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44 Inspirational Quotes About Nature’s Beauty

We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls. Mother Teresa

Doe Run Garden In Brandywine Valley

Nature never hurries. Atom by atom, little by little she achieves her work. Ralph Waldo Emerson

An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day. Henry David Thoreau

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. John Muir

Fran Sorin Garden

Whoever loves and understands a garden will find contentment within. Chinese proverb

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How Seating Helps To Define A Mood In The Garden

The seating you choose for your garden is a reflection of the mood you’re trying to create.

Everything from a simple bench to an artistic or architectural piece makes a statement or suggestion.

Here are photos of some of my favorites:

My garden – looking out towards meadow

 

Bryant Park - Manhattan

Bryant Park -Manhattan

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Companion Plants for Succulents

 

At this month’s Succulent Extravaganza, Sept. 28 and 29 at Succulent Gardens near San Francisco, I’ll be speaking about companion plants for succulents that vary from ground covers to trees. Many grow in my own garden near San Diego. Two examples are above: orange California poppies (an annual) and blue fescue, a perennial that is low-growing, mounding and truly blue. Like all ornamental grasses, it adds great texture to gardens.

Speaking of texture, Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ has finely cut leaves and shimmers with a silvery blue comparable to Agave americana, shown here in my garden. In bloom higher up the slope are aloes with orange flowers. Continue Reading →

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Why You Need To Take Super Creative Risks In The Garden…And In Life

Do you plant the same thing in your garden year after year?

In my last garden, each spring when I walked around and envisioned what I wanted to plant that year, I always went through the same process of longing for the familiar. An old fashioned climbing rose, bleeding hearts, or salvia that I had used so successfully in last year’s garden would be the first choices that came to mind.

November 9, 2005 007
View of Middle Level Garden

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7 Reasons Why Making A ‘To Done’ List Will Help You Be More Creative In Your Garden and Life

You may see the ‘TO DO’ lists in your life and garden as a necessity.

The problem is that the majority of the time they make you feel lousy.

Why?

The ‘productive you’ writes a list of everything you plan on getting done each day.
If you’re like most people, your list is way too long.

cuttinggarden 1
A Playful and Naturalized Garden

 

You rarely complete what you set out to do. You feel unproductive, negative, and frustrated….and immediately go to that critical place in your head where you’re ‘not enough’. Doing this effects your quality of work, creativity, and enjoyment in the garden.

Think about it.

If you’re always rushing to get to the next task, how can you possibly be in the moment?

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