Inspiration all around

Inspiration comes from many different sources – the landscape, other gardens, photos, paintings, fabrics, the way the light falls at different times of the day.

 

I’ve been proofreading a fascinating portrait painting book this week and it’s got me thinking about sources of inspiration, different styles of planting and layering colours in the garden. As in a painting, you want tonal contrasts, differing textures, and colours that make your heart leap. Of course, there is one crucial difference with a garden: you are right inside it. You can see it from different angles and you can add elements of intrigue: ‘Wow, look at that! But, wait, what’s that over there?’ And you can appeal to the other senses – touch, smell and sound. It’s an exciting creative challenge.

This large patch of clover is growing next to the big field I walk past almost daily. Copying what nature does best can work really well – mass planting or repeat planting (if you have the space) is often very easy on the eye.

I read a lot about plants and design and I love to see what works for other gardeners but there is inspiration to be found in many other places.

I’m inspired by the colours in this favourite sheet, for example, and personal treasures, such as one of my grandmother’s cloths and a Carl Larsson postcard. I love his charming style.

 

Discovering many wonderful blogs since I started writing here has also been a delight and very motivating – there are such beautiful photographs and a wealth of creative, talented bloggers out there. It is a real pleasure to read what everyone is up to and see into generously shared lives.

I was going to write a lot more about inspiration and garden design but I’ll save that for another time. I need to snatch a couple of hours in the garden before the children get home. The newly planted areas of the garden are starting to fill out – it always amazes me how quickly everything grows at this time of the year (including the weeds).

The renovated bed by the back wall is starting to fill out.

A view across the veg patch towards the back wall.

Remember that lovely blue-flowering plant I pictured at the end of my last post? I put it on Twitter and someone kindly forwarded the photo to their mum who has identified it as Moltkia, a herby, rhizomatous shrub. Hooray! Thanks to the wonders of social media we now know what it is.

Moltkia. Never heard of it, but this is it!

Thank you so much for your kind comments on my previous post. I admit I was having a wobble but, as the Garden Safari weekend gets nearer, I’m feeling much calmer. It will be fine, we’re just one of many gardens open and this is our first year. I’ll let you know how it all goes.

Our Safari pack has arrived with lots of ‘health and safety’ signage…