About the Gardener – 2013

I came for the writing and stayed for the friends.  Who knew the blogging community was so rich and diverse?

I write about my gardening experiences, with a bit of crafting and an occasional essay thrown in when the mood strikes. Variety keeps me interested and engaged.  I hope my readers feel the same way.

gardening [ˈgɑːdənɪŋ]
noun: the planning and cultivation of a garden

nir·va·na (nîr-vän, nr-)
noun: An ideal condition of rest, harmony, stability, or joy.

I enjoy color, space, design and organization.
I also love to read, write, and putter in my garden.
If time were unlimited I would travel the world, learn to play the piano and become fluent in a second language.

Thanks for stopping by!

58 thoughts on “About the Gardener – 2013”

    • Kristi! What a wonderful surprise to see your post. How did you find my blog? (It’s a mere two days old!)
      Thanks for your compliments. When are you going to come visit the garden and sip a cold drink on the deck?

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  3. Thank you for following Bucket List Publications blog.

    Please feel free to follow along at the Bucket List Publications Magazine as well.

    There are a lot of great bucket list articles from writers around the globe as well as an opportunity to have your own bucket list dreams come true.

    We’ve already made one reader’s dream of heli skiing a reality.

    Stay tuned,

    Lesley Carter/Bucket List Publications Editor
    http://www.bucketlistpublications.com/
    http://lesleycarter.wordpress.com/
    https://twitter.com/#!/LesleyMCarter

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  16. Hi there alys this is Tracy from summerwinds! Love your posts!! Ill keep following! Maybe I can borrow some pics for the our store Facebook with hour permission? Hope to hear from you!

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    • Hi Tracy! So nice of you to connect here. It was a pleasure talking with you yesterday and nice to find a kindred spirit.

      I’m happy to share photos. Do you want to simply copy them from the blog, or shall I email jpegs?

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  18. Where abouts in this big wide world (that just got much smaller with the introduction of social media, blogging in particular) do you hail from? I am guessing someplace in the north 🙂

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      • If you flip “narf” around you get my name 😉 The son-and-heir has just imported himself a most delightful sweetie from Texas. As far as I can see, Texas isn’t all that far from California in the scheme of things (I may be wrong…I have been before! 😉 ) and they are heading back for a visit in a couple of weeks. If you read about a bewildered Australian man twitching in some jail somewhere please let me know 😉

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        • Ah…Fran it is then. You can share the importance of 7 or perhaps I’ll discover that (and more) reading your blog.

          Texas is a few states over from California, but as you say, in the grand scheme of things, closer than Australia.

          I’m sure your son will do just fine here, but boy is that a long flight. Can’t wait to make my way to Australia one day. It’s on the list. My husband has been twice on business, and I have a couple of friends living there, not to mention all my new blogging buddies.

          One day.

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  20. “I came for the writing and stayed for the friends” what a lovely sentiment and one that rings true for me! I also adore the word putter, we don’t really use it here in the UK, but I think we should!

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    • Thanks for reading my about page, Claire.

      Blogging is an amazing, ever-evolving experience for me. I can’t imagine my life without it.

      Interesting the word ‘putter.’ I’m not sure of the origins. I’ll have to look that one up.

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        • Take a look:
          potter, putter

          potter, putter
          Does one potter or putter about the house or in the garden? In the United States, one putters; in Great Britain, one potters. The words mean “to dawdle,” “to move aimlessly,” “to act with little energy or purpose”: “Since this is not a workday, Nan plans to putter about the house and in her garden.”

          I must say, though, that when I putter, things get done! I bet the same is true for you.

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  22. Greetings! I found you via Littlesundog and thought you had discovered how to cure someone with Advanced Creative Disorganization, an affliction I believe is Genetic. My piles of essential clippings, pictures, articles and all things I cannot find, are distributed throughout my home, not in alphabetical order! I have puttered in the garden (love cactus and succulents) but I see that you include many tidbits of knowledge from outside the garden as well. Good to meet You! Judith, The Lioness

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    • Judith, I don’t know how I missed your comment here, except to say that December is always a crazy month. Thank you for stopping by and for leaving this lovely comment.

      I’m happy to share any tips that you think might help with your disorganization. One suggestion, for starters, is to grab a crate, laundry basket or tote and go on a treasure hunt. Gather every single scrap of paper you can find. All of it. If you need two or three boxes that’s okay too. Set aside a separate box for photos. They’re precious and deserve there own special place.

      Now, set the timer for 15 minutes and start sorting into two piles, keep and toss (or recycle or shred if sensitive). Try not to focus on what your keeping at first, just make as many detached decisions as possible. Chances are you’ll quickly dispose of outdated coupons, passe articles, old bills, and the like.

      When the timer goes off, reassess your energy level. Then keep going or take a break and come back to it the next day. Once you’ve made it all the way through your basket (remember just two piles to start), then go back and do it again, with a more ruthless eye.

      In this day and age, many articles can be found and saved on line (say on Pinterest) You can scan articles that are super important, and before you know it, you’ll have very little paper to deal with.

      I hope that helps.

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  23. So glad to have found you via Blogging 101! I am cursed with a black thumb, but I love plants and flowers…I’m in the process of buying a house and the landscaping in the new place has me tied in knots – I’m afraid all the vegetation will be dead within a season…I’ll be here for help frequently, I’m sure!

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    • Hi Jenny, thanks for stopping by.
      Congratulations on the new house. That’s exciting. With luck your new landscaping has an irrigation system. If not, that might be a good investment. Then you can water on a timer, efficiently and without the worry. It’s fun to learn as you go.

      I’m having fun with Blogging 101. How about you?

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  25. Thanks for checking out my blog. Hope you enjoy my meager yet growing offerings. I look forward to reading more of and following your blog. No surprise that I also love your color scheme and it makes me think I need to change the color of my links some so that they stand out better the way yours do.

    Spring is here in Texas, and in my home and community gardens there is a lot to document as long as I keep from getting my keyboard too gummed up with soil and compost!

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    • LOL I like that image of a keyboard with soil and compost. Isn’t that the truth?

      I found you on a search for events, but marveled at all the similarities between us. We too are doing away with the lawn, and live with multiple cats.

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  26. Hi! Lovely blog! I’m a terrible gardener myself, but I love flowers – and everything else in nature – and enjoy other people’s efforts. The Sisterhood is already paying off! Pleased to meet you, Marina

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