MAY DREAMS GARDEN QUESTIONS

Carol at May Dreams Garden , upon reaching the milestone of her 500th post posed the following questions for us to reflect on :

What are you most proud of about your garden ? My attempt to get my garden to look good even when it's not in bloom, by mixing different textures, bold as well as colorful foliage, and various shapes, both evergreen and deciduous in a small urban space .

When you go to sleep at night, what are you worried about in your garden ? If it's a hot, dry summer like this June I worry that the garden is watered enough.

When others come and see your garden, what do you think they remember most about it ? It's lushness is how many visitors have described it. That's because I try not to leave any bare spaces between plants. Many also say they like my mixture of perennials and annuals which bloom continuously throughout the long summer months.

What is your favorite gardening tool, the one you would recommend every Gardener get ? A very good shovel., one that will not crack under pressure. I do a lot of digging and couldn't work without one.

If you woke up this morning with all the time and money in the world to spend in your garden what would you do first ?

Carol, how could you do this to us , knowing full well what vivid imaginations gardeners have.

I've spent a few restless nights thinking about this. Here goes : First thing , I'd call Matthew McConnaughey( spelling ? ) and invite him over for mint juleps. I just want to see the Lord's living masterpiece. I've seen the statue of David and I know it's considered man's best example, but I'm going with a higher authority. Plus, I don't think Matthew would be beyond doing a little garden work.

Have you ever heard any sweeter music than that which comes from Matthew's lips ? I swear his soft Texas drawl just gives me goosebumps. Not only is he gorgeous, but very intelligent as well. A rare combination. This dream is for my artistic sensibilities . I'd love to capture that beauty on canvas.

Carol, I must clarify what you meant by " in your garden ?" Does that mean we have to be in the garden to spend the time and money or spend it only on our garden ? I'm confused.

However, if you mean the former : I'd have to buy all the land surrounding me as I have a very small urban garden. I'd set those neighbors up in grand places of their choosing while I turn my new land into an organic vegetable farm tended by the unemployed whom I've trained and will pay a living wage.

Then I'd design and plant the most fantastic garden that would include areas that contained rare plants, native plant garden, hardy long-blooming flowers, etc. My garden would be the talk of the city and I'd give personal tours. There would , of course, be a permanent stage for singers of my choosing - the band Alabama, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Neal McCoy, Willie Nelson ....etc., etc., etc. And an area where visitors could sit and enjoy a picnic lunch .

Or did you mean what would I do in my own garden ? Well, I've got it , after many years of trial and error, pretty much like I want it, except I would want every plant to bloom at the same time and for the whole season. Do you think that's possible, Carol ? I'm dreaming the impossible aren't I ? Then I'd probably want to have some kind of space age bubble over the entire garden in the awful Chicago winters so that everything would stay as it is all year
round . Is that asking too much ? And last but not least, I'd invite the most famous landscape designer in America to come critique my garden and tell me how he or she would do it.