Schoolhouse Im afraid I laughed when I first saw your post about 'The Scent of a Gardener's Hands'.
I think most of the time my hands smell horrible after gardening! Turning the compost or puting manure on the garden is the worst. Ewww. Then of course there are those stinky plants that I always seem to brush up against. Like Hysopus. I swear that plant smells like a skunk, lol.
I cut my herbs down a few weeks ago and the whole room smelled wonderful. I love sage and thyme!
-schoolhouse I don't think I have ever seen your statue. Do you have any pics? I have been wanting to get one for my yard, but haven't found one.
CMK

Antonius. I snapped a great photo of him this summer, a big yellow and black spider had spun a web between the boxwood on the left and the juniper behind him. It looks as tho he is shrinking back from it with up stretched arm. The film hasn't been developed yet, but when it is I'll share.

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"Gauis Hortensius Frutex". A concrete head I found last year and right away thought he looked like a sour old Roman senator. I painted him to blend with the stone better. A poster on a Roman History forum I frequent helped me with his Latin name. It means "garden blockhead" (!)

First pic is before I rebuilt the wall in the other sunken garden this year. Second pic is the new wall and the niche I created just for Gauis, kind of difficult to see him but he's in back on the right. (don't know why my scanner is showing, sorry)

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Schoolhouse, I love your statue & thank you for sharing your pix with us. I could almost smell the scent from your description. I also love the scent when I winter-sow. It's almost a wild earthy flavor. Or maybe I'm just "garden hungry" by Jan. or Feb. Kind of like "cabin fever". I think all these things are wonderful parts of our garden experiences. I particularly love being out in the garden at this time of yr. to hear the loud honking of the geese overhead. For some reason it makes me feel like I am part of this whole wide scenario.

Well yesterday I was digging sod and turning it over, I planted a variegated Barberry 'Ruby Glow' out front. By the time I finished not only my hands had the scent of freshly turned earth, my genes, my shirt, my hair and you'd never know it yesterday but I am fair skinned LOL. After I cleaned up I got the pork roast ready for the oven, we like it coated with dijon mustard and covered with freshly ground rosemary, I must say the kitchen had a wonderful aroma for the rest of the afternoon.
Today the crocus I bought to add around the base of the Barberry and another shrub will get planted, a top dressing of sea soil, a bit of mulch and this bed is finished.
Annette

-Schoolhouse I like what you have done. I have always been interested in Greek/Roman Mythology and hoped to find a statue of some Goddess that would fit well in a garden. I hope to find one of either Flora, Demeter, or Gaia, but will settle for pretty much anything.
I LOVE your wall area! I can't see the pic very well, is it a sunken patio like area?
Your garden is beautiful. It is much more mature than your 'My Monet' garden you posted pics of. I love that shady garden!
Thanks for showing!
CMK

Such a wonderful garden, with places to discover! I'm wild about stones. Have you thought of starting a blog?

Sometimes in the garden, I rub my hands over herbs like thyme, or on the leaves of cardamon ginger, to carry the fragrance with me.

Nell

As usual, you people spoil me with compliments! Thank you.

What I call "the first sunken garden", since it was the first one I made, and got the new wall this summer, has a stone floor; and in the middle there is a circular bed surrounded by rocks that spills over with ivy. Lots of ivy and has another small statue of "my lady". She's very old now and has a seashell on her forehead! ha. There is also a large serviceberry shrub growing at one end (you can see a limb of it in the photo and which I've cut off since the photo was taken). There are four entrances with stone steps of two or three risers, but the entire area is much smaller than it looks in the photo.

In the Garden Statuary and Ornaments forum on GW, someone posted some months ago about buying a statue of Daphne for their garden. I found a pic of the statue she bought and posted it there but since have deleted it.

Schoolhouse, I missed your shady garden, Antonius looks right at home and in such a lovely setting. Another fan of rock and stonework here, we've used a lot in my garden, I'm forever yelling at DH, stop the truck, stop the truck because I've just found another rock along side the road.
Talking about concrete heads, I'm looking for one like the ones seen on Easter Island to stick in amongst the ferns around our koi pool. I guess I could make one out of Hypertufa. Anyone done anything like this?
Annette

Schoolhouse, I know I never thanked you for your statue advice about aging statues on another thread, so I want to thank you now. Both of your statues are so cool! "Gauis Hortensius Frutex" must be the unexpected surprise in your garden. I think he's neat, but I'd probably jump coming upon him for the first time.

It's great that your hands smelled so good after working in your garden. Occasionally, mine will smell like sage, but most of the time I'm pretty stinky from head to toe after working for a couple of hours in my yard. Then again, most of the time, it's 90 degrees or hotter...You're right though, it is a gift to smell the garden on your hands.

Schoolhouse, as always, I'm intrigued by your gardens. The use of statuary is very well done.

I was out gardening yesterday and found my hands smell like agastache, salvia and chives when I came back inside. I know what you mean!

Cameron

-Schoolhouse I just saw your AWESOME Tea-Pot topiary over on the Perennial forum Gallery. I love it!
I love the way you mix formal beds and focal points with naturalistic plantings. I would love to see your entire garden if you have pics.
CMK

You saw my teapot?! I'm glad. It's fun. I want to make a cup to go with it.

Do I have pics of my garden? Too many. I take several rolls or more every year, starting with Spring, then Summer,ect. and keep them in albums. Very interesting to see how the garden evolves and changes - for better or for worse over the years. I've thought about starting another online album, choosing the best pics; maybe some day. I always say, keep in mind, the camera can make things look much bigger and much more grand than they are sometimes! ha.
Thanks.

Hi Schoolhouse,
I typed a reply, but when I went to delete a word in the edit part, the whole thing disappeared, and I can't find it.

Well, I said something about you sounding peaceful about your activities in your first post. I like the pics and the replies. I will soon be following your footsteps.

Sue