About the Gardener

gardening nirvana about page
gardening [ˈgɑːdənɪŋ]
noun: the planning and cultivation of a garden.

I’m passionate about Gardening. I measure the depths of my love by the dirt under my nails and the sweat on my brow. It’s been a hobby, a love and a pastime since my youth.

Gardening, like life, is sometimes a messy business, but the rewards outshine the failures and the back strain. I’m happy to get up with the sun each day.

When I’m not gardening or working as a professional organizer, you’ll find me paper crafting, sewing or puttering around the house.

nirvana (nîr-vän, nr-)
noun: An ideal condition of rest, harmony, stability, or joy.

Reluctantly, but with a sure hand, I’m learning to garden like the Californian I’ve become, instead of longing for the English garden of my roots. We’re in year four of a severe drought. Some days that’s still hard, but I know it’s for the best. There are days I mother my children, days I mother the garden and days I mother myself. All three are a work in progress.

I’m glad you stopped by.

I also blog about organizing at Organized at Heart.Organized at Heart Facebook banner

39 thoughts on “About the Gardener”

  1. Pingback: Blogging 101: All About Alys and Some Bunting for Fran | Gardening Nirvana

  3. I love this version of your About page Alys and hope you will stick with this one. The photos are delightful, and I especially like the last paragraph about mothering your garden, family and yourself – perfect!

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  4. I’m so glad you included “mothering yourself”. Women just don’t do that enough.
    Highlighting the definition of each word is great, as it ties in the different aspects of your blog.
    (and you’ve made me realize that I should take a look at my own About Page … the one I wrote almost 3 years ago!)

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  5. I think the point of an about page is to get to the point and deliver yourself in a nutshell. People want a very quick glimpse of who and what you are and to this effect, I think you have succeeded magnificently with this page Ms Alys. A simple and concise explanation of your ethos in a nutshell that you don’t need to set a block of time aside to read 🙂

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  6. I think you have a very charming and unique About page-unique as in you! It expresses you very well. I did not know you have another blog. You might consider announcing this a little louder! Your followers might be very interested in what else you have to say. I know I am going to hop on over.

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  8. Just like you, tis’ lyrical and yet down to earth. Your photo collage is so refreshing. Not all the pretty vistas you’d usually see but honest to goodness dirt, barrels of cleanup and beautiful tousled golden hair. LOL, you’ve captured the kitties personalities so perfectly too. xox You’re just lovely. ❤

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  14. Hi Alys
    Thanks for the comment on my (dormant) sewing blog; I thought I’d leave a similar one on yours. I learnt so much from sewing blogs and I think by following your gardening one, it may encourage me to overcome the first stumbling blocks to becoming a gardener. You mention the things that stop you sewing. The ones that stop me gardening are the fact that the weather is more often than not uninviting. The other reason is that I always get dizzy when I stand up after crouching. Nice to meet you and I look forward to learning about gardens in your corner of the world and comparing plants!
    Marijana

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    • Hello Marijana, It’s nice to meet you, too. what part of the world are you in? Are your gardening days too hot or too cold? I too get dizzy when I’ve been crouching for awhile. I think it’s low blood pressure. I’ve learned to get up more slowly and it helps. Is this the blog to follow you from or do you have another one?

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  16. Hi, I write the online history of Blackpool and the Fylde and this is my own section on Alys Milner. I thought it may be of interest to you:

    Alys Milner was born in Thornton on the 1st of December 1912. After starting to model swimwear for Windsor Woolies of Poulton, she became a world-famous model and in the 1930s, was known as the “Face of Blackpool”. In 1936, she was photographed by Ralph James on a promotional poster for Blackpool and its illuminations, designed by the local Gazette and Herald. The poster won a gold medal for Britain at the fifth International Salon of Photography at Zaragoza, Spain.
    She married Derek Lancaster at 2 pm on the 3rd of June 1937, at the Wignall Methodist Church on Victoria Road in Thornton, and their reception was held at the Norbreck Hydro.

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    • Nick, hello! Thank you so much for sharing. I have photos of her wedding if you would like to share them with your piece. Will you link your post here, please? My Aunt Alys is of course my name sake. She was my father Eric’s only sister. I knew my uncle as Gordon, not Derek. Perhaps Derek was a brother? Thanks for sharing. I’m delighted.

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