Home of the Practically Perfect Pink Phlox and other native plants for pollinators

Friday, April 30, 2010

Some Colors Are More Perfect Then Others


Last night the Women Who Write met at my house for a pot luck dinner~ 3W is my writing group and we try to meet monthly. Am I ever lucky to know these bright and creative women. I'm even luckier to have been invited to join them. The conversation was excellent and the writing assignment was really fun.
We all wrote at least one Six Word Memoir~That was the task; to write our memoir using only six words. Then we folded them up and passed them out, read them out loud and made guesses as to who wrote what!

Someone wrote this~
"I found myself in the garden." Can you guess who!

Everyone wanted to see the garden.

They toured the front garden


and the back garden~The Garden Of Benign Neglect was especially charming. It was dressed in rich purple, lilac and pink hues with yellow and red accessories. We stood on the lawnette and talked for the longest time. They wanted to know about each flower and the garden's history. I am happy to report that they loved PPPP as much as I do. I pointed out a few projects in the works, cleaning up the leaves, replanting where a shrub had died ~As I turned toward the picket fence and said, "I'm planning to stain the fence brown to match the birdhouse pedestals." Juliana said very firmly, ' No, you mustn't! You know that's not the right color! You already know exactly what color you have to paint it!" She was right, I already knew and had been wanting to go bold and bright. It helps me understand why I hadn't started this project already. I knew in my heart that brown, even a rich brown, was absolutely not what I wanted. Oh sweet irony! I spend my days working with people to help them know themselves and I almost didn't listen to my inner voice. Thank you Juliana!

So, today I started staining the fence the same rich purple that you'll see on the Adirondack chairs. The same rich color that you see in the flowers The same rich color that echos throughout the garden. The same rich, saturated color that makes me laugh out loud!
Gail

40 comments:

  1. Brilliant, Gail! What a perfect color, matching all those flowers, and your own personality so well. Kudos to Juliana for showing you the light and the way.
    xo
    Nuts, oops, Frances

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like a great group. We learn so much about our gardens, about ourselves, when let others visit it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What fun to have a writing group. I would have wanted to tour your gardens too, still do! I knew that fence was going to end up purple, perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gail, yes! That is the color. Sometimes we just need a little nudge to see what is right before us. :)

    The writing group sounds like such fun. I know they must have appreciated your beautiful garden and felt lucky to get to see it. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am so glad J came along and shook you awake. This is the perfect color for your garden. What fun to have a writing group. Are you getting as excited as Frances? teehee. You are going to have so much fun.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lisa, I knew you would approve! I am excited, but honestly trying to figure out how to dress for who knows what weather is too funny. I wish I could take a bigger suitcase, but we will be dragging it around a train station! Thanks for asking. gail

    ReplyDelete
  7. It's definitely a more vibrant color than brown! Those six words you write are very profound. There is just something about gardening that draws people in and gives them greater insight.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm so glad Juliana reminded you to listen to your inner voice--the purple fence is perfect! Your garden is such a beautiful array of colors right now, Gail; no wonder your writing group wanted to spend the time outdoors. Sounds like such an interesting group to be a part of!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yay for friends who tell us what we need to hear! And yay for your gorgeous purples--I'm drooling over the baptisia in particular. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. It looks perfect, Gail! It just struck me that your gardens look timeless. They might belong to a modern home or a cottage from a hundred years ago.

    I love your memoir.
    Marnie

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yay - I love the purple fence! There is a place in my heart for anything purple. It is great!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Gail, I just loved this post ... and ... your new purple fence!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love your purple fence, Gail! It's you. So glad that J. spoke up and helped you realize. I keep meaning to stain my cedar Adirondacks some pretty color or other. What brand of stain did you use for your fence?

    Also, I noticed a great use of a focal point in the picture of the pot placed in the bend of a path!

    ReplyDelete
  14. A beautiful garden! I especially love your purple chairs, and now matching fence. I'm not sure I'd have had the courage to paint a fence purple, but it looks beautiful with its green backdrop.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Beautiful, beautiful colour in your garden Gail. Love the fence, good choice
    Hugs
    K

    ReplyDelete
  16. Gail - sounds like a great group of folks. Excellent exercise - some of the hardest bits of writing are always the shortest. I often wait for someone else to echo one of my thoughts in order to give myself permission to do what I really want to do. The purple is perfect - bet you smile everytime you look at it - and how many fences can you say that about?

    ReplyDelete
  17. What fun! The writing group and the new fence color. Your friend was so right. The purple fence will have much more personality than a brown--and yet at the same time blend well with the chairs and flowers surrounding it. I am wondering what the other women wrote their memoirs on.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Gail,

    Love that purple fence and love you!

    xxoo Lynn

    ReplyDelete
  19. Pam, I am glad you like it...You've inspired me to embrace color! it's from Lowes and it is a solid Latex stain, not semi transparent. I sent you an email with a link to the color page.

    gail

    ReplyDelete
  20. Gail, the purple fence is so much more playful and exciting than brown would be. Thank goodness for friends who encourage us to follow our hearts!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Maybe I should start a writing group? I think that sounds like a great way to improve your skills while having fun too.
    Purple was the right choice on the fence Gail! It's going to be fabulous. Have a terrific weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thank God for friends like Juliana, who won't let us go against our own grain. The new fence made me smile, and it's just right for you and your lovely garden.

    By the way, that is a wonderful memoir, Gail. You've made me want to try the assignment, myself. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Love the color! Yes, perfect indeed and a reflection of your flowers and passion for gardening.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Meredith, I sure hope you do try it...It was fun and challenging at the same time. gail

    ReplyDelete
  25. The color of royalty - perfect choice.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Gail, it's the perfect color. I loved your story. You are quite a storyteller too.~~Dee

    ReplyDelete
  27. Love that color. It just pops like your lovely chairs. And that vase, oh boy.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Gail I adore the rich purples and blue in your garden because that is a primary color in my own garden!I love the idea of painting the fence purple...I would have too but natureboy felt comfortable with a grey/blue.
    It is always a treat to stop by your garden space!

    ReplyDelete
  29. What a great color choice for the fence! :)

    ReplyDelete
  30. Your garden is looking beautiful Gail. Gabulous pictures. A fence should match iris that look like yours.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Way to go Gail....be bright, be brave, be bold.......I love love love it.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess it was YOU who wrote that quote! Your garden looks fantabulous. Really. Wish I could have been there for the tour. PPPP here doesn't have blooms yet, but is looking a nice yellowy green. Penstemon X has a darker green foliage and also no blooms yet.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Monica, I can send you more in a few weeks when the soil dries out from 10 inches of rain! gail

    ReplyDelete
  34. How fun! Sounds like a fun group... and your fence is fabulous!

    ReplyDelete
  35. I love it! It'll look great year round with that perfect purple.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Hi, Gail;
    Well, you did it again. :) I always get the best ideas when I pay your blog a visit. I have 2 old garden chairs that could use a coat of paint. I'm liking the purple idea!

    I was stumped at the idea of how to write a memoir with only 6 words. What fun. I would love to find a creative group of writers...

    ReplyDelete
  37. What a fun post, Gail. We just held a Six Word Memoir event for the lecture series I work on. The editors were there, and audience members got up and read their own memoirs about NYC. One of my favorites was "Is that salad on my pizza?"

    I love the color you've chosen to paint the fence - purple my favorite too!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Left a comment on Victoria's blog with a link http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/outdoor-activity/the-50-best-gardens-1958251.html

    We are having an 'it is TOO blue' battle. But it is meant to be a focal point ...

    ReplyDelete
  39. A perfect color for your garden! So beautifully matched, and stunningly coordinated. I always love it when you post photos of those chairs, and now there will be photos of the fence also.

    I have been looking, and looking for a color for my potting bench, and accents, I might have to post photos of the garden and ask for some advice from everyone.

    Oh I love that purple....

    Jen

    ReplyDelete

"Insects are the little things that run the world." Dr. E O Wilson