Diane (H x intermedia)...as predicted has dropped her leaves just as the new leaves are emergingMu computer is dying~~we are fortunate to have two computers.. It will be a few days before I have my computer back! I hope I can salvage my photos...some have not been backed up! In the mean time, I did want to post and hoped you might enjoy this previously posted one from February 2008. If you want to see the original, you can go here. I've added the photos. See you all later....it's early but I'm taking a pre-lunch lie down! I will be answering comments this evening for sure. As always, I am glad you stopped by...Gail
Delusions Of Gardening Grandeur
Someone should stop me from reading garden magazines, especially FINE GARDENING. Seriously, it's not the magazine, it's me. My inner gardener suffers by comparison or gets delusions of grandeur.
Take this morning. I had dug an old issue out of the cabinet ( FINE GARDENING October 2004) to check out designing with ornamental grasses; when what distracted me? An article about street side garden design. "OOOH, I can do that," my inner garden voice said, "it would look so fabulous, all I would have to do is replace the a, b and c with x, y and z". You know, make it even better!
Delusions creating garden illusions.
Let's get real. I live in the suburbs, on a fairly busy street. We haven't any sidewalks. Besides we have a 6 foot high privacy hedge (forsythia) across the entire front yard.
Spring 2008...but it's almost as gold todayWhere was this street side garden going to be located? "Well," said my inner gardener, "I could remove a few shrubs on the other side of the driveway, build up the soil, add some rocks, ...."
Gail
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. ~Lao Tzu
Tee hee! Thank goodness for Lao Tzu.
ReplyDelete--Kate
I know what you mean. Kind of like your eyes are bigger than your stomach when you are starving! If you enjoy soy candles, stop by my give-a-way.
ReplyDeleteWe must have "delusions of grandeur" -- it's what dreams are made of. :) I hope you enjoyed your nap -- I enjoyed my visit.
ReplyDeleteGail,
ReplyDeleteI hope you recover your photos. My PC crashed back in December without having everything backed up. It was the operating system that crashed, but my data was good. I bought an external disk controller/drive and put my old hard drive in that. Connected to my new MacBook and within 7 minutes, I had ALL of my data. I can give you more details if you want to drop me a note.
I also suffer from delusions in gardening! I waiver between an inferiority complex and into thinking that I can achieve grand results!
Cameron
Dear Gail, I'm sorry to hear about your computer, and I hope you haven't lost any of your beautiful pictures. Have you considered getting a portable hard drive or using a service such as Mozy?
ReplyDeleteI love your Forsythia hedge!
Enjoy your lie down & thanks for sharing the link to your earlier post. I haven't been blogging as long as you & it's nice to see your earlier postings that I missed. ;)
ReplyDeleteSorry about your computer woes, I feel like mine is headed the same way in the near future, and almost nothing is backed up. Sigh. A lie-down seems like a good plan here too. As for the streetside garden, what about that little strip of grass under the forsythia? You could put some low-growers or a mini raised bed with mixed herbs, veggies, and flowers... just sayin'! Phase it in slowly, so it's not so daunting. Xeriscape it. Here I am, with so much to do in my own garden, it's much more fun to think about someone else's possibilities instead. :)
ReplyDeleteI just went through the death of a computer. It was our only one, but at least I figured out what was happening and spent 2 days doing nothing but copying photos & documents. If you can't get your stuff copied, take the dead computer to Best Buy; they can copy the info off your hard drive for you.
ReplyDeleteI have the opposite malady to delusions of grandeur (what's that called?). I always think there's no way I could do what I see in magazines.
So funny.....I was reading about me.......
ReplyDeleteI have hundreds of garden magazines and like you I think...I can do that, all I need is......
some things have worked really well, others have been a complete disaster......
It's great trying though....and isn't that what gardening is all about?
Frustrating! It's good to have a backup computer to work from. I may have to delay the tree pickup if that's OK for a few days until next week. This cold snap (or return to winter) doesn't make for great garden weather!
ReplyDeleteHi Gail, hope the lie down does you some good, if not the computer. It does sound like the stuff is retrievable, good to know! Delusions of granduer is an excellent way to refer to the inspiration given by these magazines. Wait until your Gardens Illustrated arrives! :-)
ReplyDeleteFrances
You need the visions! I really enjoy the gardens growing in my head just as much as the actual results. They are just different gardens, and harder for others to visit ;->
ReplyDeleteHi Gail, I hope you enjoy your rest, and so sorry about the computer. I went through that a couple of years ago, and you'd think I'd learned - I still haven't backed up this one.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, delusions of gardening grandeur! Mine involve a lush profusion of season-long bloom under the silver maples, and about a 1/2 acre in the sun for a much larger vegetable garden. ;)
I know Gail, why don't they have a magazine called Ordinary Gardener? Instead of showcasing mansions on Chicago's north shore we need a magazine with some ranch style and Cape Cod style homes like ordinary people live in.
ReplyDeleteHope they whip that computer into shape and save all your photos.
Marnie
Hey Gail .. I had a nap too girl , just one of those days .. yuck !
ReplyDeleteIf I had my way we would be under a glass dome (tempered glass ?) surrounded by greenery !!.. the less I see of my neighbors , the better fo all of us !!
I am SO glad to see I am not the only one who wants privacy. The forsythia hedge is so pretty and inviting and I bet it works well as a barrier, noise reducer, and sight lessener. I hope your computer is back up soon. I know the feeling when mine is down. Not a good one.
ReplyDeleteGail, you always make me smile :) That Forsythia hedge is gorgeous and just shouts spring!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear of your computer woes. That would exhaust me too! I do hope your photos will be salvaged. It's hard to keep up with the back-up.
Diane and the lovely crocus are gorgeous colors!
In my 'delusions of grandeur' dreams I have gorgeous roses climbing lovely trellises, with paths leading to gorgeous borders full of flowering perennials, with annuals mixed in, and stately trees forming a backdrop.....
Oh yes, we can dream :)
i think we all do this battle in our own minds about what we have compared to what it could be.
ReplyDeletetake a deep breath and think about all you have done. especailly with your newest project for sitting and relaxing a bit.
I am always having "visions". However the outcome of my efforts rarely lives up to the "Vision". I refuse to dispare. This just means I have more to do, more to look forward to.
ReplyDeleteI hope your computer problems work out. It is so frustrating to have a computer to up and die. No warning. Naughty things.
It's good to read those magazines Gail. Even tho, the results are often difficult to emulate, they sure inspire us, don't they? The idea of a streetside garden is very appealing ~ did you ever try your hand?? Hope you're feeling refreshed from your rest. Somedays are like that, aren't they? I'm going to click your link and go back and read ~ don't think I caught it the first time around.
ReplyDeleteGail, if I had those forsythia, I would want for nothing else! :} But it is fun to look and hope isn't it? Kind of like looking at all those skinny models in catalogs.
ReplyDeleteHope you can save all your pictures and info.
Sound like me. I get these illusions of grandeur too. And I live in a garden home with a smallish yard. Guess it's menopause or some silliness in my case...
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Brenda, I think your garden is grand and with the new window/door and sunroom...It is magazine perfect!
ReplyDeleteBeckie, The hedge is particularly wonderful! Easy to accomplish, too. Just let it go! It's over 25 years old! I am taking the computer in to be over hauled!
Kathleen, I have a small section that desperately needs rehabbing! Someday I will get down there and rework it! I totally agree with you...magazines are a great place to get ideas...sometimes there is a plant combo that is inspiring!
Lisa, It was very surprising...the screen went black and wouldn't come back on! I have files and photos that I want to save! Oh my...my entire email program has records that I need! Yikes!
Gail
Gail, I hope you can save all your photos! I had the same thing happen last September. The computer tech couldn't repair my computer, but he did manage to save all my documents and pictures, thank goodness. I vowed then to back up all my photos this winter. . .oops! I'd better get busy...
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about gardening magazines; usually it's my husband who looks at me and asks if I really have the energy to keep up with all I want to do. He's usually half right, anyway. But it's fun to dream, isn't it?
Gail, I'm excited for you to show us your C&L progress! I'm sorry about your computer. Perhaps you can enjoy a rest from the blogging for just a little bit and come back refreshed and ready to roll! ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt's o.k. to dream big! Its what life is all about(-: Sorry about your computer. I hope its able to be fixed and you can save all your pictures. I hate when that happens. I am lucky because my husband and son are puter nerds(-:
ReplyDeleteOh, frustration at the computer gremlins. We are so dependent now aren't we? As for the illusions, one can dream!
ReplyDeleteHi Gail,
ReplyDeleteReally sorry to hear your computer is ailing!
I hope you can get it fixed, and when you do, let me suggest you seriously consider getting an external USB hard drive and move all your photos to it. That way if it croaks completely, you can always hook it up to another computer. Last fall I got a 750 GB external drive for less than $100 and smaller ones are even cheaper. They are a snap to install ... plug in the power supply, plug the drive into a USB port and voilà , you're in business and can access it just like any other drive.
I moved all my photos and music to mine and only have my operating system and major applications on the computer in case it ever dies on me. (It better not, it's only a bit over a year old!)
Good luck!
I hope that you can recover your pictures. I try to back mine up periodically to a portable hard drive. I am much more slack about it than I used to be though. I also am dangerous around gardening magazines. Good thing I have a budget to keep myself in check or I really would be dangerous. :)
ReplyDeleteLythrum, The really sad story is that I have an external hard drive! I just got lax!
ReplyDeleteI will do better next time! I will do better next time!...I must repeat that half a dozen times!
Magazines do have their plus sides...great ideas.
Gail
IVG,
ReplyDeleteNow that sounds doable...I hope the macauthority folks can fix my baby...I love the desk top and it's big screen! How's the weather up there? We are getting pelted with ice...on my lovely forsythia and dafs!
Late winter in zone 7!
Gail
layanee...We are aren't we! I was wondering how in the world we all managed our lives before cell phones! So any news yet?
ReplyDeleteGail
Cindee, Send them here! Our household is technology challenged! But we are very right brained! I used to get a lot of garden magazines when this was a newer garden...now it's just Fine Gardening. I hope all is well with you! Loved the Moon posts between you and Joy!
ReplyDeleteGail
Shady, I will show you the big reveal soon!
ReplyDeleteThe saddest thing is that I didn't tell everyone that I dropped my new camera on Tuesday...It's dead! So photo sharing will be slower!
Gail
Oh lord, I do the same thing with those dang magazine articles.
ReplyDeleteAnd my computer is in the shop too! Isn't it maddening?
Ha! I can sooo relate. Sometimes we need a little slap on the side of the head. :-) Good luck with your computer!
ReplyDeleteYou made me smile...I'm so very glad I'm not the only one!
ReplyDeleteMy garden is a popper that want to be a king, lol!
But alas it is still a popper! Kim
Rose,
ReplyDeleteI hope I can salvage my documents and photos! My husband believes that our computers have built in obsolescence. Speaking of husbands...you are lucky to have a guy who notices and gives thoughts about garden tasks!
Gail
Jean, Well maybe a little nudge...but I have finally found a few trusted folks to run ideas by and they can rein me in when my plans get too big!
ReplyDeleteKim, I hear you...these gardens have delusions and want to be in charge!
Bonnie, So sorry about your computer problems...I used to get ideas off the internet, too...Now I get lots of ideas from bloggers!
marmee, Stepping back and a deep breath works, too...I have to laugh att myself sometime; that often helps me! Isn't this sleet too much!
Gail
I love your crocus photo. What a beauty!
ReplyDeleteI hope your photos and data are safe. Lemme know if you need any tech assistance. I was once working at computer support, so know a bit. You can email me.
I too have been having computer issues. Must be the season! Makes me crazy. Here's to no more problems with backing up data and saving cherished photos...make it all work the way it is supposed to!!! They are not delusions of grandeur... thinking big is what I call it.
ReplyDeleteJanet
Ouch Gail! So sorry about your computer. I know how difficult it is for me to work on my H's when out of town. I fear mine might crash any day ... have an external hard drive for storing photos but internal hard drive is about maxed and seriously thinking of getting a new one before this dies on me:( Delighted to see the forsythia hedge that you mentioned ... a true beauty! Good luck retrieving your precious images!
ReplyDeleteJoey, Thank you...my hope is that not only can they save the photos and documents...they can repair the machine.
ReplyDeleteGail
I think we all get these delusions, especially over the winter with nothing else to think about except how great our garden will be this year!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to find another Tennessee blogger...love all of you photos...
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about subscribing to Fine Gardening, and you just talked me into it. So I'll probably be delusional as well :-) I'm off to subscribe . . . too bad you don't get a kickback!
ReplyDeleteHi Gail~
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you're saying about looking in the gardening magazines! My curiosity is peaked as to whether or not you created more space for the street garden and what it looks like now. The forsythia is stunning!
Thanks for the visit today and the kind words that you left!
Good luck with the computer. Karrita
Misery loves company. My Powerbook laptop turned 5 years old last month and was sent out for repair for the second time in two weeks. I am getting by with a loaner in the meantime.
ReplyDeleteMy Mother's Garden,
ReplyDeleteI didn't create a new garden out front! But it is on the list~~ I am trying to cut back on maintenance...believe it or not, so some gardens may shrink and be just mulched! Thanks for asking! gail
Thats how I garden in my little deck, lets move some plants over there, and make some more room....
ReplyDeleteJen
Oh Gail,
ReplyDeleteWe all do it I suppose. Fortunately most of those gardening mags don't feature too much about Florida gardening so not as tempting to me to read them. I DO however have to have my Southern Living and that one has me delusional at times.
That Forsythia hedge is a show stopper. I don't recall you ever featuring it??? Have I missed it??? So sorry if I did. What does it look like when its not blooming?
Hope all is okay with you and your computer stuff. Such an asset when they work... and a pain when they don't.
Enjoy your weekend!
Meems @ Hoe and Shovel
Meems, It's a big green monster of a hedge that I think about removing and planting with a wonderful evergreen and flowering shrub mixed border! Then I remember that I cannot afford the 100 plus feet of full grown evergreens!
ReplyDeleteDo you get Coastal Living?
Gail
Gail,
ReplyDeleteOh that's right... back to the magazine delusions. :-) One thing at a time right? It would be hard to give up that blooming forsythia... when it's blooming.
No, but there was a period of time when I did subscribe... it is beautiful, too. I thought I read somewhere where they were shutting it down (due to the economy)? Did you ask because you like it/get it?
Gail - computer problems are such a pain - hopefully the 'recovery' will be full and complete. I don't think you're deluded, I believe you're engaged in the valuable process of re-imagining your garden. And fortunately you weren't walking around with your chainsaw during this period of inspirational contemplation. I'll keep you in mind for one of these little evergreens I'm starting from seed in case you do decide to sacrifice old goldy.
ReplyDeleteMeems,
ReplyDeleteI don't get the magazine, but think it showcased beautiful homes...I get Fine Gardening ;) and Gardens Illustrated from England...those are enough for me!
Back to the forsythia...It's wonderful each spring and screens us from the street and its noise. We would really miss it.
gail
I miss having any forsythia shrubs.
ReplyDeleteThey brighten up any property come spring...more so than blubs.
It's great you have plans...wish I could get some energy to pull mine together.:(
Gail,
ReplyDeleteI resisted subscribing to Fine Gardening for quite awhile, but they do what they do so well!
Even for wildlife- and nature- oriented gardeners, their design tips, fabulous photography, etc. are alluring.
I'm pleased (my vegetable gardening side) that they're now resurrecting a website to serve that interest (Taunton published Kitchen Gardening magazine for awhile, before it went defunct some years ago).
But gardens are always OUR work, and please the gardeners that create them!
Lisa
Lisa, The last issue had a beautiful, I mean really beautiful vegetable garden...that made me really appreciate planning and designing with edibles! Have you seen it?
ReplyDeleteGail