Monday, December 9, 2013

Garden Gates are Meant to be Read

  Do you know why the gate, below, has its styling?
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 Think chickens.  
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This gate was designed to keep chickens from wandering away.
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Several times I've been hired to open a hedge at the front of a woman's garden.  In each instance a couple of plants were removed, a gate installed, a path added, creating a new entry to the front of the home.  Flow, open, welcome, beauty where there had been a hedge saying, 'Keep Away'.
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Welcome vs. Keep Away
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Most often, when I'm hired, the metaphors in the client's life/garden are dripping significance.  I'll say the obvious and get back, How did you know?
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You know exactly how I know.  Easy to see another's life metaphors.  It's our own dancing behind clouds.
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Garden & Be Well,     XO Tara
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If you want a beautiful garden & home filling you with joy, and causes you to tap the brake pedal, as you look in the rear view mirror heading out, become my client, local or on-line.
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Award winning speaker, hire me to speak to your group, local or out-of-state.
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Garden books by Tara Dillard, Amazon.

6 comments:

La Contessa said...

This might help my cause!
I purchased a pair of gates years ago……they would fit perfectly at my entrance, but the husband wouldn't put up!He says gates say STAY OUT!!
I adore your gates here…..love the bit about the chickens too!Do you know I had an antique shop called the HEN HOUSE for 12 years!I too have chickens…….perhaps this will help my GORGEOUS GATE ORDEAL!
Thank YOU!

Lydia said...

I just put "Tara Dillard" books on my list for Santa):-

cindy hattersley design said...

Thanks for keeping it real Tara!! so true!

Scat said...

I used to love see my neighbor's chickens roam past my house and I think they just naturally go back home. Never saw them being chased back.

Anonymous said...

First of all.........I LOVE those gates! They are divine!

Second of all chickens do not need gates! (My divine husband if 38 years was in the chicken business....)

we got "pet chickens......" he calls them "decorator chickens" 25 years ago when he sold his "poultry company" that his grandfather started in 1898!)

25 years ago.....We got our new "pet chickens.....and they went through the chain link fence to the next door. neighbor's...my housekeeper and I completely freaked.......I was crying....trying to find out how to open the neighbor's gate!

My darling husband said........"Calm down, Darling...leave the door to the coop open; go into the house.....and come back in 30 minutes!"

So we did. Guess what? All the new chickens (they were only three weeks old!!) were right back in their nest-boxes in their coop!

He said........"chickens know where their food and water and safety are.
They won't go far; and they will come back!"

All true!

Then I got Guinea Hens! OOOPS!!!

This is when we lived in Pasadena......the six of them took off......they went up our street.....they went across the lovely landmark Colorado Street bridge.......and went to the garden of the Norton Simon Art Museum! A friend was a docent......she called me....."I don't know anyone else who has Guinea Hens around here! I think yours are here!
(Later I got reports of the six of them in a procession across this beautiful bridge!)

I got in the car...went to the museum.........indeed they were...MINE!!!..they knew me so they came with me....into the car......back over the bridge.....they had such lovely taste! My talented friend Nancy Goslee Power had just re-landscaped the gardens there!.....

That must have been it! They were probably looking to get the new gardens publicized! With Guinea hens! (no photographers........unfortunately!) too bad before iPhones.......they might have gone viral!!!

Tara that is the most beautiful gate...EVER!!!

Penelope

ps La Contessa can show her husband my gates.......they keep no one in or out! He is Italian......he might like them! we could "trade"!!!

Cerberus German shepherds said...

HOW fantastic...I want one!