Note to self – after visiting ridiculously sweet gardens for three days, prepare yourself for the mother of all let downs when you get home. 

My gardens are LAME, or at least I can’t get that thought out of my head after visiting numerous gardens in Dallas last weekend. I feel like I committed infidelity and I can’t look my own gardens directly in the eye. They can tell I’ve changed and they are walking on egg shells around me. They can smell the nectar on my shirts and I think they have footage of me sticking a dollar bill in the soil around a Limelight Hydrangea. I wouldn’t call it a one night stand, really more like a weekend fling, but I will deny deny until I die.

OK, seriously, add in the fact that Fall has arrived and my gardens look like … um … there is a scientific name for it … oh yeah … crap. There are phrases bouncing in my head as I try to sleep each night:

Plant in greater drifts
Add more and different containers into the beds
Focal points
Get more creative
Structure, structure, structure

Interesting note – I had to make the list above an odd number or else the shaking wouldn’t stop. OCD or good garden design principle?     

Anyway, the garden design mess is for me to work out. I now give you photos from my tours and I won’t even bother with any comments, the pictures describe it all. Enjoy.

Where to begin?

I am back home and finally have internet access again. I’ve had twenty four hours to let the events of the past four days really sink in and I am ready to share those with you. Ideally, I would have loved to have shared my thoughts/feelings at the end of each day while still there, but a nasty, filthy minded virus intervened (my apologies to housekeeping if they saw anything that poisoned their minds).

I have so much to share but in the interest of time and attention span, I will break these up over the course of the week. Today, I’ll cover my emotions, what I took away from it all and a general review of what went on. That will be followed by a ton of photos and what I got out of the many visits to some seriously kick ass gardens.

So, after arriving on Friday morning, I will admit I was even more nervous than I expected to be. I had reviewed the membership listing on the plane and as if I didn’t know already, I was in the company of some seriously talented individuals. I contemplated spending the weekend hitting up the local bars and lying to everyone back home that I actually attended. A blogger for six months, really, why are you here? Well, I persevered, threw caution to the wind and registered:                  

I quickly realized that the “first timer” badge draws a lot of attention. “Who are you with?” Um, myself, I like write a blog. But, to calm the nerves, I attended the:    

We were assigned a mentor and introduced to a ton of different people. And drank … OK I am relaxing. After that, we attended the trade show: 

And scored some major cool stuff – plants, seeds, tools (thank you Corona Tools) and:

Way cool! The swag piled up quickly:

That night I attended a Tweet-up (no laughing please, it was a party organized through Twitter) and that is where I learned quickly how damn friendly, supportive and super interesting everyone was. A TV personality, growers, a designer, book authors, social media marketers and bloggers all chatted it up with the common love of gardening of all types. Home boy was hooked!

The days to follow included seminars touching on topics all over the map (social media, how to earn money writrting, the story of design) and visits to numerous gardens all over Dallas. One special moment for me was meeting a couple at the Botanical Gardens, near the bar below, who were both professional photographers also from NJ. They took the time out to sit and talk for 45 minutes and share their stories with me and also listen to where I was coming from. I’ll never forget it.               

While the garden tours were crowded, it didn’t impact my enjoyment one bit; it honestly felt like a common bond amongst us all and it was invigorating.

While I love plants on their own, the garden tours opened my eyes to the fact that I truly love “design”:

And, more importantly, I am inspired to get involved with my son’s school like the amazing garden we saw at a local elementary school (more in a post to follow).

In summary, I could go on and on but will keep it short. ALL of the people I met were incredibly warm, from such diverse backgrounds and fascinating to learn from. To attend this conference was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and I’m not stopping here.  

Holy shit … it’s here. 

What the hell am I doing?

How did I ever get myself involved in this world?

I don’t belong in this crowd … I write this nice little garden blog … and only started it in February of this year … who do I think I am?

I am supposed to be corporate guy, right? One of many in the herd.

I have had no formal training, who the f am I kidding? 

These are the thoughts dancing in my head this morning as I am only two days away from attending the Garden Writers Association Symposium in Dallas, Texas. Admittedly, I am having some serious doubts about myself as this major event approaches.

But I will tell you this my friends; the fear, the doubts, they can go to hell. Because I have something that easily trumps those feelings, something that continues to grow each day, something that I am following blindly and will follow no mater where it goes. That little something is called PASSION. It grabbed me by the nether region and hasn’t let go since.

I am ready to transform myself into a sponge and soak in every last bit of information I can from each and everyone I come across over the next few days. These are some mad talented individuals and to be able to interact with them all is an opportunity beyond my wildest expectations. My excitement level is through the roof and I plan on coming back home armed with a sick arsenal of garden writing weapons.      

I will be updating the blog each night throughout my time in Dallas and I’m sure it will be a bit rambling and manic, but I promise you, it will be a completely honest assessment of each of my days.

Bring it on mutha f’ers!
ONG           

I know that my maturity level doesn’t come close to matching my actual age (38 in case you were asking) but even I have been surprised at how I have felt the past few days. I feel like a ten year old who doesn’t want to go back to school and admit that the Summer is over.

Now I love the Fall as much as the next guy, and I welcome football back with big open arms (this is the year the Raiders ascend to mediocrity) but this year more than ever, I can’t let go of Summer. It was hot as hell and dry as hell but man, I couldn’t get enough of it. I enjoy working out in the gardens sweating my ass off and enjoy the sun beating down on me relentlessly as I pull weeds. Don’t know why really, just do. I loved our week at the beach, the bees buzzing in harmony all day, sitting on the deck in the late afternoon, sweet tea vodka in hand, enjoying how the ornamental grasses looked while back lit. Son of a … !

Well that is my theme as I take you through the photos I took earlier today. I may stay up all night tonight just so tomorrow won’t come when my son starts 3rd grade, which is another sign that the f’n Summer is done.

Enough of my bitching, photo time:         

One last note, I have a ton of emotions right now with this event coming up this weekend. I will be out of my comfort zone and feel a bit overwhelmed by it, yet I couldn’t be more excited and inspired to make the most of it. I will be dedicating a post to it in the next few days. 

ONG   

This past weekend, we dragged the kids out in the blazing sun to the Philadelphia Zoo. It was the last free weekend before school starts and chaos reigns. Plus, the little ones needed to get off their lazy asses and learn some things.

You are never too old for the zoo and my wife and I felt like little kids. The kids were way psyched as well and toughed out the harsh conditions. A few photos of what we saw:

The animals were all the rage but there was a display that caught my eye immediately because it brought together two of my faves in one topic:

 
It was too good to be true! While everyone was watching the tropical birds flying overhead, I was riveted by the series of messages to follow:

Now I am not claiming to be driving the “green” bus but I am definitely sitting in one of the seats. And this is an area where I am way on board. In fact, the only coffee we ever have at home is:

Grounds for Change coffee is grown under shaded conditions, is certified organic and is 100% Fair Trade Coffee. And by the way, off the charts delicious.

I tried to educate the kids on this whole bird/coffee connection and while I’m sure it went in one ear and out the other, I truly believe it will slowly seep into their impressionable minds.

A trip to the zoo sure beats sitting around playing video games even if all the walking in near 100 degree temps knocked them out completely on the way home:

     
Stay thirsty my friends
ONG

Quick one today.

I have been carefully monitoring the two Monarch caterpillar chrysalis that were chilling on the side of my house the past week. Well, I missed the first butterfly emerging but was psyched this morning, when I captured the other one on his way out.

Here is the cycle in photos: 

Pretty cool, huh? The kids have been mesmerized by it and what an education for them. All it took was planting a few Milkweed plants picked up at a native plant sale this Spring.

Good times
ONG

I got the awards itch after watching last night’s Emmy extravaganza and in true blogger narcissistic fashion, I decided to dish out my own awards from this gardening season. I may lack the humor and swagger and aw-shucks-ness of Jimmy Fallon, and the race for victory may not be as dramatic, but I will tell you, it was a tense scene this morning as the nominees were announced.

In the interest of time, I will only announce the winner in each category and some of the runner’s up where applicable. So sit back, let the show tape for a while so you can fast forward through the commercials on your DVR, and enjoy!

Best lesson never learned no matter how dire the consequences
Winner – My never ending attempt to remove poison ivy, even with gloves and long sleeve shirt and not expecting to get the rash. I am now going on four different instances since the Spring began. “Leaves of three … it can’t happen to me.”               

Plant photographed most often to the point of unhealthy obsession
Winner – The oats on the Northern Sea Oats

Most disappointing development as a result of the downturn in the economy
Winner – The lack of hot air balloons over our house. What? You expected something of more substance? Not here my friends.

The plant least likely to be deadheaded as much as needed despite my claims to the contrary
Winner – Daylily ‘Happy Returns’

The greatest recovery from near decimation
Winner – The Swamp Milkweed was destroyed by all of the Monarch caterpillars (to my delight) and just like that it has rebounded in a week’s time. 

The tree with the most promise that continues to disappoint
Winner – The Weeping Cherry – the blooms are fantastic but once they are done, blech! This one needs some serious help.       

The greatest development this gardening season.
Winner – adding more and more native plants. Like the Milkweed discussed previously, more Eupatorium cultivars and Helenium, to name a few. 

First Runner-up to greatest development – taking a greater interest in birds and their fascinating adventures. This is the early leader for next awards season. 

Worst case of planning for someone who really cares about their gardens
Winner – not accounting for someone to water while I was away for a week in the dead of summer. I continue to be baffled by my own stupidity. 

The best mini-makeover performed by yours truly
Winner – the bed along my back deck

Runner-up – My parents front bed

And finally …

My most bizarre post of the year
Winner – a new take on Eat, Pray, Love – not sure what I ate that day: http://www.obsessiveneuroticgardener.com/2010/05/dig-plant-grow-introduction.html     

I would like to thank all of the nominees and best of luck next year.
ONG 

I’ll try to keep the words to a minimum today.

I had the camera out early this morning and for whatever reason, felt a jolt of awesomeness as I proceeded on my walk.

Here are the shots I took, hope you enjoy:  

Don’t forget to enter my CSN Stores giveaway from yesterday’s post. The contest ends today at 5:00. Give it a shot … why not?

ONG