“Anyone can be a gardener.
It’s simply a matter of choice.
On the day you find yourself
fretting about the first frost~
Or ruminating about
rhododendron color,
The day you say to yourself,
‘I’m a gardener’–
You are One.
You need no degrees
or doctorates.
No accumulations of blue ribbons
at a prestigious Iris competition.
No title bestowed by an
intimidating gardening society.
No personnel official to
declare, ‘You’re in.’
Nor any special knowledge of
pH factors or compost heaps.
What is essential is training your
vision to see beyond what’s already there;
Having enough strength to haul around
a garden cart filled with fifty-pound bags;
And money, because you can’t start
planting without any plants. . .”
~ Dianne Benson, Dirt
I have an additional set of jars to
giveaway so there are three winners of my
Ball Heritage Collection Mason Jars Giveaway. . .
Congratulations to
Judy Raffl, Gert Stevens, and Cyndi Raines!
I’ll contact you by email and get your jars to you.
Happy Canning & Gardening!
Mom, here is a blog that is good to read and look at with great recipes.
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How talented you are! Lovely photos…
Such a sweet post…I definitely chuckled at the 5o pound bag part….so true!
I’ll say ‘amen’ to the money part! I’ve often wondered how much I really spent on that tomato when it’s all said and done:@)
Congrats to the winners-enjoy!
Aww, I didn’t win. I’m glad I didn’t make too many plans for those jars-never count your chickens before they hatch! Congratulations to the three winners-how exciting!!!
Love the quote from Dianne Benson. I am currently reading “Mrs. Whaley and her Charleston Garden.”
Great photos as always.
Spectacular photographs, Mary! You are truly an artist, who paints with her camera.
Congratulations to all the winners, too.
Please tell me where you found the Anniversary Ball jars, so I can buy my own, since I didn’t win? LOL
Hi Rett, They are in stock at my Target, also available online from Amazon or KMart! A little cheaper at KMart.com but I get free shipping on Amazon :)
http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Jar-Heritage-Collection-Bands/dp/B00B80TJX0/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371213107&sr=1-1&keywords=ball+heritage+mason+jars
http://www.kmart.com/ball-heritage-collection-pint-jars/p-011W005825766001P
You were honest about the money part! My husband has never complained about the money I spend but if he really knew he would be quite shocked. About the strength to haul 50 lb bags now that has become harder but I manage.Gardening is therapy for me and I could stay outside working all day except I have so many other things to do. There is something so satisfying when you have rooted hydrangeas and gardenias and they are thriving. If I don’t answer the door my friends know to look for me in the garden.
Love your photos.
Lovely photos…but I’m not sure if anyone can be a gardner. I have been trying and trying and I just cannot seem to be successful at it. Well, I guess I am a gardner…just not a successful one!! :)
Oh, I am so excited and can not wait to get these beautiful jars! This is such a blessing to me to be one of the lucky winners! I have big plans for these…lol
Your photos are amazing and so enjoyable!
Thank you so much!
Blessings,
Gert
Digging in the garden is my true therapy! As once it’s planted, it becomes another part of my family that I cherish! Love your photos and especially the Gardener’s Prayer, because sometimes you need all the help you can get to make it beautiful!!
Congrats to the winners and I loved this post!!!…you made me feel much better about my gardening skills!!…your photos are gorgeous as always Mary….love the “M” on your bench!…and I love the stained glass in the garden!! Have a wonderful weekend!
Can you hear me singing with Julie, and these a few of my favorite things~
Aw! Such a sweet post! ONe day when I’m not hanging off the side of a mountain and have level ground, I’ll be a gardener, too!
Congrats to the winners!
xo,
RJ
~Mary~
Love the post! I am finally resigning from my job and can not wait to become a professional gardener, just wish I had your garden shed, hehe.
Have a super weekend!
Paula
In.
p.s Congrats to the lucky winners!!
I love this post. Just came in from working in my gardens….early, early because it’s so hot here. As soon as I came in, I looked out and saw a bunny hopping around. :)
Congratulations to the winners!
Beautiful photos!
Love knowing that I qualify as a gardener, thanks to the words you posted! As you might guess, I’m loving the gardens around me right now and will continue to enjoy them until the leaves drop.
Love your post, especially the Gardener’s Prayer. Hooray for the winners!! They will love the pretty blue jars.
I feel so elated knowing that all I have to do to be a gardener is to simply choose to be one! All this time I thought it was so much more complicated! I loved what you said about training yourself to see beyond what is already there, that is the soul of an artist~ Congrats to the winners, they will love their blue jars1
Jenna
Congratulations to the three winners…Such a beautiful offer, Mary…I can think of all sorts of uses for those lovely jars…
Your photos are lovely, as usual!
I am definitely getting a lot of joy and satisfaction from our newest gardening venture…we’re mixing edibles (herbs, veggies, fruit trees and flowers) with our ornamentals in the garden beds…Looking quite pretty and we’ve already started harvesting some things!
Mary, this is a delightful quote and beautifully illustrated with your gorgeous photos. Congratulations to the winners! I’ve already order a set for me and a set for a friend. Can think of great ways to use these. ~ Sarah
I am a gardener!!!!! Joe and i LOVE plants, flowers, digging, getting dirty; all that gardening entails. In fact for Father’s day he has decided that he wants to take a drive to a favorite gardening center and see what we can find. Your pictures and sentiments are beautiful.
Good Morning Mary, I am catching up on your posts and I agree with Dianne, anyone can garden, it is about learning as you go along. If a plant does not survive in one place, then move it to another, but I would always advise a novice garden to go to the library and read books….. there they will find a plethora of information and of course as the books are from the library, the information is free.
The peonies are such a beautiful shade of pink and I love how you have team the peony with a pair of “jazzy” gardening gloves….. I shall have to search for a pair as they would make me smile every time I wore them.
I love the idea of using Mason jars as vases and I love the little detail you have added…… the string tied a couple of times around the jar…..it’s all in the detail…..and you really have it in abundance.
Have a lovely day,
Best Wishes
Daphne