idabean/marie

I also read Deborah Silver's Dirt Simple blog, linked below. http://www.deborahsilver.com/blog/
It's a weekly treat to pull up Dirt Simple and read through what Deborah has written since I last visited. She has a clear writing style and well-composed photos, and her gardens (both her personal one and the ones she designs for clients) remind me of some of my favorite gardens growing up in the midwest. Like Marie, her containers have inspired and definitely improved mine, though they don't begin to approach the artistry of hers. I have learned a lot about design from reading her blog, and it makes me look at my gardens with a different eye, particularly the layout for function, aesthetics, and sight lines; choices of hardscape and nonplant ornament; and the use of woody plants, often in multiples of many of one kind to provide structure. In October or November every year, I visit the Christmas and lighting sections of the blog from past years and use that to help me figure out my buckets and outdoor lighting/decoration for the season. She usually writes several entries a week, though there may be only one or two during times that pro gardeners are really busy.

There are a bunch of garden blogs I visit periodically, but none that begin to approach the quality of Dirt Simple.
http://hayefield.com 'A PENNSYLVANIA PLANT GEEK'S GARDEN'
I occasionally visit Hayefield by Nancy Ondra , since she talks about annual and perennial plants, but I am limited in my enjoyment of her work by her like of self-seeding plants and annuals (both too much work for me at this stage of my life) and emphasis on herbaceous plants, leaving what is to me a boring scene between the first fall frost and the onset of spring, almost half my year. She writes well and has top quality photos. Twice monthly.

http://thegardenerseye.blogspot.com
The Gardener's Eye is written by Michael B. Gordon who designs the gardens for the town of Peterborough, NH. Good photos, well written. Looks at both his personal garden and the town's, talks about woodies, design, gardens he has visited, etc. Very New England. Writes less often than most.

http://paradisexpress.blogspot.com
Paradis Express by Delphine is pure eye candy, written bilingually by a French gardener. It's not strictly gardening, but often has great garden and landscape photos. It's more than half gardens and landscapes in combination with design, decorative arts, and architecture. The stuff that isn't gardening I tend to skip as it rarely suits my taste, though some of the architecture is lovely also. She pulls photos from other blogs and websites with permission, or occasionally from scanned books or periodicals, and posts them with a link to the original blog or webpage. I've spent some interesting time wandering around blogs she has linked to, often ones from very different gardening climates and cultures (like Morocco or CA.) It is too cold here for green walls, but it sure is nice to look at them, especially in the dead of winter. She also posts sometimes on her own small city garden or gardens she has visited. Almost daily entries, great photos with minimal text.

http://www.rhonestreetgardens.com
Rhone Street Gardens by Scott Weber is based in the Pacific NW, a combination of his own city/suburban garden's progress and visits to other gardens and nurseries. Another gardener who emphasizes herbaceous plants. Great photos, clear writing.

http://artofgardeningbuffalo.blogspot.com
Art of Gardening by Jim Charlier is written by one of the organizers of Garden Walk Buffalo (the largest garden tour in the US) and the National Buffalo Garden Festival. Writes about his and others' gardens and Garden Walk Buffalo. A cut above most garden blogs, but sometimes leaves me wanting a bit more information, photos, or editing. Many ideas for smaller gardens. Who knew Buffalo has so much to offer gardeners! I think that one of these years I will have to take a field trip to Buffalo for the Garden Walk.

I look forward to others' suggestions.

http://www.blackpitts.co.uk/town-gardens/towngardenspaddi.html

I sometimes check out 66 Square Feet (New York:One Woman, One Terrace, Twelve Seasons). Some of it is about her "garden" and the rest about travels; the photography is great and she definitely has an eye for the beauty in nature.

http://66squarefeet.blogspot.com

I've bookmarked Joan Gussow's Garden Recovery --- how she lost her garden when the Hudson River flooded and then how it was rebuilt with help from others and from Mother Nature. It's great to look at whenever I'm feeling down about my gardens, or anything else in my life, because positivity (is there such a word?) only really comes from working at something.

http://joansgarden.org/Video.html

I enjoy reading the general information in the UConnLadybug blog--- connladybug.wordpress.com

That's about it. I think most of all, I like getting information from this forum!

Smiling Mole, here

I like Garden Foreplay, from the folks at Avant Gardens in Dartmouth, MA, and Garden Rant, a cooperative effort from several more or less well-known designers (http://gardenrant.com/) and Garden Porn (http://deviantdeziner.blogspot.com/) from GW's own Deviant-Designer, aka Michelle Derviss, a designer from Marin County, CA.

If only I didn't have to go to work ... this list would be much longer!

I didn't ask the original question in order to make myself feel inadequate, but I am having a serious episode of pot envy.

Thanks, so far everyone. I've only looked at Deanne's (and deborah silvers) but I hope the others are as "meaty."
Best, marie

Rachelle Greayer- Studio 'g'

Susan Cohen- Miss Rumphius' Rules

Leaf looks great, by the way!

thanks....

http://landscapeofmeaning.blogspot.com/
http://noels-garden.blogspot.com/

I just use my browser's bookmarks; I have a folder for garden blogs. The ones I like best and that post most frequently are at the top, and I work my way down on a given evening as I read.

I'd love to hear if others have better methods.