New Chapter in the Life of Plant Whatever Brings You Joy!

Dearest followers of Plant Whatever Brings You Joy,

This morning a fellow gardener was lamenting that perhaps her garden was not quite up to being on display at an annual Garden Tour she participates in, and I was immediately reminded of this post titled Leaving Your Critic at the Garden Gate, and sent her a link. Rereading the post I realized that, synchronistically it is the perfect post to send out as an overview and reminder of what this particular garden has meant in the life of this blog over the years. And now I find myself letting it go to begin a new chapter in my life, and thus in the life of this blog. I will be creating a new garden elsewhere, yet to be fully revealed to me. And I will be creating it with this adorable new puppy, named Nana, who entered my life two months ago. She is a full blooded white Border Collie and continues an unfolding tradition of my life with Border Collies and gardening. Wish us well and stay tuned! Thank you for your continued readership and gardening love reflected here, for which I am profoundly grateful. Thanks also to readers of my book, Plant Whatever Brings You Joy: Blessed Wisdom from the Garden.

Blessings and much love,
Kathryn XOXO

Gate3
Recently I’ve had an epiphany, and it’s about me and how I have felt about presenting my garden to the world. I know my critic has been voicing her little nags about this for a long time, and I’d like to say I largely ignored her, but that would not be true. The job of the critic is to protect us from being hurt, based on our notes taken as a little child, all learned from Mommy and Daddy as they laid down The Rules. The ones we were to obey if we wanted to be loved and accepted. It’s a big shift to become the adult in the room and to be able to thank the critic voice for her input (it’s her Job, afterall), but you are the conscious adult and you are in charge now, and able to reassess whether her notes are still pertinent, or were ever even true. So there was that. And I suppose I’d been thinking that as “a gardening blogger” my garden was “supposed to look a certain way.” Not Better Homes and Gardens, but, you know. Nice. So I would carefully select how I presented my garden in pictures, trying to avoid certain corners. Or, the whole big picture, if I’m being really honest, and that’s what this post is about.

I’d already begun to think about this, catalyzed by noticing I was surprised when an elderly neighbor came to visit my back garden, and given that she’s a kind of random gardener herself, I showed her every corner, thinking she would appreciate it. She did. After I walked her around she said, “I feel like I’ve been on a gardening tour.” Really? And then I was left wondering why I would be so surprised. What’s that about?

#darnCritic

But the real ah-ha moment occurred when a gardener I know was lamenting that at end of winter her garden didn’t really show well, and for some reason, that one clicked. Because what I recognized was that the voice of the critic was lying await under what she was saying. This led me to some serious and honest thinking, which led me to this conversation with my daughter this morning.

“I’m going to write about leaving one’s critic at the garden gate, my own included. And I’m going to stop thinking my garden has to be showcased as anything other than it really is. And what it really is, Antonia, is a very big DOG RUN with a LOT of things growing on each side, mostly roses.”

And we both cracked up laughing.

Because it’s basically true. I took one look at that near block-long yard ten and a half years ago, and I saw a place my overly energetic Border Collie, Conner, could happily be exercised and safely kept behind tall garden walls. I also saw a random garden created by various renters that allowed me to know I could pretty much do whatever I wanted, and that appealed to me very much. I could experiment, and pretty much anything I did create would have been an improvement. And it has been. Let me take you beyond the garden gate and give you a really good look at what lies behind it!

First, the primary motivators, playing ball. (They are the main attraction!)

ball
Conner and Ruby

And here’s where they get to play every day.

BackView

And.

pit

That’s basically the dog run part. But there’s also a bit of patio, where we sometimes play, and this is a peek at some of that.

DrHuey

It’s a big back yard, and it has secret places. I somehow managed to arrange it as if it were divided into vignettes. Here’s the hammock.

hammock

And my most recent foray is something I’ve long thought about, as the true myrtle (one of my favorite areas) grows in rather a circle, so I’ve always imagined that I could put something inside that circle and create something special. And that one I’ve just begun, so stay tuned. I’m seeing videotaping little chats from an early morning garden, with tablecloths and vases of flowers and hanging lovely things in the trees. Can you see it?

myrtlecircle
The Myrtle Circle

Then there was the haphazard developing of the Rose Garden, which evolved out of taking out an enormous plum tree that did no one any good, ever, not even the birds, and a teen age neighbor boy who actually told me, “I’m the brawn, not the brain” plopped in a circle of roses I’d salvaged from some elderly folks on the block who had intended to trash these amazing heirloom roses! So that happened. And was I inclined to take out the volunteer borage? No. Not at all. I’m not that kind of girl. So I enjoy the contrasting blues and reds and pinks and yellows and the abundance of honeybees and bumbles that frequent my garden from early morning ’till dusk and beyond.

rosegarden

Also, compliments of same brawny teenager, the lemon tree got dragged into the center of the “dog run”, in the sun, and adjacent to a grape vine I put into a large pot who is getting bigger every year. Oh, dear. And I spend a fair amount of time making sure it doesn’t wind itself into the lemon tree or get in the way of focused doggies, which does happen on occasion. Poor grapes.

vine

There’s a large picnic table on this end of the garden, well used.

primrose

And a honeysuckle screen looking out into that area.

honeysuckle1

And, of course, the Dr. Hueys.

drhuey2

Among the other blessings on this property are a fig tree, an organic apple tree, a plum tree (which had been hiding behind the one pulled up!), and the English walnut.

Engwalnut

And what I’ve added includes three butterfly bushes, insuring tons of butterflies and pollinators, lots of herbs, raspberries, blackberries, roses and more roses, irises, lilies, campanula, and all manner of flowers. I am especially grateful for the perennials.

But what this garden most offers is a habitat for birds and critters. A safe one, free of pesticides, one where nests might be built. It offers respite from my work life. Fresh air. Quiet. Safety. No deer. No snakes. (Only black widows, which I watch carefully for.) All gifts for which I am incredibly grateful. And is it “perfect”? No. It is garden tour worthy? Probably not. Do I care? No. So I hope this sharing encourages you to have the garden that suits you. Please, please, leave your critic at the garden gate. Let things go a bit, and learn about the plants you are growing. How else would I know oregano can take over a veggie garden, had I not let it happen? Or that mullein is a magical plant if I’d ripped it up before it became a stalwart force in my garden? Where would I play with hummingbirds in the early morning, showering them with a spray from my hose? Learn about scrub jay fledglings? Let your garden be. Shape it as you will. But make it a place of joy and wonder and learning. Because that’s what it is.

Love and garden blessings,
Kathryn xoxo

6 Responses to “New Chapter in the Life of Plant Whatever Brings You Joy!”

  1. Blessings on the next chapter! That garden has served as shelter, inspiration and beauty for so long. ❤️

  2. Dearest Antonia, So true! What a gift it has been and I’ve shared widely. There have been so very many chapters! May the next garden prove to be as rich a treasure and as much a gift to readers and those who chance upon this blog in their virtual travels and may it continue to inspire, educate, stimulate and enrich others lives as well as my own. And yours. Much love, Mom xoxo

  3. Good morning. So pleasant to hear from you again. I am redoing my bleu gate garden again. It was our vegetable garden until I became a widow. Twice I have decreased the size as I transitioned to perennials moved from other areas as they multiplied. Now it is time to reduce again as I keep growing older. Every year has had give-aways to keep up but this year will be more drastic.. I actually look forward to this change, as you are. We have enjoyed where we have been and like the challenge of change, May it go well.

  4. Hi, Alice,

    Lovely to see you here on my blog this morning. And this is a perfect message for me today as well. Yes, time to pare down in keeping with this stage of my life. I’m actually increasing my physical strength, fortunately–up to over 12K steps a day according to my Fitbit, and this week surpassed 16K which is nearly seven miles, so that’s what happens when you get a Border Collie puppy, I guess! May your garden evolve beautifully and appropriately and good for you for being able to do that with grace and ease. Thank you for the blessing. Well received with gratitude. Kathryn XOXO

  5. Good morning dear Kathryn,
    You have created a beautiful place of nature and given love to both the plants and dogs. As I am finding, now into my 71st year, the energy to keep up on the trees, vines, shrubs, food crops and weeding – well, it’s waning. I’m trying to pare down and more regular help from someone like your young man with the brawn. Wherever your next home might be, I wish you good health, birdsong, and wonderful times with your sweet new dog, Nana.

  6. Dear Carol, Thank you so very much. I am so glad we met at my Readers Books booksigning for Plant Whatever Brings You Joy in Sonoma. Thank you for following my adventures. I look forward to the new chapter! Good for you for taking care of your own needs! Warmly, Kathryn XOXO

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