A perfect, early fall day bathed in blue. The sun is shining. Only a few marshmallow clouds gliding across the sky. Standing in the middle of the garden, feet firmly planted on solid ground, turn your face toward the sun with your arms flung out at your sides. Palms turned upward. Eyes closed in reverence for all the simple miracles we’re afforded everyday. The autumn sun, no longer angry and hot like its summer counterpart, is warm upon your face and shoulders.
If you’ve never done this, go outside and give it a try. If you were to stay out there all day without fear of sunburn, and rotated slowly always following the sun’s rays, you would resemble a young sunflower. Borrowing slightly from that famous yoga pose, the Sun Salutation, let’s call ours a Sunflower Salutation.
Both are about gratitude. I’m a few days back from the Garden Writers Association National Symposium, and grateful is how I feel. This year, I attended and was honored to speak, and I am filled to overflowing.
Thanks to all who came to the “Successful Blogging” panel and listened to the four of us, Amy Stewart, Susan Harris, Doug Green and I, offer our thoughts on blogging successes, past, present and future.
Thanks, also, to everyone afterward who came up and opened their hearts to me. I have a challenge for all of you. Now is the time to put your dreams into action.
Ladies and Gentlemen: Start your blogs! It’s the best thing I ever did. It’s opened doors and created pathways. When I want to do something, and I am afraid, I just think: “If not now, when?”
Our schedule on the first touring day had eight, private gardens. We made it to five. If you’ve attended garden tours before, five to eight gardens is a lot. After awhile they all started to resemble one another, and I was sad about that because I know how much time and effort it took those fabulous gardeners to prepare. I couldn’t keep track of each garden as I took photos. Besides, Mary Ann borrowed my paper, and I never saw it again. (Let’s not mention that she gave me a memory card for my camera when I left all of mine at the hotel.) Ha!
To all the gardeners who opened their private spaces to us, thank you too. Your dedication and hard work made gardening look effortless, and we all know that isn’t the case. When I viewed my photographs to write this post, the colors were so beautiful my heart ached. I believe the light of the great Northwest was to blame.
Now, without further ado, I give you the gardens.
There’s Mary Ann walking through the arbor looking snazzy in her denim jacket. I told her that if I was going to have someone in the photo, I wanted it to be someone I knew. Six hundred people attended this GWA conference. That’s a lot of folks.
For names of those plants I’m sure of, just hover your mouse over the photo. There is so much more to show you. It will take several posts, but since RDR is up again for good (I moved to a different server,) I don’t think it will be a problem anymore.
Also, a bunch of bloggers are wishing Nola from Alamo North the happiest of birthdays this day. Happy Birthday, Nola, and may God’s blessings smile upon you.
How perfectly grand for you that it turned out so nicely. I’m proud of you. Give us bloggers a nice professional voice. Thank you!
Anna´s last blog post..Welcome to Flowergardengirl’s Blog
As I prepare to head outside to tackle Big Mama, the Hydra of my garden, I am grateful for a beautiful day and cooler, drier air in which to battle the beast! Thanks for the reminder to cultivate an attitude of gratitude, and thanks for sharing GWA with us!
Cindy´s last blog post..In Which The Head Gardener Attempts to Untangle the Twisted Web Woven by Ike
I like seeing people in garden pics and recognized Mary Ann immediately. What fun you must have had in those beautiful, temperate Pac NW gardens.
I feel like a sunflower too with our milder fall weather and non-angry sun. Hooray for fall!
Pam/Digging´s last blog post..Porcupine wrestling, or moving a big agave
What a lovely post, dear friend. I smile at your happiness, and yes, thank you once again for encouraging me to blog. And remember our garden shopping afternoon– that sunflower plant we bought is blooming beautifully!
Big hugs,
CurtissAnn
CurtissAnn´s last blog post..Monday’s Fair Light– Of Problems, Gifts, and GPS Systems
Hi Rosebud, yes, that was a truly enjoyable outing. My perennial sunflower is also blooming heartily.~~Dee
Welcome back, it is good to hear you had such an enjoyable, inspirational time. I can’t wait to see more pictures and hear more about the gardens you toured. I love that little sedum garden. I always want that look and can never seem to get it. Just seeing this makes me want to try again.
Hi Lisa, I’m so glad you came by. I’m sorry that RDR was up and down so much. Thanks for hanging in there with me. You should try the sedums again. The photo makes them look big, but they were in a very small container.~~Dee
We can’t be reminded too often to be grateful. So often we focus on the down side when we have so much about which to be thankful …thanks for making us stop and breathe!
Leslie´s last blog post..GBBD September 2008
Leslie, you put is so well. Thanks. Dee
OK Miss RDR, I am mailing that sheet with the garden descriptions to you, and you can send back my memory card, plus I will send you some new music. So there! We had some fun didn’t we?!
Mary Ann´s last blog post..Vegetables last stand…
MA, don’t worry about that list. It just wasn’t that important, ya know? We did have a wonderful time, and I love the GWA.~~Dee
Dee, Thank you for the birthday wishes and for helping make my day so special! You are so right about blogging, it does, indeed create pathways! I’ve been so lucky to have found such caring, creative, intelligent women via my blog! Yours is one of the gardens I love to visit most!
Nola´s last blog post..Thanks to everyone !!!
Yes, Nola, for example I wouldn’t have met you. Thanks for stopping by and again, Happy Birthday.~~Dee
What a lovely tour. Sounds like you had a wonderful and inspiring time. I kept trying to read you yesterday, but suppose you were transferring over to another server. It kept trying to bring you up, but couldn’t. So here I am today to make sure everything’s okay! Have a wonderful Sunday!
Brenda
Thanks, Brenda. It’s been great to catch up with all of my friends.~~Dee
I’m so glad we’ve got the problems solved with your website. There is never enough time to see and do everything at those symposiums, and choosing is difficult. Looking forward to hearing more about it.
Kathys last blog post..Our best apple recipes
Oh, me too, Kathy. It’s been a bear. I loved the Symposium, but I’m also glad to be home.~~Dee
MA looks very snazzy, and you’ve framed her so nicely with that beautiful arbor/arch thing. I’m so glad you had such great experiences at GWA, but I’m selfish, so I’ll say I’m glad you’re back home writing posts about it.
Mr. McGregor’s Daughters last blog post..The Truth About Japanese Anemones
Thanks, MMD. I missed all of you guys and can’t wait for the Spring Fling in Chicago next year.~~Dee
Yes, fall is a great time to ‘be like the sunflower’ and soak up a little sun before it gets cold. And thanks for giving us some nice pics from the symposium!
Carol, May Dreams Gardenss last blog post..Third Grade And Gardening
I’m glad you enjoyed them, Carol.~~Dee
Dee – thought your talk was a great intro talk and one beginning bloggers should take to heart. Good advice! I loved the “just do it” and “you can do it” energy you brought to the presentation.
Doug Greens last blog post..Plant Review: Euphorbia ‘Jessie’
Thanks, Doug. Your portion was great too, although I’m not quite ready for my own universe and avatars for all my readers. Maybe next year?~~Dee
What a treat, Dee, to peek in on some of the exciting experiences you had in Portland! Thanks so much for sharing. I’m particularly pleased that you came away from the Pacific Northwest carrying a bit of it in your heart. 🙂
Kathryn/plantwhateverbringsyoujoy.coms last blog post..Apples Galore!
Kathryn, I did enjoy it very much, but I was also glad when I clicked my ruby slippers and came home. There’s no place like home.~~Dee