Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Inspiration

Inspiration.  That flash of light in your mind that suddenly jolts you into thinking "Oh, my gosh!!!  I could do this in my garden!!!  I could totally make this work!!!".  Then you get that feeling that you have to go do - something!  Anything.  You just can't sit there!  You have to move!

Ants-in-your-pants.  That's the side effect of inspiration.

More and more people are turning to Pinterest for inspiration.  But I have no intention of joining Facebook or Twitter, so no Pinterest for me.

Still, there are lots of places to get that ants-in-your-pants inspiration.

From magazines:


I saw an arbor in a magazine (can't remember which one or even which year) that had jasmine growing over it, blooming.  I could immediately imagine the delight of walking under that archway, taking in its sweet perfume, and knew that I had to use this idea.  So I did.

From books:


My pond garden is a modified version of a pond I found in one of my favorite books.  I wish I had done a few things differently when building this pond, but I still love it.

From another country:


I've never been to England, but just hearing about their famous herbaceous perennial borders fueled my imagination.  This is not technically a perennial border in the English sense, but again, a modified version suited to my garden, and my gardening style.

From memories:


Hydrangeas were a must-have in my garden, because my grandmother had them in hers.  I think a lot of gardeners are inspired by our memories.

From other gardens:


Believe it or not, the idea of putting boxwoods in a horseshoe shape around a focal point (in this case, a standard rose), came from the plantings at a restaurant.  I drove around it numerous times, very slowly, drawing sketches on a napkin.  They must have thought I was casing the joint!

And, of course! From blogs:


A great resource!  Planting inspiration and design ideas are there daily, just for the taking.  And what could be better than first-hand information?

Need more ideas?  Garden tours can be a great source of inspiration.  Just going to a plant nursery can sometimes spark an idea.  Talking with other gardeners can often start the spark of creativity.  Sometimes just the scent of a bloom can be the catalyst for an idea.

Need some inspiration?  There's plenty of places to find it.  When will you know you have it?  When you get those ants-in-your-pants!

I'm joining Garden Walk Garden Talk for her W4W meme on Inspiration.






48 comments:

  1. I find so much inspiration online, and I am not a tweeter, or on pinterest or FB. No thank you to all three of those places.

    Blogs are a wonderful source of inspiration as are books and magazines.

    This blog is inspiring in that it is about an individual garden space grown from the heart.

    Have a great weekend ~ FlowerLady

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    1. I love that sentence - "an individual garden space grown from the heart". That's exactly how I feel, and I'm so pleased that you can sense my love for the garden, too. Thanks, FlowerLady.

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  2. You really described the feeling of being inspired better than anyone. It really is a 'feeling of have to get at it, now, right now, immediately.' It is like the idea would vanish if you don't do it right away. You implemented all your inspiration well into your garden. Thanks for joining!

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    1. Sometimes I just have to jump up and down when I have an idea, I can't sit still! And yes, sometimes I find if I don't write the idea down immediately it might just vanish.

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  3. So true, blogs are such a great resource plus such a great way to make new friends! Many years ago I visited the garden of a friend's mother. It was one of the most memorable personal gardens I'd ever seen and I was immediately inspired. Came home and started implementing some of the ideas I'd seen. She is selling her home now and my husband listed it recently. I was fortunate enough to get to go back and take a peak at it now. I wasn't disappointed at all. Still beautiful and still inspiring!

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    1. What a sweet story. I hope her home sells quickly, and to a gardener.

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  4. Holley, you make me chuckle. I share pix with my family on FB, but I rarely tweet and have no clue what Pinterest is. There are just too many of those kinds of things out there -- who has time! I'm too busy weeding LOL! I get my inspiration from the same places you do....and I love the way you describe it!

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    1. Yes, I spend a lot of time blogging - I don't need anything else on the computer taking up my time! haha If I did, I might not have much of a garden anymore! :O

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  5. I agree, that "ants-in-your-pants" inspiration side effect is a great feeling! I have gotten plenty of inspiration from my blogging friends. I LOVE the gardening magazines too, and have an arsenal of those. No Pinterest or Twitter for me either; my Facebook account is like a ghost town! :-)

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    1. Like a ghost town! haha I do love that feeling of being inspired - that rush of excitement when you realize just what will be perfect. It's pure energy!

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  6. I agree with all your inspiration points because I have done just the same. No twitter, or Facebook for me and when I discovered Pinterest I was interested until I found out you had to be on Facebook. Nope, not happening here. Did those deep purple iris ever bloom for you? How about the orange day lilies? Did they survive? The pavonia made it through the winter and looks to be growing. When do they bloom?

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    1. I was interested in Pinterest, too, until I was told you had to have a FB or Twitter account. No sale. No purple iris blooms, either. I guess I'll have to wait until next year to enjoy them. The day lilies had a hard time last summer, but they're still alive. I'm wondering if they will bloom this year or not. The pavonia is just starting to bloom now here. But it's been hot - it's like summer weather here! In fact, my garden looks more like it's the middle of summer than spring! They may not bloom for you until the hottest time of the year.

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  7. All great sources of inspiration. Magazines and books have always been my favorites and still are, as are visits to other gardens. And blogs, of course, like yours!

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    1. I think I like magazines and books because I can revisit them as much as I like, and see more and more in the picture, not just what caught my eye at the time.

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  8. Very good post on INSPIRATION.... I am on Facebook and love it... BUT--I still love Blogging more. I get inspiration the same ways you do (internet, magazines/books, blogs, etc.).... All I need to do to get inspiration is do just hike in the woods. Being out in nature brings inspiration all by itself.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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    1. So true, Betsy! Sometimes I just go outside in the garden to get inspired, and sometimes I think of ideas when I'm weeding!

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  9. It is so important to leave your garden and visit others to gain perspective and inspiration. Every time I go to Chanticleer I get a new idea. I am so busy at my nursery I have to force myself to go but t hen I am so happy I did. Were you the blogger who was painting her bedroom orange? If it was you, would you mind emailing me some photos because I think I want to paint my bedroom orange, but I am having a hard time envisioning it---I need inspiration :-).

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    1. Yes, it was me. And I really like the orange. How do I find your email? I didn't see it on your website. Anyway, you can email me at holleygarden (at) yahoo (dot) com if you want, and I'll reply with a couple of pictures.

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  10. You are very right, a lot of them out there are all so inspiring, much more in daily blog posts. And i always find inspirations in all of you who are living in their own houses where they can see and tend their gardens everyday. I live in the big city and come home only once a month or maybe once in two months, so i envy all of you who can do what is boiling in their heads. In my condominium unit in the 5th floor the planting addiction still haunts me, so i put 3 pots in the ledge for the airconditioning unit. With this 36C temperatures and still going up, i put them inside opposite a closed window so they still get light but not direct from the sun! If that is not a gardening addiction, i don't know what is, hahaha! [Thanks for your comments in my post too]

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    1. I think gardeners must garden no matter where they are - in a large area, or a small condominium! One day you'll be able to stay home, and then you'll be able to use all that inspiration that's built up over the years!

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  11. Holley, These are all great places to find inspiration. Memory is not one that most people would have thought of, but ideas tucked away in the back of one's mind tend to surface years after the first flush of inspiration. I think that a garden that I visited when I was 4 or 5 has been a steady, subconscious influence on all the gardens I have made over the years.

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    1. Isn't that wonderful to have memories of a garden that still influences you? I don't have a lot of memories of my grandmother's garden, but I am hoping to create memories for my grandchildren.

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  12. So true Holley. I don't Facebook, Twitter or Pin either.

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    1. Interesting that so many have said that! I thought I was the only one out of the loop! :)

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  13. Enjoyable post as always Holley! Inspiration is everywhere as you've said, all one needs to do at times is just simply open their eyes...

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    1. That's right - I love just riding around, looking. You never know where a little spark of creativity will come from!

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  14. Great post! Yes, I too have gotten so many inspirations from all the same sources. My problem is actually finding the time and sometimes money to actually make those inspirations happen. I have a looong list of "someday" projects, some actually get done others are waiting. Speaking of which, I think I hear my garden calling me....

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    1. Well, that's another post - time and money! :) Those restrictions make being creative a little harder, and so one must become even more creative sometimes in order to work around them! I try to save up and do one fairly big project every year. And time-wise, it usually takes me all year long to complete one project (sometimes more!).

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  15. I do get a lot of inspiration from Pinterest, however, I am more willing to replicate something I see in a neighbor's garden or even from magazines. Money is a big issue though, so we mostly grow edible things. :)

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    1. I agree that money can be a big consideration when seeing something inspiring. It's always satisfying to figure out how to incorporate something into your own garden, at a cost that is acceptable to the gardener!

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  16. Ants in your pants is a perfect way to describe what it feels like when inspiration hits, even at 3 a.m. I also agree that true inspiration needs to be tangibly experienced not just seen on line.

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    1. Yes, even at 3:00 am, those ants can get in your pants! :)

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  17. Great topic and examples. Sometimes scents like that jasmine can remind one of a warm, humid spring day...like it does me, when I lived in such a place (Alabama). People do need much more inspiration for their gardens...not to mention walking through a nice space, garden or planting.

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    1. Yes, visiting other gardens is a wonderful way to get inspiration. And we can all use more of it!

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  18. I think I actually live with ants-in-my-pants, everything inspires me, even though most of times the thing can't be realized in my home or garden or whatever. You expressed in a very fresh and hilarious way what's been afflicting me for over 30 years: inspiration!

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    1. I think that's wonderful to live with ants in your pants! I need them more often - they can really get one moving! ;)

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  19. Like you, I am inspired by so many things. Life is so full of beauty and experiences, it is so easy to be inspired. Thank you for the links...excellent!

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    1. It's up to each of us to see that beauty, and not just the plain or ugly that's also always around. But if we look - yes, life is full of wonderful things!

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  20. Seeing photos of others' gardens on blogs is such a helpful resource for me as I'm working on developing my garden... thanks for your "inspiring" post on sources of inspiration!

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    1. I do see a lot of inspiration on blogs. It's wonderful to be able to visit gardens virtually that we would never be able to see in person!

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  21. I once sat on an ants nest (inadvertently I should add) - it was very painful and I'm afraid to say not very inspirational. I do intend to visit lots of open gardens this season ... and 'borrow' some ideas.

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    1. hahaha - Yes, true ants in the pants are not a good thing! :) I love borrowing ideas - it's always fun to see other's creativity.

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  22. "Ants-in-your-pants. That's the side effect of inspiration." It's so true! :-D

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    1. Isn't it funny how inspiration can make us literally jump up and dance around!

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  23. You are a light of inspiration because as I read your post, you inspired me too! Truly nothing is impossible when your imagination starts to work after you've seen and inspired by others' gardens, blogs, magazines or even books! :)

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    1. You're right - nothing is impossible when you get creative! Thanks for commenting!

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