I sat thinking what shall I write about for my first garden article. I wanted to include my readers, for this to be interactive. A new friend of mine is excited about a dream she is "attracting" into fruitation. She calls the place she wants to open in Ouachita Parish: "The Giraffe Group Community Center". We where all meeting at a proposed spot to contribute our energy. My friend introduced me to her other friends as a " gifted garden artist".  In that moment she opened a new way of seeing myself. I had been in such awe of her artistic (painting) talent and yet had not seen myself as an artist. But I am and so are you.

         Like Giraffes that have large hearts and stick thier necks out for what thier heart wants gardeners often stick thier necks out design wise following thier own heart's imagination. Each gardener's idea on what "sticking thier neck out" means is different. Last week I redesigned an area in my back garden that I might have more gravel patio area. This resulted in plants needing to be moved to a new home. One was a pink rose that can turn orange in summer's heat. I sat trying to figure out where I could put such a thing (I thought I'd bought a pink rose) then I stuck my design neck out and put it in a bed of bright pink tones. To me, Pink & Orange together is daring, out of the ordinary. To you it might be pink flamingo's, old tire or shoe planters, planting beds right up to the street (My first daring artistic idea) or choosing not to have green "meatballs" as a foundation planting.

          I started this questioning why we garden. I believe that one reason we garden is to express our artisitic imagination.  From choosing a pot,the flowers that go in it and how to place it to desgning acre's of gardens full of statues, water, seating and plants we gardeners are all creating living,changing, comforting,often life giving and most of all inspiring works of art. My hope is that we all interchange artisitc ideas and how to implement them through this website. I garden for many other reasons as well and for different reasons at different times. Sometimes just to be outside in nature and feel the sun on my face, for exercise (doing 20 mintutes of both sun & exercise raises your seratonin which raises your mood), to interact with pets, children and grandchildren, to feel a part of, connected with the whole of nature and "feel" God's presence close to me, to feel connected to Mom & all the friends that turned me on to gardening, every time I see plants they gave me I think of them and smile,to remember the time my hubby (who doesn't garden) lovingly hung windchimes and layed gravel paths for me, to create a loving outside home and to utilize the energy of my garden to enhance my life.

          One hot humid day  when I came in so dirty, tired, knee throbbing, finger bleeding and tired  my then teenage daughter asked me why did I garden? I had to laugh as I looked down at myself and replied "Because I can't help myself it's just too much fun!" Why do you garden? What about gardening just makes you smile?I am creating here a space for you to tell us why you garden .Go to  "Contact Us" send me your answers and I'll post it under Garden Articles-Why We Garden. So go on outside and continue to be the great artist you are.