Jennifer Smith is a gardener, photographer and wanderer living in southern Ohio. She writes about her garden life; gardening in Ault Park, her balcony and her many garden themed road trips in her blogs: The Garden Life and A Year in the Park, Again. When she does not have her hands in the soil she can be found behind the wheel, exploring Ohio for her newest project: Blue Blazing Ohio: The Great Ohio Road Trip.
What is it that makes the winter garden so beautiful? Is it the promise that under that thick blanket of snow plants are sleeping and bulbs are resting, just waiting for the snow to melt and warming sun to send the signal that it is time to come to life once again?
One of the best things I ever did as a new gardener learning about plants and garden design was touring local public gardens and parks as well as gardens in my own neighborhood. Not only did I get to know some pretty remarkable gardeners who were more than happy to share their garden knowledge with me, I was able to see how a garden and its plants changed day-to-day.
If white picket fences, arbors and trellises draped in climbing roses and flowers everywhere makes your heart skip a beat and hands reach for the trowel, then chances are the cottage garden is your garden style.
“What is your garden style?” This is not an easy question to answer when you are new to gardening.