Today, try shifting your perspective to shift your perspective...

Today, try this exercise:  TRY SHIFTING YOUR PERSPECTIVE IN ORDER TO SHIFT YOUR PERSPECTIVE. - By this, I mean physically change your “normal” viewing position and see what you discover.  Find something in nature if you can –a flower, a tree, a blade of grass– and focus on it from this new viewing position. Take a few quiet moments and let flow whatever memories or associations come up...don’t edit, just let them flow and observe.

Often, not only will this practice shift the way you perceive that particular object, you will notice it extending to other areas of your life, as well.

I took a few moments to lie down on the stone path in my garden – (Yes…actually flat on my stomach.) and was delighted to discover a whole other world there —a world I did not know existed, right there at my feet. 

Each of these intricate little beauties measures just 1" across and some even less.

To think — I had passed by them hundreds of times before without seeing all they had to offer!

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Flowers in Profusion - Tasha Tudor's Garden in June

"I don't make proper flower arrangements; mine just grow, like the garden."

—Tasha Tudor 

My Grandma H. introduced me to the magical world of Tasha Tudor.  She always admired her and it's easy to see why.   These gorgeous images by Robert Brown are from the book Tasha Tudor's Garden I've had in my library for a number of years and each time I open its pages I'm enchanted and inspired by her simply beautiful life.

                                                                               

linen & lavender home

in the emporium:

English Cottage Gardening

Text and Photographs by Margaret Hensel

Foreword by Tasha Tudor

A Child's Garden of Verses

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Illustrations by Tasha Tudor

The Private World of Tasha Tudor

by Robert Brown (photographer)

and Tasha Tudor

The Tasha Tudor Cookbook:  

Recipes and Reminiscences from Corgi Cottage

by Tasha Tudor

The Art of Tasha Tudor

by Harry Davis

Tasha Tudor's Garden

by Tovah Martin, photographed by Robert Brown

(all images this post from this book)

For a site devoted to all things Tasha Tudor,  
be sure to visit Natalie 
(Office Manager at Tasha Tudor and Family Inc.) 
at 
Rookery Ramblings

To go directly to information on touring 
Tasha Tudor's Cottage and Gardens, visit
Tasha Tudor and Family 

{Thank you Natalie for introducing yourself! ~L}

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Dream Day

My dream day?  Well, it comes in many forms but what immediately comes to mind is travel.  I love to travel and see the world  – to explore another place, another culture, another way of doing things.   I always return with a fresh perspective and charged with creativity energy.

Today, the time I spent capturing the light in my garden sent me into a peaceful, meditative state  -a bit of inside travel, you might say.  A gentle breeze perfumed the air and with these intricate beauties beckoning me, I was on my way—

 

images by LeAnn, "Rose Splendor"

linenandlavender.blogspot.com

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"If you build it. . .

                                     ...they will come."    

I think the magical thing about gardens is that they take on a life of their own.   

I mean, all I really did was put together a few plants, flowers and trees...and now I have this haven — this oasis in the middle of the city.  I was really struck by this fact today.  –All I had to do was set the stage and they arrived.

The French doors of my studio are open and I am sitting at my desk looking out to the fountain, I can see most of the garden from here.

The day started sunny, then a rogue rain cloud passed over and shared a bit of moisture with us.

This fellow was caught in the midst of  it as he was taking his morning bath.  As the rain showered down, he remained, continuing his grooming.  (I think he considered himself pretty fortunate.)

Before I knew it, the sun was out again and the visitors increased.

   

Butterflies, bumblebees and long-legged wasps stopped by.

Hummingbirds and songbirds came to say hello and to peruse the blossoms or to take a rest on the garden bench.   

In fact, it almost seemed as though an announcement went out:

"Hey!   She's got her camera out today

at 1720, stop by if you want some

exposure."     (This is L.A. after all.)

Truth be told, when I created this garden, I didn't really think about the "wildlife" it might attract.  I love flowers and trees and designing spaces for people to enjoy and that's what I was thinking about mostly.

That's why it seems such a huge side benefit and almost, well . . . "flattering" really. 
Each time a new creature comes to call -or moves in- it is thrilling.  It's like nature is giving a nod of approval to something I initiated.    And really, that's all I did.  

I am still in awe at the miracle of it all. –Just plant a seed and a beautiful flower will grow there one day. –Just stick that little sapling in the ground and one day you will be lounging in the shade of a mighty tree. 

There is such a peace and serenity that comes from nature — a connection to the Divine at the ready.  

In creating this little snippet of it here, I have reaped far more than I have sown, that much is for sure.   

Planting a garden is like knocking on Heaven's door and what has opened up to me is far more than I had ever imagined.

all images by LeAnn, l&l at home, our garden

be sure to read the posts of 

all the By Invitation Only participants:

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..

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natural treasures

Italian flat-leaf parsley, zucchini and sage from our garden.

Italian flat-leaf parsley from our garden,  my Grandmother's gathering basket.

One of my fondest memories is running through the large vegetable garden at my Grandparents' house. Rows of corn hid us from view and we could spend hours out playing in the small stream that ran through their property catching water skippers in glass jars and then letting them go.  When we needed a snack, we'd pick fresh peas off the vine and drink cold mountain spring water from the hose.  Nothing tasted better on a warm summer's day.

Considering it brought me so much joy in my childhood, I'm not sure why it took me so long to do my own vegetable garden. In California we have so many great farmers' markets and organic grocery stores, I guess it just never occurred to me that I could at least have a mini version of my own.  For whatever reason, I got the bug this season and began researching rooftop gardens.

I found a wonderful–certified organic–place near me in Los Angeles called "Two Dog Nursery".  The owner, Jo Anne, couldn't have been nicer and was quick to provide advice on every aspect of the process. I highly recommend working with her if you live in the area (or within shipping distance) and are interested in starting your own garden.  I know she offers classes for beginner gardeners and even hosts planting parties.–Sounds ideal for getting your children involved and interested in growing their own veggies.

I can't tell you how excited I was when I went up to check on the garden this past weekend. The zucchini plant had grown extra large, almost overnight it seemed. I had already harvested some parsley and sage and I was removing tree leaves that had fallen in to the beds and just doing general maintenance. I moved the giant zucchini leaves to one side, inspecting the blossoms and making a mental note that I needed to try a zucchini blossom recipe I brought home from a friend in Italy. I wasn't even looking for zucchini yet, so I practically jumped for joy when I discovered it.  I yelled down for Alex to come see, insisting that she make the climb up. . .that it wasn't enough that I just tell her about it.  (Admittedly, she was never quite as excited as I was about it, but seemed happy that it had made me so happy.)

Later, Alex made a delicious zucchini and shrimp pasta for our dinner. She and I laughed when we got to talking and learned that each of us had inspected it as it was cut open, looking for signs that it was, indeed, like the zucchini we were used to.  It just seems so miraculous when you get to have a hand in the process and to witness it all from beginning to end.—A tiny plant that grew so quickly and is now bestowing us with delicious, nutritious food.  A reminder to me that with all our "conveniences" in this world, we may miss out on some of the best experiences in life.  That appreciation and connection to nature–to the food we put in our bodies–is a gift that should be cultivated wherever possible.

I'm off to see if any new treasures await me!  

~Ciao for now.

images by LeAnn

Inspired:

Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

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