Blog #12
Loving small Gardens
You’re probably wondering why I’m even thinking about gardens given it is September!
Well, autumn is when we plan for the spring AND because many of us live in small homes, condos, apartments, and the like, small gardens include window boxes, balconies, and terraces! Going forward we’re going to talk about decorating our small spaces, starting with flowers, plants, and little gardens.
gardens
Paris has taught me to create beauty in small spaces and the value of bringing nature into our homes. Flower shops in Paris are as prevalent as boulangeries. Maybe because every woman needs a bouquet and a baguette!
Many of us~ no matter where we live~ have homes without large garden spaces. Some of us have little terraces, balconies or only window boxes.
Yet, the benefits of flowers and plants in our lives has been researched and proven to be good for the environment as well as our physical and mental well-being. So no matter where you live, bring plants and flowers into your everyday life.
Flowers and plants give us Emotional and Creative Benefits~
It has been proven through multiple studies that having flowers or plants around you naturally reduces stress. Try it on yourself. Walk into a flower shop or sit in a garden. Close your eyes and let yourself feel what starts to happen in your body. Then look closely at a flower. Things start to change! Research shows that even looking at books on flowers can reduce your stress levels.
Mother Nature is magically perfect.
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Today, I went to my local flower shop in Paris and purchased some flowers for my apartment balcony.
I’m writing this blog while looking out at those gorgeous flowers that the young Frenchman assured me will last until the deep cold sets in. I have been writing all day so I’m thinking the flowers are contributing to my productivity!
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As some of us chose to live simpler, we may not have the big gardens or yards with a multitude of possibilities. Yet, we all have somewhere, someplace we can bring in flowers or plants. Before moving to the Seaport area in Boston, I lived in a brownstone in the Back Bay, where we did the best with our little front garden. Same with London where people make the most of whatever garden space they have. Inspiration!
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In Boston, I’ve got a little terrace that faces the harbor and in Paris, I have a short balcony outside of all three windowed doors the length of my apartment.
My little Paris balcony is making me happy (and creative), and now making plans for a fall/winter arrangement for the Boston terrace when I return in November.
I’ve got some work to do, so I’ll show you the before and after photos when complete.
I do not have a green thumb, and I have no experience with terrace garden designs, but I’m channeling Charlotte Moss for ideas.
As for the window boxes, terraces, or balconies, remember, the beauty is enjoyed from both in the inside and outside of your home. Check out these fall window boxes in Boston. Inspiration for sure!
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Do colors matter? Absolutely! And not sure flowers outside, but the colors you use inside your home. There are actually color therapists, who use color to help their patients sort through a variety of emotional issues. Each color of the color wheel has a meaning and some multiple meanings. Red can symbolize both anger and intensity as well as love. Blue can represent calmness and sadness. Yellow? Happiness and good fortune.
I have loved the color green since I was a child, and now I learn that green – the color of most plants- actually is a calming color. Therefore, certain colors naturally create different emotions in the body. Do little experiments on yourself and find those colors that best match you and your life.
Small Public gardens
Again, Paris has taught me the value of small public gardens tucked inside neighborhoods and along busy streets. Yes, there is the Luxembourg in Paris, the Public Garden in Boston, and Central Park in NYC, but here in Paris there are little gardens everywhere. I think we all need to start to advocate for more of these in the USA. Not only are they good for the environment, but they are also good for our human spirits. It’s possible that more small public gardens dotted around our cities could bring more beauty, reflection, and even community back into our everyday lives.
But we need to advocate for small neighborhood gardens in the US. That possibly means that we need to stay put, not move as often as we do. I’m more guilty of this than any of you, but there is a restlessness we Americans have. Maybe it comes from being a country of immigrants who all arrived on American soil seeking a better life. I did an ancestry seek for my Dutch relatives and the genealogist was able to go back to the 1600’s because for at least 300 years they never moved!
As Americans, we fall in love with different houses every day. HGTV probably wouldn’t take off in Europe. Most of us will live in several different cities in our lifetimes. Our kids often take jobs hours and plane rides away from us. We move for better weather and sometimes we even move to pay less taxes.
As I sit in the little convent garden a few blocks from my Paris apartment, I’m watching mothers with children, old people, young people, infirmed people – all who smile at each other, there to enjoy the sun and the garden. I ponder if all our moving and seeking is part of the reason, we don’t have the little shared spaces in our cities that are beautiful and connecting rather than focusing on our home gardens that few people enjoy unless they are invited.
Once back in Boston, I’m going to explore how I can advocate for my small public garden mission.
But for now, I’m going to enjoy my little Parisian balcony and toast the beauty and complexity of Mother Nature.
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A few of my favorite things….
Books and Videos
BloomTV! – join and have access to everything you can possibly do and embrace with flowers!
Charlotte Moss- anything this woman creates is fabulous.
Carolyne Roehm- She shows you wonderful ways to use flowers and plants in table settings.
For a terrace
Café table with two chairs- dependent on your space, budget, style and whether or not it needs to be easily removable, foldable if inclement weather.
Battery powered lighting- so many now that are quite gorgeous. Lovely even ambiance for that dinner party for one (or two!).
A statue or two- I have brought my angel to every home. Sometimes she’s inside but now she’s outside again.
For Balconies and Terraces-
Pots- Dependent on budget, style, and space. You could put a trellis in the center and try to grow cherry tomatoes with flowers around the base. Charlotte Moss has some wonderful ideas.
Raised containers- If you have the space, some are very pretty and functional, especially if your balcony has closed sides. Plus, how fabulous to have your favorite herbs growing outside your window.
Inside your home-
A color wheel? Do we have a good photo of one? Search out the meaning of colors- super interesting!
Joanna Gaines from Magnolia Home- her wall papers are lovely- I put her Green Olive Branch paper in a bathroom!
+ What ways do you like to bring different colors into your home?
+ What are your favorite colors?
What do those pops of color look like – I’d love to see.
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