I dreamed of a garden.
And after a bit of trial and error, I realized roses did well in the sunny soil here.
So then I began to dream of a rose garden.
And after some work, a few years of waiting, some mistakes, and a few changes, my dream has begun to come true.
I'm still changing things, and still waiting.
But when I dream, I dream in color.
Start a garden.
And you'll be dreaming in color, too.
There should be a garden on every lost spot anywhere! Life always gets better when there's a garden around. 8)
ReplyDeleteYou're right! I do think life is much better when I'm enjoying or in a garden.
DeleteBeautiful views, beautiful dreams. I like your photos. I have trouble capturing lovely views like this and seem to only be satisfied when I try closeups. Your post makes me wonder, how long did it take you to realize your garden dream?
ReplyDeleteThe walking garden was put in in the fall of 2008. My main rose garden was put in in 2009, and I can really tell the difference. I think because I take a year or two more to tweak and add. It does take time for a garden to fill in and mature, but even the new bed I'm working on this year I can see the potential. I can't wait to see it all in another 3 or 4 more years!
DeleteI absolutely love your post! This is so telling to the poetic journey of a gardener - discovery, evolution, joy. So well said! :)
ReplyDeleteWow - I love your analysis! You said it much better than I did!
DeleteP.S. The photos are beautiful, in a dream-like haze of sunshine.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I've been playing around with a new camera!
DeleteExceptionally lovely shots. It's nice when your vision is clearly seen by all.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
My vision is becoming clearer and clearer in my own mind. At first, I just knew to plant roses. But now I can almost imagine exactly what I'm working toward.
DeleteWhat a lovely, magical post. I'm glad your dream has begun to come true. :-)
ReplyDeleteI think that's why we all garden - we have a dream. Time helps, a lot!
DeleteAh to dream in color...lovely thoughts and dreams!
ReplyDeleteDon't we all dream in color? Our gardens are the beautiful visions of our desire.
DeleteI love your colors and dreams! I was thinking about you tonight as I looked at my 'Zephirine Droughn' rose. Roses have never been my thing but that is changing thanks to this easy peasy rose and its wonderful smell and pink blooms then I could almost see a garden full of roses like yours and surely appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteHow nice that you thought of me while looking at a beautiful rose! Now you see why I think every garden should have a rose. Some of they are truly easy! I don't grow Zephirine, but it's the favorite rose of many gardeners. Maybe I should find a place for it in my garden!
DeleteColorful dreams of gardens are the best! :)
ReplyDeleteI think so. The world would be a sad place without flowers!
DeleteI do a lot of dreaming, and waiting in my garden. I just LOVE it. I love roses too!! Your garden looks divine.
ReplyDeleteI guess the waiting we have to do for our gardens to mature just allows us to dream more!
DeleteI always tell my art students ..there are no mistakes in art...gardens either
ReplyDeleteI love that perspective! I'm going to remember that!
DeleteWhat lovely garden dreams you have! That lavender sure is a beauty!
ReplyDeleteI've been very impressed with the lavender this year. I think I like the Spanish variety more than any of the other kinds.
DeleteSo true, Holley. I dream in COLOR all of the time---and love to get up in the morning and take a walk around our yard. However, we have a freeze warning tonight. SO--we hope there will be no damage to our Roses and Irises, etc.... (Good Ole Mother Nature!!!)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful COLORS in your garden.
Hugs,
Betsy
Morning walks are such a joy. I hope the freeze doesn't do any damage to your beautiful garden!
DeleteI started out dreaming of a perennial garden, and somehow roses have made their way into my garden dreams through the back door... I'll be planting three new roses this spring (though several of each sort so they won't look too twee or lost in the garden), and if they like it here - and the deer don't eat them all - I suspect there might be more in coming years.
ReplyDeleteGlad to know that roses found their way to your garden, even through the back door! I hope the deer find other things to eat!
DeleteI really enjoyed this post. It felt like a poem to me.
ReplyDeleteI'm not very good with poems, but in a way it's a non-rhyming poem of love to my garden.
DeleteBeautiful Holley!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Christine!
DeleteBeautiful dreams do come true. We all need to keep on dreaming. Your photos are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteFlowerLady
Yes, we all need to keep on dreaming. Our garden dreams will all come true with a little work and some time.
DeleteBeautiful!! The color in the garden here right now is green ... with a bit of new-rose-foliage bronze tossed in as an accent. Flowers will be here soon!
ReplyDeleteI love new rose foliage! It's so exciting to see because you know the blooms will soon follow!
DeleteWonderful post, Holley. Your garden is beautiful and the photos of it are dreamy.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Shirley. There are parts of it that I think are nice. I ignore the parts that aren't! ;)
DeleteAnd the dream turns into a passion! Your rose garden is beautiful whenever I see pictures of it. My mantra for my garden is COLOR. Not lower case 'color', but big, bold lots of 'COLOR'!
ReplyDeleteI wonder when that happens - when the dream turns into a passion. Maybe from the first dream! I hope you get the COLOR you're wanting in your garden!
DeleteSuch lovely photos! I feel as though I can smell the roses! You have a truly wonderful garden!
ReplyDeleteThe scent of roses can be intoxicating! No wonder people have loved roses for centuries!
DeleteI adore roses. I hope my roses look as lovely as yours one day. As to dreaming-when I get into bed I close my eyes and start walking through my future garden at Blue Moon Farm, it relaxes me immediately. Of course in dreams the sun is always shining and the roses I have yet to plant are in abundance.
ReplyDeleteOne day your dream will come true. I, too, dream of future gardens. It's such a wonderful way to spend the time.
DeleteI too dream in color!! I love your colors and your posts!! I would love to see some pictures of your garden over all . How big is you garden plot?? I have a small yard garden and am wondering how many roses I can crowd into it cottage style with all my other vines,daylilies and plants. How many roses do you plant in say a 4/20ft bed??? I't hard not to want More More MORE!!!!
ReplyDeleteGwen, I have several different garden areas. And the number of roses you can fit in depends a lot on which types of roses you love. Some rose bushes can grow very large, and some stay quite small. Maybe put in a climber if you have somewhere for it, and a couple of groups of roses, then filled in with all the other plantings. It will be beautiful! Be sure to plan it out on paper first, with the mature sizes of the roses you want. Good luck! I'm sure your dream will be a reality with just a little bit of time.
DeleteMy gosh I might dream in color but so far nothing close to your dreams. Beautiful, simply beautiful gardens.
ReplyDeleteI am very pleased with some areas, which actually makes the areas that I'm not so happy with even more noticeable! (At least to me!) :)
DeleteContinue dreaming BIG! Dreams do come to fruition! I adore Rose gardens!In my last garden I had many but now I'm in the woods so roses don't do as well.
ReplyDeleteWooded gardens can be so beautiful - a bit mysterious, very calm, and quiet. I hope your wooded garden is all you dream it to be.
DeleteI am speechless! If I were in your garden now I would not be torn away from it long enough to write a blog post. What an amazing spring flush you are having, and it seems that last year's drought didn't do much damage to your roses.
ReplyDeleteI have been surprised - the drought truly has not affected the roses this year. I guess since we have gotten quite a bit of rains throughout the winter and early spring, everything is recuperating nicely. Of course, I'm hoping the rains continue!
DeleteHolley, I love what Shyrlene said and want to nod my head vigorously in agreement here. Also, I love the combination of the salvia and rose and wooden seat in the fourth photo, and the light in the seventh is just breathtaking. Gardens and dreaming go together like nobody's business.
ReplyDeleteI guess it would be hard to create a garden without a little dreaming first! You know, I need to sit on that bench more often!
DeleteI love the colours of your garden Holley! It is still evolving, like all other gardens, but only for the better and even more colourful in more ways than one :)
ReplyDeleteAnd the evolving journey of our gardens is wonderful, isn't it?
DeleteI was never much of one for roses, but I may have to rethink things. Absolutely beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOh, I think every garden should have at least one rose! :)
DeleteTo cudowne, jak marzenia się spełniają. Róże przepięknie wyglądają. Pozdrawiam.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful, like a dream come true. Roses look beautiful. Yours.
Thank you. I do see parts of my dream coming true.
DeleteHolleyG - Those are amazing photos!! Cheers, Jenni
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenni!
DeleteCute post! Doesn't it just bring you so much happiness! Always something different!
ReplyDeleteYes, it does bring me much happiness. I think every gardener finds joy and happiness in their garden.
DeleteRoses are fascinating plants. Hopefully, one day, my roses will look as lush as some of yours, which are just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI'm certain they will. Most just need a little time. You will be amazed how fast they grow!
DeleteHow truly gorgeous! The roses are spectacular and I dream that mine could look like that. You also have two of my favourite plants - lavender & hot lips Salvia!
ReplyDeleteI've been surprised how well the lavender has done here. And the Hot Lips is a great plant! Mine has gotten quite tall and bushy!
Delete