We are deep in the winter doldrums in New England with temperatures dropping to minus 20 last night! Record cold temperatures, record snowfalls in one month, cities and towns buried under snow with more snow on the way. All around me complaints can be heard about our harsh and miserable winter of 2015. Enough I say, I’m over this winter instead I am transporting myself to a beautiful spring by shipping a  cup of tea while I look over last year’s garden photos to plan this year’s additions to my already overflowing flower beds. I choose not to be miserable lamenting about record cold temperatures and snowfalls: My beautiful garden photos are lifting me and my spirit to a different time when the air is sweet with new buds pushing past the just warming soil signaling the start of spring.

Gardening is in my blood; I come from a long list of passionate green thumbs who can spend all day laboring in their gardens, a labor of love. My particular passion is flowers, building beautiful flower beds. I approach my garden beds as if I was decorating a room. I visualize the theme, color, textures, shapes, designs before I buy a plant. Also paying close attention to when the plants bloom as my desire is to have continues bloom from spring to fall. My obsessive/compulsiveness comes out when choosing the color for my garden, for me a strict color them is very important to my eye. My themes include only white, pinks, blues, and purple, once in a while, I make an exception for yellow.

For me looking at the total picture when I am designing a garden is the first step. Then I choose my color theme, design plan, finally the plants. I hear from so many people they don’t know which plants to choose and how to place them. If you just remember that you need to vary bloom time, size and color when planning your garden is easy. One rule that I follow is always plant in odd numbers, threes, fives, etc. Visually that creates a beautifully balanced view that catches the eye. Start with ordinary varieties of plants that are reasonably priced and easy to grow. Success breeds confidence when you garden. After your initial accomplishments then you can move to try other plants. I approach gardening as I live life embracing all without fear.

The tip that I can give you that will make gardening easy and stress less is that if you are not happy or filled with joy about the outcome of your plantings you can easily redo for a different look and feel. Since I love the change that is one of the best features of gardening being able to change, taking away and adding new all the time. I remember my first gardening attempts when I planted spring bulbs in groupings of one. How dejected and disappointed I was after I waited all winter to see my beautiful bulbs bloom. What I found come spring was one little daffodil here with another single tulip there. I learned quickly that spring bulbs need to be massed in groups starting with a minimum of three, again planting an odd number. Don’t plant too far apart either, bulbs look lonely spread too far apart. Check out all the wonderful resources online at a site such as White Flower Farms, Dutch Gardens, Gardening magazines and many more.  You can find garden plans at these sites down to specific plants for all different types of gardens, sun, shade, small, large, all designed for you! What could be more simple?

I invite you to enter the world of the passionate gardener, a privileged group of obsessed people that live for their gardens and gardening; to be transported to a beautiful world that soothes the soul-filling life with bliss!