Oh, how nice it is to be connected to the cool girls! I’ve secretly been hoping someone might MeMe me, and the beautiful, knowledgeable, capable, inspiring Queen Genevieve at North Coast Gardening has tagged me. I am humbly in the company of Fern Richardson at Life on the Balcony, Margaret Roach at A Way to Garden and Gayla Trail at You Grow Girl — three of my favorite garden writers, ever.

So, according to the rules… I shall reveal seven things about my gardening self and share seven blogs meme, myself and I feel a strong connection to.

About Me

1. My mother was an avid perennial gardener throughout my childhood and teen years. She laughs and shakes her head in disbelief to know that I, as an adult, have fully embraced gardening. She could NEVER get me to help her in the garden. I remind her, “That’s because you gave me all the crap tasks you hated and no space for a garden to play and experiment with on my own.” Live and learn? I have — I would love for my children (the first one is due in December) to develop a love for gardens and gardening, and I have some definite ideas for how to inspire them, should they wish to try their own hands and spirits in the garden.
2. No matter where I live, I will always grow these plants in honor of my grandparents: French Marigolds, Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ and Aster ‘Flora’s Delight.” One grandmother adored marigolds and my grandfather planted them year after year after year in her front garden; that grandfather was Alex Walker (my namesake) — a gentle, loving and kind man; my other grandmother was named Flora — and while her favorite color was undoubtedly cherry red, I know she’d be delighted that I grow a plant that is literally and taxonomically called “Flora.”
3. I’ve tried my hand at veg gardening for two seasons now, and I gotta admit — I’m just not that into it. I’m much more interested in herbs and ornamentals. My husband is the family veg gardener (thank goodness one of us likes it). And I get much more delight at watching him pour over seeds, check on his starts every day before and after work and weed and water in the garden all season long.
4. If I could afford to go back to school to study landscape architecture and horticulture, I would. And maybe someday, I’ll be able to make that happen.
5. I would love to have enough time (and space) to make my own herbal shampoos, soaps, vinegars, teas, etc. I think the whole process seems beautiful, and of course, the outcomes magical.
6. I have been known to garden (at home) in my underwear.
7. When I need to go to my “happy place” I have this fantasy where I’m wearing a billowing silk taffeta dress, my hair is in a soft and wispy french twist, I’m sitting in a late summer cottage garden with stems and blossoms waving in the breeze, and I’m playing the harp.  

The Blogs I Turn To

• You Grow Girl Gayla Trail is a first-class writer and storyteller. I admire her forthright conversational style, the gobs and gobs of information she shares, and I always look forward to her horticultural photos. I “met” Gayla through her photojournal Making Happy (now dormant), and I’ve been an admirer ever since.

• Life on the Balcony - Fern Richardson has found a niche and just run with it. Her focused, fun and valuable content for potted gardeners never ends. And, I happen to know, she’s designed and built her blog all by herself. Homegirl is earthy and techy!

• Heronswood Voice - Say what you want about George Ball. Then put your animosity aside and actually read his blog. He’s one of the few CEOs — from any industry — who makes time for this and I love learning from him. The man has a lifetime full of knowledge and experience in all aspects of horticulture. He’s witnessed, shaped or innovated upon nearly every horticultural trend in our culture; he grew up alongside some of our most notable American plantsmen and women and has travelled all over the world; and he has a gentle, provocative and wise storytelling style. Yes, he is a big business man at Burpee. Yes, he took some flack for buying and changing things at Heronswood Nursery. But if you cut away all that pomp and circumstance and just position yourself as a learner, the Heronswood Voice is a great source of information, perspective and community.

• North Coast Gardening - Genevieve Schmidt, who was gracious enough to tag me, has my dream job. She runs her own landscaping and fine gardening business. She has a wealth of practical knowledge, and she’s incredibly generous in sharing it — in text and with her signature video How-tos. Despite her unique location, much of the knowledge she shares is relevant to gardeners all over the country. She doesn’t publish every day — she’s got her hands in the garden for a living, but everything she publishes is quality. If only I lived out in Humboldt County, OR — I’d be begging to work with her. And, truth be told, I’d love to have margaritas with her, too!

• Little Green Fingers - Dawn Isaac, a gardener and mother, publishes this beautifully pure blog on her relationship with her children, her garden (which is little by little becoming “their” garden) and the seasonal push and pull through life. I find her snapshots and her stories to be fresh, honest and unlike any other garden blog I’ve come across. I so look forward to her posts!

• David Perry Photographer - David Perry’s photographs aren’t gratuitous eye candy. Each is a meditation. He has a clear and unique perspective through the lens and through his photo processing. Meanwhile, when he has text to accompany his photos, his words are always rich with kindness, compassion, wonder and delight. I’d love to spend a Spring, Summer or Fall as his apprentice.    

• 3191 - Stephanie Congdon Barnes and Maria Alexandra Vettese (MAV) cultivate life’s garden. Their photoblog and essays are always rich celebrations of the natural world, landscapes, flora, food and family life — however you define your family. When they were publishing A Year of Mornings and A Year of Evenings, I visited with them every day. Now, in their third year of collaboration, they publish on Fridays and I look forward to hearing from them all week long!

Related posts:

1. February - Fort Collins Gardening Events
2. Paradise & Wilderness, Kieran Egan on Zen Gardening
3. I like the way you write, George Ball.
4. Maternity Leave & Blessings