About Dreamy Flower Garden Ideas
Your Friend behind this Flower Site
Hi flower gardening friends, and welcome to DreamyFlowerGardenIdeas.com!
I'm Jan from Wisconsin, flower enthusiast and creator of this site. Let me share a little about myself and how
this site came to be . . .
A Girl with her Grandmother in the Garden
My appreciation for flower gardens is hereditary. Peonies, petunias and lilacs will be forever favorites
of mine because of their place at Grandma's house. And it was there that I learned not only about the
benefits of rain barrels and scarecrows, but also the importance of family, friends and warm apple pie!
As a child, I loved helping my grandmother cut gladiolas and zinnias in her flower bed on warm summer
afternoons, which were always followed by an ice-cold pitcher of Kool-Aid. My enjoyment was as much
about our time together as the beauty of her garden.
Though she's no longer with us, memories of her surround me every time I smell fresh-cut flowers.
At home growing up, I was the designated "weeder" of our flower beds. This job never distanced me from
my delight with blossoms and blooms, though.
A Woman with Flower Garden Wishes
When I became a wife and mother, I thought about planting a flower garden of my own. I visited many garden
centers and found myself dazzled by the array of annuals and perennials. I would enter and lose track of
time for hours as I considered the possibilities.
Yet, I also felt overwhelmed with questions - questions like these:
- How should I go about planning a flower garden?
- Which flowers would grow well?
- Should I choose annuals or perennials?
- When would be the right time to plant bulbs?
- What about garden care and winterizing?
I began to doubt if I could actually create a successful garden. It seemed so complicated, and life
was busy.
I did try my hand (or should I say thumb?) at growing both annuals and perennials. Unfortunately, I made
a lot of mistakes, and it was during this time that I unwittingly annihilated many different types of
plants!
Time passed, and my flower garden ideas never really materialized.
A Homeowner who became Horticulturally Handy
Then, we purchased a home in Wisconsin, which was in dire need of some landscaping - any landscaping, as
it had no plantings at all. It was a perfect opportunity to learn how to improve our yard with flowers,
shrubs and trees.
I started asking a lot of questions. I spoke with garden center staff, landscapers and our green-thumbed
neighbors. I found books about flower gardening at the library and subscribed to gardening magazines. I
browsed the net and joined garden forums. I became like a sponge, absorbing every bit of information I
could find.
My husband and I went to work with the attitude that we could not fail, as our landscaping couldn't be
worse than non-existent. Our yard became a real-life before-and-after success story, and we received
many compliments from family and friends.
I learned that some basic knowledge and design principles open the door to a world of potential.
A Flower Fanatic with a Mission
My fascination with flowers continues, as does my journey to learn more about them. I now enjoy creating
gorgeous hanging baskets loaded with flowers for our front porch, beautiful beds surrounding the house
and colorful planters for the patio.
It's become a family affair, as the kids love to plant flowers and watch them grow too. I'm presently
working on a plan for our back yard. I will share progress and pictures with you as that project develops.
Through all of this, my only regret is that I allowed my doubts to keep me from enjoying flower gardening
for so long.
So, I decided to create DreamyFlowerGardenIdeas.com for others who want to learn how to bring flower
gardens into their lives the easy way. And guess what? True to my nature, I found a fun and easy way to
grow this site!
Enjoy, and let your dreamy flower garden ideas become a reality!
Gleeful gardening!
~Jan
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