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July 9, 2010 · 8 Comments

Garden Blogger Peeking into Other People’s Gardens

How to

garden blogger photographing mirror in garden

Adding a mirror to the garden is a great way to make a small space look bigger.

This was me all day today — camera stuck to eye, as I toured some fantastic gardens in Buffalo, N.Y. with the annual garden blogger meetup.

As one of the organizers of the National Garden Festival said, “Please let people know Buffalo is more than snow and hot wings.” And, so it is. Buffalo has some of the cutest, most intensely planted cottage-style gardens I’ve seen, in several places whole neighborhoods full of gardens open to the public during the Buffalo Garden Walk.

This photo illustrates one of the ideas many of these cottage gardeners used: placing mirrors around the space to make it look larger. As a garden blogger, I loved touring those gardens and thank the homeowners for sharing.

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Comments

  1. Laura says

    July 10, 2010 at 1:49 pm

    I love the snap! Seeing your reflection in the mirror is very cute!

  2. meemsnyc says

    July 11, 2010 at 10:13 pm

    How awesome to view other people’s gardens!

  3. commonweeder says

    July 12, 2010 at 10:04 am

    I wish I had thought to get a ‘self portrait’ in one of those mirrors. Great photo.

  4. Blackswampgirl Kim says

    July 13, 2010 at 8:45 am

    I don’t blame you–I think I’d have had my camera permanently attached to my face, too, given all of the lovely photos you all are showing from this weekend!

  5. Carri says

    July 16, 2010 at 4:04 pm

    I need to remember to put mirrors in my garden- I love how it looks in this picture!

Trackbacks

  1. My Northern Garden » Blog Archive » Garden Tour Take-Aways says:
    July 31, 2010 at 12:43 pm

    […] then hit the Northfield Garden Club tour, followed by my trip to Buffalo, N.Y. for three days of nonstop garden visits. In the past two weeks, I’ve been to three more tours. First, the North Oaks Garden Tour, […]

  2. New Plant Introductions: How Well Did They Grow? | My Northern Garden says:
    November 19, 2010 at 11:57 am

    […] and like the Pretty Much Picasso, just kept on blooming right through October. When I attended the Garden Bloggers Meetup in Buffalo, N.Y., this summer, this plant was much discussed. Everyone seemed to like it, but many […]

  3. Three Lessons from Garden Tours says:
    September 14, 2018 at 5:03 pm

    […] then hit the Northfield Garden Club tour, followed by my trip to Buffalo, N.Y. for three days of nonstop garden visits. In the past two weeks, I’ve been to three more tours. First, the North Oaks Garden Tour, […]

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Lola is the only one allowed in the garden beds ar Lola is the only one allowed in the garden beds around here until about, oh, April 15, maybe later. It’s so, so, so tempting to go clomping 🥾around in the garden during these warm March weeks in Minnesota. The ground is thawing but it’s still soft and easily compacted. 

I did do one garden job today, pruning the Chestnut crabapple tree. This is a crab you grow for the fruit, which are like half/sized apples. Fortunately, the snow drifts around my tree are high enough that I could walk in without compressing the ground. 

Enjoy these beautiful days! We know there will be more snow ❄️ and cold ahead. 
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New podcast episode and giveaway! Dill is one of t New podcast episode and giveaway! Dill is one of those plants that brings in all sorts of beneficial insects, creating a productive, healthy vegetable 🍅 garden. On this week’s Grow it, Minnesota podcast, I talked companion planting with local food advocate and gardener Michelle Bruhn from @forksinthedirt. 

We’re both fans of a new book by @jessicawalliser called Plant Partners that looks at the science behind companion planting. A lot of it boils down to creating healthy soil and a welcoming environment for bugs, bees and pollinators. My review of the book is over on the My Northern Garden blog (link in bio) and I’m giving away a copy of the book. To be eligible for the giveaway, just comment below — do you use companion planting methods? What combinations work in your garden? What flowers do you plant near your veg garden? The winner will be chosen March 10 (US and Canada only)
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In normal times, we’d be in our first week in Fl In normal times, we’d be in our first week in Florida right now, which would mean a visit to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens on our first full day there. Always great art and gardens to see. Then some beach time and plans for our first preseason game. (Twins, Pirates, Orioles, it’s all great.) We were very lucky to get the trip in last year and hope to be in Sarasota again this time next year. Meanwhile I’m indulging in some Insta-nostalgia and feeling grateful for longer days and sunshine here in Minnesota. Which vacations are you remembering fondly these days? 
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New issue of Northern Gardener and a cup of tea— New issue of Northern Gardener and a cup of tea—great way to pass a gloomy late afternoon. This issue is full of ideas for spring from @jenniferrensenbrink @monarchgardensbenjaminvogt @gbrownhudson @seedtofork and more. Stunning cover image from @riedelphoto.  Available March 1 on newsstands or subscribe through @mnhort! 
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Winter ❄️ sowing? Have you tried it? Today’s Winter ❄️ sowing? Have you tried it? Today’s guest on the Grow it, Minnesota podcast is Michelle Mero Riedel, who introduced me and readers of Northern Gardener to the concept more than a decade ago. It’s been one of  our most popular articles ever. 

In winter sowing, you create mini-greenhouses out of milk jugs and other recyclables. Perennial flowers 💐 can be planted in February and March, while annuals, vegetables and herbs can be set out in April. Mother Nature does most of the work. It’s a budget friendly way to grow lots of plants! 

For more info, check out the podcast or a new blog post over on mynortherngarden.com. Links to all in bio. 
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What is this? Like day 10 or 12 with temps below z What is this? Like day 10 or 12 with temps below zero? Time to ramble back to June when the penstemon was covered in bees and the veronica looked so pretty. June is my second favorite month in the garden (believe it or not, September is number one for me). What’s your favorite month? P.S. only 14 weeks until June! 
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Oh boy, check out the bucket hat and shades. I was Oh boy, check out the bucket hat and shades. I was digging through some old family photos and came across this one of me circa 1990s, I’d guess, weeding at our first house. I had a lot to learn (like A LOT) about gardening, and little did I know then that I’d be writing about gardening for a living someday. Lots of good thing happen in the garden. 
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