Monday, 19 November 2007

I Garden, Therefore I Am

Ode To Autumn
Seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run
John Keats
Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.
Albert Camus
Autumn, the year’s last, loveliest smile.
William Cullen Bryant
Every leaf speaks bliss to me,
fluttering from the autumn tree.
Emily Bronte
Almost any garden, if you see it at just the right moment, can be confused with paradise. Henry Mitchell
There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling. Mirabel Osler
The lesson I have thoroughly learnt, and wish to pass on to others, is to know the enduring happiness that the love of a garden gives. Gertrude Jekyll
He who is born with a silver spoon in his mouth is generally considered a fortunate person, but his good fortune is small compared to that of the happy mortal who enters this world with a passion for flowers in his soul. Celia Thaxter
The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies. Gertrude Jekyll
Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty if only we have the eyes to see them. John Ruskin
In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful. Abram L. Urban
I believe that gardens themselves are very healing. To be surrounded by the exquisite beauty of nature is to experience a healing of the soul. author unknown
Yes, in the poor man's garden grow
Far more than herbs and flowers-
Kind thoughts, contentment, peace of mind,
And joy for weary hours. author unknown
We come from the earth, we return to the earth, and in between we garden.
The garden is a mirror of the heart.

30 comments:

Shirley said...

Hi again, Wildlife Gardener :-)

What a beautiful post on Autumn. I love your photos and they way you match them with words so well. Enjoy the rest of Autumn in your garden it is a lovely thoughtful time of year isn't it :-D

BTW I see that your Blog will be 'One' at the end of the month too. I celebrated my first Happy 'Blogday' yesterday :-D

A wildlife gardener said...

Good morning, Shirl, and a warm welcome to you.

I love the light and colour which Autumn brings to the garden. It always creates a reflective mood in me. My feelings are resonated in the thoughts and sayings of the famous gardeners whose words are quoted in this post.

Thank you for your generous comments. Happy First Anniversary in Blogland :)

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

What a lovely autumn post WG! Great pics and such wonderful quotes! Thanks for sharing them all, I enjoyed it! I think I like Emily Bronte's best. ;-)

Marie said...

Beautiful autumn leaves!

A wildlife gardener said...

Thank you very much, Yolanda Elizabet.

In Autumn the trees and shrubs at Barleycorn come into their own, making up the back-bone of the garden as they do.

Emily Bronte's quote adds a touch of bliss to the garden, certainly :)

Welcome, Marie, to our Autumn display at Barleycorn :)

Sally said...

The last two are my favorite. Very pretty W.G.

kate said...

Your photographs are beautiful - lovely scenes of autumn. I enjoyed reading the quotations that accompanied the photographs. The Jekyll, Urban and Ruskin quotes were really lovely to me.

A wildlife gardener said...

Hello, Sally. Lovely to see you again :)

The last two photos are the view I look onto through the glass door at the back of the house. This is what I see each morning when I'm in the kitchen.

I wanted to share the quotes, Kate, as they seemed to be in tune with the garden. thank you for the compliments :)

RUTH said...

What a wonderful selection of quotes; made all the more beautiful by your photographs :o)

Chrissie said...

A really lovely post! I like Gertrude Jekyll, and have visited some of her gardens. Your photos are great. I do like the colours of autumn and to walk through the leaves.

A wildlife gardener said...

Good morning, dear Ruth, and a warm welcome to you. You say the loveliest things :)

Welcome back, Chris. I, too, am a fan of Gertrude Jekyll and her amazing volume of work. I feel so in tune with what she said about the love of gardening.

Anonymous said...

Your photographs are stunning and I love the thought that the garden mirrors the heart.
Sara from farmingfriends

kari and kijsa said...

What beautiful photos....you have a terrific eye!

Wishing you the happiest of Thanksgivings!

smiles, kari and kijsa

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Beautiful photos and the quotes that you have chosen to go with them are wonderful.

A wildlife gardener said...

How lovely to see you again, Sara. Thanks for the lovely compliments :)

Hello again, Kari & Kijsa, and a warm welcome to you both. I'm happy to share the garden with you :)

Iowa Gardening Woman said...

What beautiful autumn photos, I love fall color.

Naturegirl said...

Truly the garden is a mirror of ones heart and I love that the leaf is a autumn flower! Great images of Autumn! hugs NG

Muum said...

Lovely quotes and photos. Thanks for visiting my blog!

paris parfait said...

Such blissful autumnal photographs!Thanks for posting these.

Jean said...

What a wonderful fall post! Love all your pictures and quotes! Thanks!

joey said...

A lovely tribute to autumn ... I love birch trees! Always a delight to hear from you and thank you for the warm words.

A wildlife gardener said...

Good afternoon, and a warm welcome on this rainy November day here at Barleycorn.

Iowa Gardening Woman, I agree that Autumn is a magical season of the year because of the lovely colours. Thanks for visiting :)

I'm so glad you liked the post and the quotes, Nature Girl. Thanks for the compliments :)

Welcome, once again, Muum. Great to share it all with you :)

Paris Parfait, you've made my day :)

Hello, Jean, great to have your company too. Come again :)

Hey, Joey, lovely to see you as well. Your imaginative display of breath-taking photos always amazes me and has me coming back for more :)

Anonymous said...

Hello and thank you so much for the Thanksgiving greeting.
I am so sorry that i have not been able to post to my garden blog for so long now. I am traveling.
I will check in on you and all my pals when i have time and the internet at my finger tips.

Love, Becky

A wildlife gardener said...

Lovely to have you visit, dear Becky and Doug. Enjoy your travels :)

Anonymous said...

There are so many wonderful and wise quotes in this post together with your lovely pictures! It was a pleasure to read...and see them! Thank you!

A wildlife gardener said...

Lovely to have your company, Barbara, here at Barleycorn. thank you for the feedback, which I treasure :)

Eden said...

Beautiful photos. Have you ever been to Sweden? My favourite season is Autumn because all the colours makes me happy.

Tira said...

Beautiful autumnal foliage and garden scenes. The garden takes on a delicate look with its sparseness and softer light.

DianeSchuller.com said...

lovely photos and quotations. I'm especially fond of this one: We come from the earth, we return to the earth, and in between we garden. (do you know who's quote that is?)

It reminds me of the circle of gardening and life with my mother teaching and nurturing me in life and in gardening. She died this year and has completed her circle.

(PS: having problems with Blogger not recognizing me even though I'm a blogger ... I'll provide a link below so you know who I am)

Warm regards from chilly Alberta
Diane, Sand to Glass

Barbee' said...

Your creativity shows. What a lovely gathering together, sorting, matching, and molding into a stunning piece. I enjoyed it very much, thank you for sharing your thoughts (via quotes)and your outstanding photography.