworth). I need to visit that garden next time I visit.

    I love the vine covered pergola as well. I went to school in Santa Barbara and that is my favorite place to see gardens.

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  16. Hello,

    There is an award for you on my blog. I hope that you will accept it but I won't be offended if you don't. You may have already received it, but you have been so supportive and I wanted you to know that I really appreciate it.

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