Let's visit a GW garden and write about it

15 years ago

Spinning off from Imagardener's list of gardens to visit, have you visited a GW member's garden this year? Will you describe it, what inspired you, which new roses you loved, what was new and different, what intrigued you, and what surprised you? Did you walk through with the gardener or by yourself? Were you alone in the garden or with a group? Was the garden in full bloom? Was there hardscaping? Weather, animals, insects, birds, water, rooms, paths, habitats - there's so much to share and I love hearing fresh perspectives. I always learn about my garden and have made changes even years later based on comments I've received from visitors. If you have pictures, please share at least one of them.

Sue

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Comments (19)

hartwood
15 years ago
I can contribute to this, without any much extra writing. I visited Robert's garden last weekend, camera in hand, and it was the subject of a blog post last Monday.

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November in Virginia is the time for gardens to close their eyes, preparing to sleep for the winter. Robert's roses had a few final flowers ... the star of the visit, however, was the remaining fall color and the views across his pond.

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I have linked to my blog below ... there's about a dozen more photos there. I'm afraid if this GW post gets too photo-heavy, our friends on dial-up won't be able to load it (I got a taste of this at my parents' house this weekend, as I was testing my web site on their computer and their dial-up Internet connection. tick...tick...tick...)

{{gwi:320392}}

Even Poison Ivy is pretty in the fall. :)

I've said this many times before, and I'll say it again now ... It is wonderful to make a real, in person friend out of a cyber friend. If you get the chance, go visit someone you're acquainted with here. Spend time in their garden ... drink wine in their kitchen ... plan a road trip and stuff a BMW full of plants ... hee hee hee.

Connie

P.S. In case you didn't see it this spring, there's a slideshow of photos of Robert's garden that I took this past May. (I haven't updated this older portion of the blog to the new larger-photo format yet ... I'll get to it.)

Spring Photos: http://hartwoodroses.blogspot.com/2009/05/roberts-fabulous-garden.html

Here is a link that might be useful: blog post
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mendocino_rose
15 years ago
I have been fortunate in visiting a number of GW gardens and gardeners and many have come to my garden. Sue your garden is a stand out. Exuberant, lush, charming are words that come to mind. You are blessed in climate(most of the time!)and make the most of it. For those who haven't been there, Sue's garden is on a large lot in a pleasant quiet neighborhood. I walked with Sue and Marji along cool green pathways meandering amoungst a riot of full bloom with a glass of wine( a wonderful way to tour a garden) The exuberance, and lushness, comes from the fact that Sue plants with abandon. The beds are packed with roses and companions in lovely pastel combinations. Climbers on structures and walls add so much to the romance. To my way of thinking all gardens should give a feeling of being in a world apart wether large or small and they must show the love and committment of the gardener. Sue passes this test with flying(beautiful) colors. If this thread hangs around for a while I will post later about other GW gardens. Here are two photos. The first is Sue's famous Alchymist(and Sue). The second is Buff Beauty growing up an unusual pillar.
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rosefolly
15 years ago
I've visited several GW member gardens myself. I've posted about Mendocino Rose's garden a number of times, my ideal of a perfect fairy tale maze set against a breathtaking vista of green and misty mountains. I'd also like to mention Bluesibe for a lovely little jewel of a garden, exquisite in all its details, full of surprises at every turn. And Luanne's garden is a joyous place that may eventually take over the neighborhood. Her exuberant roses keep nudging the borders and the neighbors are delighted that it is so. Last but not least is the garden of Jon of Wessex. What an amazing place it is! Walls of roses, bountifully planted in perennials as well, richly scented, carefully tended, and an inspiration to me every time I see it. It is a true garden tapestry.

Rosefolly
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duchesse_nalabama
15 years ago
I recently was privileged to visit a fellow GWebber's garden. He protested it looked terrible in November; I was entranced by fully grown specimens of SDLM and other roses I hadn't seen in person. As much as anything I was so happy to meet someone in the flesh that I've only known via email and converse with another person who has pots of cuttings and roses and thinks it's normal.

I am hoping to visit a lot more in the years to come, I enjoyed his so much.
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imagardener2
15 years ago
Visiting GW rose gardeners is exactly the scale of gardens I'd love to visit, human size and personal.
Do you remember Morrisnoor's postings from Sardinia? Oh what a garden.

I remember reading about a special open garden book that England puts out every year consisting of private gardens open to the public with proceeds benefitting some charitable garden trust. Those are the gardens of my travel dreams.

Hoping to visit a GW rose garden one day. Until then thanks everyone for the photos and inspiration.

Denise
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LindyB
15 years ago
I haven't visited any gardens yet but would like to open my garden to visiters next June when the roses are blooming. Maybe a gathering of PNW Garden Webbers if there is enough interest.

Linda
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cemeteryrose
15 years ago
Most people who come to Sacramento get no further than the cemetery rose garden, which makes sense because there is so much to see there. However, GWers are also welcome to visit my garden, understanding that it gets only a small fraction of my attention. It's especially neglected this year, but maybe I'll do better next year....
Anita
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organic_tosca
15 years ago
I have been to Anita's garden, and it is wonderful. My favorite rose there: Mme. Hardy. They are all beautiful, though. You enter through a wonderful wooden gate at the back, and then you are drawn through along a curving path - an arbor here, a lovely shrub there.

My first "in person" conversation with Anita took place when I visited the Cemetery Garden and introduced myself as Organic Tosca, and that is how I came to be a volunteer there - I had never thought of doing something like that, and now it is my favorite part of the week! A great garden and great people, and I have learned SO MUCH.

Laura
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duchesse_nalabama
15 years ago
Linda, that is interesting to me, and I'll bet a lot of others would want to as well. Thanks for thinking of it, Gean
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paparoseman
15 years ago
I know some people think, What about the weeds? Most who visit are too busy enjoying the roses to see anything else.

Lance
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hartwood
15 years ago
lindy, that's how my annual garden social got its start. I had an itch to meet other rose gardeners, especially some GW friends, and I set a date and opened my garden ... pot luck food helps, too. Catsrose took it a step farther last year and proposed a tour of gardens, which was a great success. We should do it again this year.

Weeds? It was a VERY good year for weeds here. At times, there were weeds as high as the roses ... when visitors come, we just push the weeds aside and smell the roses.

Gardens are only a portion of a 'garden visit'. The main objective is to spend time with like-minded people, to share and learn, and get to know one another.

Connie
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zeffyrose
15 years ago
It is lovely to visit GW gardens----I had the pleasure of vivting Tivoli Rose garden a few years ago before she moved----also MrsFlowers here in Pa before she moved---
Maybe if my back improves I will be able to visit Connie--Robert--Olga and some other- gardens in Md.--Va and GW gardens in driving distance from Pa.

That would be such a treat !!

Pam---my dream would be to visit you----

Florence
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mendocino_rose
15 years ago
Florence dear, for you to visit me would be my dream come true.
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rosefolly
15 years ago
Florence, when you come west to visit Pamela, you must visit me as well.
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senko
15 years ago
My garden is so new that I feel embarressed to offer any tour. But Florance you can visit anytime if you wished to see how things look "before". I should be 10 min ride from you.
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User
15 years ago
well aren't i the envious one! In truth, we do have an open garden scheme in england but you have to be scrutinised first and frankly, the horticultural scene in England can be class ridden and snobbish whereby huge houses with dismal gardens pass the test while tiny surburban or urban gardens can be given a rough ride to get in the 'yellow book'. Even so, garden visiting in any situation has been more illuminating, useful and entertaining than any number of glossy photos. In fact, it took me many years to realise that most photos are a minute snapshot whereas gardens are living, changing experiences and seeing other weeds and unstaked flopping plants is actually hugely reassuring.
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AnneCecilia z5 MI
15 years ago
I've been lucky enough to visit Ann in TN's garden a few years back - I still sigh over the experience. Florence, I came close to visiting your garden once, didn't I? Too bad that didn't work out! I've been invited to see Sue's garden and I sure hope I can make it there someday. I'd love to visit California as well, (and the UK would be an absolute dream!) but a travel budget isn't in the cards right now. It is wonderful though, when GW members visit each other and post about it - and post lots of photos. I never tire of those posts, so please keep that in mind and post away!
OH, wait! One garden I can tell about visiting is Karenforroses'. She is in Michigan too, but about 1-1/2 hr. southwest of me. Her roses are marvelous and she and DH Kurt are constantly adding another wonderful feature. Kurt is the creator of the arbors, arches, fences and tutours. Here is a link to some photos taken in her garden when our rose society and the local camera club held a joint meeting there in early summer this year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Karenforroses' Garden
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rosefolly
15 years ago
Campanula, most of our gardens would never get into the yellow book, either. This is not a formal, open-to-the-public situation. For the past dozen or so years some Antique Rose Gardenweb members have opened their gardens to other members on a certain day of their own choosing. It started out here on the west coast but gardeners in the south and east have not been at all slow in following suit. It is one of the lovely customs of this particular forum, and it is probably why members of this forum often form genuine friendships in the real world. No other forum I belong to has quite the same tradition. (Though the Readers' Paradise forum does do a lovely bookmark exchange at Christmas.)

Rosefolly
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growing2010
15 years ago
Well I will be excited when my Before yard (not a garden just yet) gets to its After stage, I am a bit overwhelmed at this moment. Meanwhile I be on the lookout for GW open garden visits in my area, San Gabriel Valley/Pasadena.
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Let's visit a GW garden and write about it

Comments (19)

hartwood

mendocino_rose

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