Thursday, April 14, 2016

Changes: You be the Designer

The first, known, gay friend I ever had was working a Garden Center in the 80's.  Most days my stomach ached when I got home, it hurt from laughing so much.  "He" was most of the reason, along with the rest of our perfecto team.  Of course our Garden Center won major awards, we all pulled our weight, and it was fun.  You haven't lived until you've unloaded 18-wheeler trucks from Florida, on  hot summer southern afternoons, full of plants and a few snakes.
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Will never forget "Him" saying, "Oh no honey, I wasn't born gay, it happened when I joined the Navy !"  Then dancing away.  Mostly he never walked away, he danced away.
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"He" was so good at Garden Design, excepting, knowing when to stop.  Whenever he created a display we all sighed in disbelief at its magic, but then he didn't know when to stop.  We waited till he clocked out, then removed a lot of ingredients, exposing the magic again.  The next day, seeing what we did, he'd be miffed, but ignore it, with the most hilarious rat-faced expression.
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I love the garden, below, but the plants at the front porch look like "Him" before the reduction.  We would have taken the plants to the right of the step OUT.  And added more stone steps along the front.
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Banks Design Associates:

Pics, above/below, here.
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But you already knew that about plantings at this front porch, right?
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Garden & Be Well,   XO T
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Narrow Porch Decorating Ideas. How to decorate small, narrow porches. #Narrowporch #Smallporch #porchdecor  Banks Design Associates

With the porch plantings, above, you're caged in.  Remove the plantings, freedom, and flow reign.  See more pics of this beautiful home, interior/exterior, here, it's worth it.  Also, note the caption written for this same picture in the original article.  I hear AC/DC, B-A-D.  Captions should take the narrative of an article/picture, and add another layer.
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I show 'Changes' pics because it's how I learn best.  Hope you realize I'm not bashing this home/garden, in the least.  Heart on my sleeve with gardens.....

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have a serious crush on that blue door.

Unknown said...

An addition of an attached garage to the house is forcing major changes at my house and garden. I have been reading your blog for a while now and have been influenced. Garden chotchkes - gone! Overgrown, 80 year old spirea planted within inches of the foundation - removed! Yes to flowering shrubs seen across the yard from the windows. I purchased a glorious scarlet quince yesterday and look forward to seeing it in all it's glory for years to come. Thanks for your advice, wisdom and lessons. I am sure I write for many when I say that your blog is very appreciated.

Tara Dillard said...

Deidre, you have me wanting A GLORIOUS SCARLET QUINCE !

You have paid attention.

You're doing it. XO T

Rebecca said...

I second Deidre's thanks for your advice and wisdom. Slowing you have been winning me over. I do have nice vistas out most of my windows. Now to foundation/house planting situation. I am still confused. May I send a picture of our home and ask how you would slowly go about making the kind of changes your talk about. For now I am stuck with the situation at hand - we hired a landscape design 25 years ago - way too many plants and most of it gone. Iowa typical. I want to know how to think long term - yet we may not be here long and then again we may.