Visiting gardens for us is like collecting plants. We can never see enough or have enough.

England. . .

Quite regularly, Susan and I go hunting for plants, whether we need them or not. Usually we can find several that we didn’t realize we needed, and it soon becomes imperative that we must have them. It occurred to us one day that if we also hunted for gardens, we could probably discover more plants that we didn’t know we needed. Daughter Susan admits this is a sickness. If so, I think it must be inherited.

Pennsylvania. . .

Neither of us is considering therapy. We are very happy with our impairment. In fact, we thought it would be fun to do some sharing of sorts. So, as we roam, we are compiling the best of our pictures and organizing them into slide shows, Great Gardens from around the world. Just click on your choice in the sidebar to find out about a particular garden.

Canada. . .

We’ve poked through all kinds of gardens in all kinds of settings. World famous classics. Hidden gems. Formal gardens with breathtaking views. Simple homespun gardens. Sometimes we find great possibilities in untamed waysides strung out with wildflowers and weeds.

We’ve seen gardens on rainy, misty, cloudy days or on sweltering days when haze hung heavy. And sometimes we hit lovely, sunny days when we could ramble for hours. Well, we ramble in the rain, too.

France. . .

They’ve been an inspiration to us, not directly, because, like fingerprints and people, no two gardens are alike. Maybe it’s a grand vista, or a special planting, or a ravishing pergola that hypnotize us into wanting to see more. There is always another secret around the bend.

So we come back to our own gardens energized and inspired. Suddenly we need another plant here (or two or three or more), or an arbor over there, or maybe some stepping stones. . .or a painted chair. . .

South Carolina. . .

Of course, there is the small matter of budgets and staffing. We’ve never considered taking loans for garden projects–so far. But we’ve come pretty close. Bob the Builder, whom you may have already met in previous stories, and Mike, Susan’s husband, are both pretty agreeable. Occasionally they ask us to please remember that the staff for our gardens is, shall we say, limited? and that there are other activities in life besides digging and planting–and replanting. Only occasionally, though. Mostly they scratch their heads and accept that we are beyond hope of rehabilitation.

Ireland. . .

So, if you have a spare moment, come along for some armchair visits to great gardens, as we add new ones from time to time. You just might see a plant, or two or three, that you never knew you needed.