Saturday, May 21, 2011

From the House Out

This passage is taken from Richardson Wright's Another Gardener's Bed-Book @1933.

Gardens should be made from the house out. Assume the attitude of Sister Anne and gaze out windows, sit on terraces and porches, linger in doorways and from these vantage-points visualize the garden that is to be. Follow this practice and the garden will be a more satisfactory revelation of your tastes than if you make it from the property line in. Gardens made from the house out offer the same penetrating confidence as people who look you straight in the eye.

I have been doing a lot of this type of gardening lately with all the rain these past few days. I stand at the rain-streaked window and dream. I walk out to the garage and survey the garden from the doorway thru the raindrops. Then I walk upstairs to the window at my drafting table and take in the bird's eye view to "visualize the garden that is to be." It is a surefire way to save a lot of time, money, and at my age, backbreaking work!