Gardening Activity

Storage Sheds Buildings-Portable

Backyard Stone Patio Ideas

Small Log Cabin Kit Homes

Small Storage Shed Plans

Wood Outdoor Deck Design

I guess Ive always thought that gardening was creative, but it wasnt the first thing I thought about in a 12-week class focused on the book, The Artists Way (Julia Cameron). 

I thought I wanted (and needed) to draw, paint, and do watercolors and pastels to be an artist.  Well, I know those activities are wonderful, and Im trying to find the time to play with some of those media, but... in the meantime, Ive also realized that writing, photography, blogging, and gardening are equally compelling creative pursuits.

Collage as inspiration for garden studio

As part of each book chapter, there are LOTS of tasks - which our facilitators encourage us to do. 

Yikes.  Its a lot of work (and soul-searching) in the process, but its concentrated my attention on how much my surroundings (garden) and creative space (whether called a study or studio) are important.

I love the view from my study at home in the Piedmont (the header view), and Ive missed that sense of place a bit this summer in the mountains (although there are many other wonderful aspects, and Im totally grateful for being able to have the space and time!)

Potential site for garden studio

Im hoping to build a small garden studio below the cottage in the mountains.  It would look out into the  forest and be surrounded by native woodland wildflowers.

Ive certainly been reminded of how creative gardening is as an activity and how important it is to have a sense of place and being supported in your surroundings.

I love being out in the garden, listening to birds, working the soil, and connecting with nature. Im totally grateful, and perhaps (in the developed world) we need to be a LOT more mindful of what it means to produce food, grow flowers, and give back when we can.

I have a freezer full of bounty from our garden over the last growing season, but its not enough to sustain us for the rest of the year. Thats where farmers come in.

Those bags of lovely Green Giant Yellow Gold Rush potatoes (from somewhere in the Northwest?), the fresh shitake mushrooms (from the mountains where my favorite local grocery chain is based), the fire-roasted canned tomatoes from Muir Glen, the rice from Lundberg Farms and Texmati; these arent the work of small farmers, to be sure, but farm-based companies that produce quality products.

Ive been re-reading Barbara Kingsolvers amazing book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and been quite impressed (awed, actually) at how much she and her family could depend on their local food shed, in addition to ALL that they grew on their Appalachian farm of 25 acres or so.

In recent years, Ive been trying to focus my buying efforts towards local and sustainably-produced foods, paying attention towards source and production. Its an exercise in both awareness and being grateful!