How-To Garden Party

photo one - gardeners relaxing on the deck
photo two - my daughter watches as gardeners scope out what others brought to share (note the fancy dress. She hears the word "party" and goes all out)

I had never been to a literal garden party before, so I was excited when Karen invited my daughter and me to attend hers. She meets once every three or four months with like-minded women from all over New England whom she has met in her travels. The women share plants, tour her garden and chat. We had a lot of fun. Here are some thoughts and ideas for your own garden party that I picked up from attending Karen's festivities.

- Don't pick the hottest day of the year for your party if you can avoid it. My daughter was pounding down V8 juice like no one's business. (I love to take her on gardening adventures with me because I love her company and I think it's a good learning experience for her. But I think the most important thing she learned on this trip is that she loves V8 juice. Does anyone else have a five-year-old who goes for this stuff? I can't stomach it myself.)

- Encourage everyone to bring plants in pots to trade. Label the pots with as much information as possible. Lay the plants on the ground for attendees to peruse and choose what they would like. Karen is extremely generous and had dug quite a bit out of her large gardens for us. She was also willing to dig more if there was something we wanted. She ordered us to make sure no pots were left! I brought four items, but will try to bring more next time I attend a function like this.

- Do talk about your gardens and give the full grand tour. (My father used to call it the nickel tour, but I think with inflation these days it would be about $5 now.) People want to hear about what you have, where you found it, how it grows, etc. etc. I tend to be shy about speaking up, but people really do want to hear all about your gardening habits. Listening to others is one of the best ways to learn. Sharing stories with other gardeners is also a great way to pass the time. We all love to hear about others experiences in the dirt!

- Encourage others to bring food and drink and stay around awhile. Provide your own refreshment. Bring it out in stages. Karen's party was scheduled for 6 hours so people could drop in and out. Food was to be made available all day.

- Supply chairs that provide a great view of your garden spaces. Create a perfect outdoor atmosphere. Karen had up wind chimes and bird feeders that I know are there all the time, but they were perfect for our relaxing party.

I am hoping to have a party at the end of the summer to celebrate the upcoming publication of my book. (I am being positive that someone will pick it up by then.) I would love to hear more ideas about garden parties. Have you ever hosted one? Please let me know what made it special for you.

Ten Ways to Recognize a "Real" Gardener

1. Can't pass a garden center without stopping
2. Can't go to a place that sells plants without buying something
3. Asks for plants for Mother's Day / Father's Day
4. Can list the bloom times of different flowers and identifies each month by the flowers that bloom during that time
5. Has a favorite gardening tool
6. Doesn't mind the smell of manure
7. Can find at least 5 uses for a large stone and rejoices when one is dug up while gardening
8. Desires to plant enough berry bushes to share fruit with the birds
9. Tells everyone on a rainy spring day that the plants can use the water
10. Loves the feel of worms between the fingers

Please add more to this list! I'd love to hear what characteristics you think make a "real" gardener...

Melanie's post today just gave me an idea for #11 - Can't go to a garden center without saying 'got it, got it, got it...'

Telling Garden Stories

The garden is a magnificent setting for a story. The place can be personally meaningful. The garden can be your own or one that you often visit. Or, as in any story, the place can be a temporary one for you. It can be a garden that you have admired from afar. Or, it can be a new one that sets the stage and sets a mood for a particular event or time in your life.

I call myself "a photographer who tells garden stories." In my photography, the garden provides a setting. Generally, I try to make its presence strong and to make the garden a central character in the plot rather than just a backdrop.

The garden is most easily recognized as a character in a child's portrait. A child will easily interact with their surroundings. Flowers become friends. A bench under a tree is a special hideaway. Moss on a stone is an unusual curiosity. A child in the garden evokes the magic of the place. Nature becomes a vibrant presence in the story.

The pictures I've posted above were taken to commemorate a little girl's first communion. The photo was taken in Greeley Park, a well-known local public spot in Nashua, New Hampshire. Many wedding parties and the like are photographed here. The little girl in the picture holds her "American Girl" doll. It was given to her by her grandmother. The doll's dress matches hers. They both look like beautiful princesses, refined and delicate. The flowers accentuate the sense of the feminine here. Their vibrancy is heightened by the contrast with the dress of white. The garden provides a timeless setting. The same timeless effect could have been achieved in studio, but here the garden adds an extra element. We get a feeling of time and place that a studio cannot achieve. Spring communion should be celebrated among spring flowers. Nature also helps elicit an uplifting spiritual feeling that is appropriate for this age group. There is a sense of playfulness, new beginnings, and ties to the past (the garden springs eternal.)

As an historian (my other career,) I like to think of the land as part of history. I think of all the people who once tread in the same places I do. What people once tended these gardens? What people once celebrated here? In my work as an archivist, I often came across collections of photos in the archives that showed one location at different times. I could feel the presence of generations. When telling garden stories, I want to feel that history too. I think there is a bond between history and nature that is very significant. Our land has a story to tell. We are part of it. Our ancestors were part of it and hopefully our children will be part of it too...

...I sit here writing this morning while looking out my sunroom window. Last winter I covered my gardens with straw. I swept most of it up in early spring cleaning, but remnants remain. After heavy showers over the past few days, the sun is back out now. Cardinals sit in the branches of my tall cypress and swoop down to gather my straw. Their chirping pleases me. I'm glad I didn't sweep up all the straw remnants. I can't wait until my daughter gets home from school to tell her about the cardinals building a nest out our window. Last year, squirrels built a nest in the pine next to it. Before that blue jays found our backyard trees suitable for their babies' home. And the cycle of life marches on. I'm glad to witness it in my favorite setting.