I’ve started three landscapes “from scratch.”  We purchased all three houses already finished, but they had minimal to non-existent landscaping. I made all the usual beginners mistakes on the mid-Hudson valley property: I planted things too close together, I didn’t have a plan but would plunk anything in any empty spot, I bought pass-along-plants (aka pass-along-problems) at plant sales, and discovered that weeds will grow everywhere.

On the second property I was more discerning…sort of. I remember that one of the first inspirational garden books I purchased was Nigel Colborn’s Shortcuts to Great Gardens. It was a bit deceiving, because all of the gardens pictured took years to develop and grow – no shortcuts here – but it remains inspiring today.

Now into my third summer on Poison Ivy Acres, I am using what I’ve learned and making new mistakes.

When we begin any new project, inspiration is good, experience is valuable, but errors will be made. That shouldn’t stop us. Have the courage to start down a path without shortcuts, hopefully with a plan and the help of others, but always with faith, hope and determination.

The landscape wasn't completely bare, mind you.

But here you can see that we extended the patio, planted the perennial border, and...

moved that cement square out into the fragrance garden in hopes of a future hot tub. (There's a tiny corner of it showing on the left side of this photo) Then we (my husband) built the grape arbor, that is connected to the house by the new patio area.

I went to the Boston Flower Show on Thursday, and enjoyed it immensely. As is often the case, one exhibit made the trip worthwhile for me, and in this case it was Paul Miskovsky’s cottage garden. Wow – that man can put a display together!

Paul’s garden used unusual and interesting plants such as Cercidiphyllum japonicum f. pendulum (weeping katsura) together with unexpected choices such as sumac. He adds a dash of whimsy (a bathtub and sink) and a roof full of tulips and voila! A beautiful, interesting and fun display.

Flower shows are all about fantasy and plants, and Paul’s exhibit did not disappoint in these areas. If I’d have been able to go back again today, I would have, just to have poked around in his garden a bit more. (Paul told me I could go up the stairs at the back to look more closely in the display, but you never saw so many hairy eyeballs pointed my way as when I pushed past the crowd and stepped over the “do not enter” sign and walked into his garden. Even the elderly lady in the wheelchair looked like she was going to jump me.)

Seeing the results of a creative mind at work is always stimulating, and we don’t go out of our way often enough to be exposed to this sort of thing. I don’t know about you, but I don’t go to museums or live concerts, just to give two examples, often enough.

Looking for information and inspiration? It’s all in our own backyards.

Two things that a gardener can learn from this display by Paul Miskovsky: first, that a garden doesn't have to be planted with the low plants in front, slightly higher in the middle and tall in back. This scene comes alive because of the tree that's next to the path. The second thing that Paul is a master at is using a wide range of colors and textures of foliage.

I believe that I’ve mentioned that my husband likes to recycle granite and marble. Last year he discovered that a local stone counter top maker has pallets of “scrap” pieces that are too small for them to bother with. They throw this away, and don’t mind if people take what is in the dump pile.

My husband is a geologist, so of course he loves stone. He’s also a scrounger of free stuff, as am I, and when he sees beautiful, perfectly useable slabs of polished granite and marble on the waste pallets, he has to bring them home.

Yesterday when I got home, the side of the drive was lined with pieces of stone. Is there a male equivalent of, “Lucy, you got some ‘splainin’ to do.”? If so, I could have used it when I drove in from work.

His explanation was that he wanted to use it for a path to the birdfeeder. OK by me, although I’ve already made my peace with the ovals of granite, sink cutout scraps from the same place, that we’ve had in place all summer.

Going through my photo library, however, I came across the picture posted below, and I’ve decided that this may be the answer. We’ll break up some of the found stone pieces, and surround them with rounded beach rocks to soften the manmade, hard-edged appearance.

To save beautiful materials from the landfill is commendable, to work toward a common goal with your spouse is laudable, and to find a way to do both so that something beautiful is created? Priceless.

This is the photo that provided the inspiration for my future path to the bird feeder. We'll break up the slabs of granite and marble, and surround them with rounded beach stones.

This morning my husband and I hung bells on the arbor that he finished last week. We designed the arbor to be tall enough, and strong enough, to hold my bell collection. Three of these bells were made from old gas tanks by Provincetown sculptor Michael Kacergis, and the others have been collected over time.

Hanging bells was a good way to start the day. “Make a joyful noise,” I thought, wondering if I should write these words from Psalm 100 on the top of the arbor.

There are many ways to bring joy into a garden. An abundance of flowers usually delights, and a row of big, blooming sunflowers is a source of pleasure. Spirited garden ornaments or garden décor (paper lanterns, tiny white lights, and ribbons) are also expressions of happiness. Gardens are the perfect place for joyful celebrations.

Throughout the day I thought about other ways that we “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord”. Doing things that bring us pleasure sort of fits the bill, but I can’t help thinking that those things that bring happiness to ourselves, and others, better constitutes a joyful noise.

Thoroughly appreciating life is a good way to delight in our days (“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,”), and protecting the beauty and the abundance of the earth qualifies. Saying something that positively connects people is making a joyful noise, as is using words or making music to bring other people happiness.

I like how my bells look as they hang on the arbor, and I love the reminders that they trigger.

Let’s talk, sing and plant with joy.

I originally planned to plant a trumpet vine on this arbor, but now that the bells are up I realize that the trumpet vine would eat the bells for breakfast. I think I'll use a climbing rose and some clematis instead.

The bell on the left, and the two on the right, were made by Provincetown artist Michael Kacergis.

When next to a large house, you need a large enough structure so that the arbor is in balance with the building..

I have a horrible head cold, so I’m not up to the thought that writing requires. Perhaps, you are thinking, this is a blessing. I can, however, spend a couple of minutes trolling through photo files looking for inspiration, and it didn’t take me long to settle on this one.

I took these photographs in Vineyard Haven, on Martha’s Vineyard. I thought that this was a brilliant treatment of what was once an ugly, grey concrete wall.

Got concrete? Get paint!

A poured concrete wall has become an exotic background for a place to have tea, or a conversation with friends.

The sketched in "tiles" on top, and the mix of colors below, make this concrete wall warm and inviting.

Every once in awhile, I’ll go through the photographs in my files, not searching for anything in particular, but just looking to see what’s there. Invariably, I’ll see something that gives me an idea.

Maybe it’s a plant that I don’t know, or have forgotten about, or a clever way to handle something in the garden. It might be an image that is artistically exciting or a scene that’s just plain fun. My problem is that once I come across such inspiration I often move on, and before I know it the ideas the photos have triggered are forgotten.

Most of us have had the experience of having a brainstorm and thinking we’ll remember the idea. Sometime later we’ll ask ourselves, “What was that great thought I had?” but it will be gone. This happens to me all the time.

So I’m resolving to correct these vanishing-inspiration phenomena in two ways. First, I’m entering “check inspiration files” onto my calendar, once a month. When I have an idea and it does get written in my blog, article, proposal or marketing files, this reminder will help me not to loose those thoughts once they’re written down.

Secondly, when the brainstorm comes from a photograph, I’ll post that photo and the idea it inspires here, and today will be the first. I know from experience that the act of writing something down tends to cement it in the brain.

So here’s today’s inspiring photo. What do I love about this picture? The large rocks under the birdfeeder. Anyone who’s fed the birds knows that their pecking, along with digging done by squirrels and chipmunks, renders the area under a feeder completely bare. Even the weeds don’t stand a chance, and that empty, packed dirt is not attractive.

So here’s a reminder to myself: take some of those rocks that I have in abundance on Poison Ivy Acres, and arrange them, attractively, under the feeder.

Yes, it’s possible to change old habits…and it helps to invent a system, or a structure, for making that transformation.

See the arrangement of rocks underneath? Even these determined black birds don't upset this covering. Brilliant!