I would definately have one myself if I only had the room. I have always wanted one.

Thanks, everyone! You are all so kind. We had a man at church who was out of work to take the rocks out of the dry creekbed and to dig the creekbed out to make it wider and a little deeper in places so we would have more running water. The upper end is naturally higher than the lower end. As it turned out, he dug it too deep to have any water running and the sides too steep to keep the rocks from sliding back into the bottom. So, David and I had to remedy that problem. We bought cheap bags of soil (about a dollar a bag) and placed the bags (did not open the bags) in the bottom to raise the level back up and along the sides to create a gentle slope so that the rocks would not slide down. The clay that had been taken out had been wheelbarrowed and dumped into the woods. It was much easier to handle the bags of soil. Other than what the man did for us, we did the rest. We'd been better off to have done all the work, but he needed money and we could use the help. He has since gotten a good job. The ferns just came up there and have increased. The ferns were the perfect addition, Bobbi. In the summer there are reseeding impatience that come up along the upper end that add color.

I have enjoyed reading about this topic very much. Lovely pictures, Doris.

For many years I have believed that there are two basic kinds of gardeners, those who garden in and those who garden out. People who garden out love to open their gardens and enjoy it. As several have said, what is the point of doing all that work except for others to see and appreciate? I have heard many variations on this over the years. Those who garden in have the exact opposite view. There isn't that same need and desire for public appreciation, whatever its form.

People who garden out might care very much, for example, how their garden looks from the street. Those who garden in probably don't consider that. It doesn't occur to them.

I am in the latter category and am with all those who would stress unbelievably over having visitors. I never mind close friends in my garden as they see it with 'friend eyes'. My garden renews me and inspires me. It is my retreat and my refuge. If it had to meet some standard (imaginary or not) of others, it would not be the same. I would give it up.

I once had a garden group over that I used to volunteer with. The group took turns opening their gardens (this was pleasurable for most) and I, wanting to do my part, put mine on the schedule. It was the worst gardening summer of my life! Until the day after the group had come and gone, I could not enjoy my garden. I fretted constantly that I would not get enough done. (I didn't...lol) The day after the group came was the best gardening day of the summer. I could relax.

It's kind of like how some people enjoy entertaining and others do not. Extrovert/introvert, I suppose. Interesting, the horticulturist (at that time) that headed our volunteer group was also a 'gardening in' type. Her personal garden was never opened to the group. However, she took us on some incredible tours, opened doors to nurseries and situations we would never have known of but for her connections. A very special gal...and (laughing) I totally understood...her personal garden was just that, personal.

I have gone on a fair amount of tours and always always appreciate all the work that I know goes into those gardens. I'm also happy to explore gardens on my own (public gardens) while I would guess others would prefer to do so with a group.

There's no right or wrong. Sometimes, people have to try it (opening their garden) to decide where they fall (garden in/garden out). I also think that sometimes folks on either side have difficulty understanding the other. :)

I, too, have a puppy that is busily destroying my garden in my backyard (all my seedlings!). However, it's made me re-think things and face the reality that I have more than I can handle, garden-wise. So, I'm gradually turning the backyard over to him, the puppy. My husband was like, "After all your work!"...but, it was and is still a great deal of work...and, I know I will be adding another dog eventually, so it's all for the best. I still have the front yard and that's plenty.

We go through different stages in our gardening life. I would just say that you are wise to recognize where you are right now, in terms of declining the invitation. Things work out. As you said, down the road may present a better time.

One thing I thought of with what Fred said, about many people wanting to buy in the garden. My experience has usually been that during tours there is no selling. So, even when a garden gave out a sales list on one particular tour, I took it and thought about what I might get after the tour. Imagine my shock to find at lunch that the next bus had bought and had daylilies dug during their time in the garden! This from a smaller hybridizer's garden with very limited availability (so, read that as things were now already gone...). Whatever. You never know...

Happy gardening! I am starting to find scapes daily which is so shocking. Don't know what to think about it, except to enjoy it. Off to try to rescue a few more things from the backyard...

Well said!

gonegardening

I have never opened up my garden, although I have invited friends over. Most are not gardeners and just think that it is amazing that daylilies come in so many colors and varieties. Typical conversation:

"Boy you sure have a lot of plants. How many did you say that you had again?"

"Over 900."

"Wow, and are they really all different?" (This last is usually asked if the plants are not yet in bloom, otherwise it is obvious.)

"Yes, they really are."

"I didn't know that there were so many different ones!"

Little do they know.....

"I didn't know that there were so many different ones!" When asked what I do? I say "Grow Daylilies"

Their response "You mean those orange flowers that grow on the side of the road?"

Not being mean or bad but it's usually a waste of my time to try to explain because they just can't imagine what goes on in my back yard. With this said, I'm definitely the "in gardener". I like people, but I don't have to have people. I love for a few folks at a time to come look around. Their faces are so interesting when they see 1500 pots of daylilies sitting on the ground with about 500 different colors, shapes, sizes, eyes, edges, ruffles, teeth, etching, and all the other things a daylily can do. Then when I explain that those 2 daylilies bred to each other can produces litterally hundreds of different daylilies, they about flip out! HOW???? Amazing, isn't it??? That's why I'm a dedicated, addicted, daylily grower. That's why I spend days watering daylilies.

Thanks, guys. Laura, a funny story from my one garden hosting event: I had purchased a variegated echinacea that I was very excited to show Holly, the horticulturist. As she approached it and I happily pointed it out to her, she said, "That?? Oh, I thought it had spider mites." (big grin)

A story that I can related from the first summer that we were an AHS Display Garden---An older lady (retired) came about 4:00 pm one HOT late June Sunday afternoon. She called before she came. I told her that the daylilies do not look their best in the hot afternoon and they would look much better if she could come one morning. No, she wanted to come then. She did and brought along a friend who could care less about being there. The friend did a quick stroll and was ready to go. The lady she came with seemed to not notice that her friend was hot and ready to go. After awhile the lady came up to me (I was hot, too.) and said, "But, you don't have but one or two that I have." All she had were old ones. I thought to myself, "Lady, you have missed the beautiful blooms of hundreds because you were looking for the old ones that you have." People are so interesting and funny. I love it!

I spent a delightful half hour with my next door neighbor today showing her the daylilies and explaining hybridizing. I love having folks one or two at a time so I can really talk to them. It's fun to see someone who doesn't know about daylilies get interested in the genetics, etc. I'll bet she'll be back during the season and I've made a connection with a neighbor!

I like to show off my garden toi neightbors myself. That means one or two people and I am right there having invited them to come in to see the backyard. Very different from being included in a garden tour!

I find this conversation most interesting and enlightening.
Thanks Sandy for the topic.

This garden is most definitely a personal one. My nature-nurture,
and creative side loves the experimentation with design, color
combos, etc., and care of plants. Plants are living things, as are we,
and I so appreciate their existence into our, at times, not so colorful world.
I talk to the plants at times, even when buying plants from others, such as,
"Oh, look at you, what a beautiful face you have." Sometimes others
look at me with a furrowed brow, while others nod in agreement. LOL.

Some ideas I like, some I don't, so the garden is ever changing.
The garden is my refuge, a place to unwind, and it provides a sense of serenity.
But above all, it inspires me to think, to learn, and to adapt.

The more analytical side of my self, which takes precedence
over the other, is more of an expedition, a search for cultivars
with just the right genetics to achieve imagined results.
This expedition, I believe, could not aptly be termed an addiction,
but rather a beautiful obsession.

We all know the exhilarating experience when seeing that first
baby's bloom, or the FFO on a purchased plant, especially when
the plant and blossom meet our expectations.

I thoroughly enjoy seeing others' photos of gardens and plants, but
not knowing a person's personality, I would not want to intrude on
another's personal space to view their gardens without a personal
invitation.

I am comfortable with and enjoy sharing my personal space with
like-minded gardening friends, but not in groups of those who are
unfamiliar to me, so a tour would not be a pleasurable experience.

LALAMBCHOP said:Doris, it's magnificent.

I admire folks who have their gardens on tour and who can put things together like bb and Doris. I don't have that talent.

I have to agree with everyone~ GORGEOUS! It does look like it was always there & you built your gardens around it! LOVE it!

Thanks, Becky!