For ME?!

The Patient Gardener at the patient gardener's weblog sent word that she had awarded my blog the Arte y Pico award. What a nice surprise! Thank you, Patient Gardener. I had no idea my modest offering could be of any value to others. But, the feedback has been wonderful. Thank you for the encouragement.

I understand that along with the honor go some responsibilities such as abiding by these five rules:

1. Choose 5 blogs you consider deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and contribution to the blogging community, regardless of the language.

2. Each award should have the name of the author and a link to his/her blog to be visited by everyone.

3. Each award winner should show the award and put the name and link to the blog that presented him/her with the award.

4. The award winner and the one who has given the award should show the Arte y Pico blog so everyone will know the origin of this award. Translated, it means "the peak of art."

5. Show these rules.

I had to think about this for a few days, because there were so many I wanted to name. It was most difficult to choose so few, and even so, I have cheated and named 6 instead of 5. I could not cull them down to any fewer.

I tried to choose only those who had not received the award before, as far as I could tell, in hopes of spotlighting blogs and their creators who had not enjoyed the recognition they deserve.

Some of you may not want to play, and that is OK with me. Still, I wanted each of you to know that the results of your efforts are appreciated.

Thinking of Beauty, these are my final selections:

First of all there is Kerri at Colors of the Garden whose inner beauty, plus sweet spirit, shine through her lovely, and friendly, blog: Colors of the Garden.

Karin in Sweden and her blog, Ute och inne. Even though I cannot read the Swedish language, it doesn't make any difference. I can recognize enough words to understand enough and the photographs are gorgeous! My visits are always enjoyable. Sometimes she writes in English, which must require additional effort and dedication. A beautiful blog. Ute och inne.

Esther... Esther In the Garden for her talent, delightful originality, entertainment, and all the beautiful smiles and chuckles she sows among her readers. But, she has to share with Lucy (whose eye-of-an-artist's is apparent in her outstanding photography), because Lucy has been such a good friend and helper. esther in the garden

Philip Bewley... Philips Garden Blog
I miss my classes in History of Architecture, History of Interiors, Art History, European History, etc. I feel at home in Philip's beautiful blog. Subjects of his posts display the range of his eclectic interests from river restoration to fine art; plants that are special to antique-style tools and flower pots; gardens all over the world from deserts to roof-tops; maybe not poets' ivory towers, but there are famous writers' huts; from cottage gardens in California to an Edwardian garden on the windswept grounds of the castle on Holy Island, England. And of course, the overall quality includes his photography: excellent. Philips Garden Blog

Phillip Brown has amassed photographs of his own and others in his two blogs, Golden Age Gardens, and Houseplants.

A family member once said of me: Barbee' "is a romantic in the old sense of the word." Interesting to be seen through the eyes of others. So, that is what is wrong with me, is it? I knew no one else around me shared whatever it is I am. Finally, I have found someone who, perhaps is not a romantic... or maybe is, but someone who has pulled much of it together into a blog or two where I may visit and steep in visuals dripping with romance.

I would never have found all these heart-meltingly beautiful photos if Phillip had not searched and gathered them all together for me. Where does he find them all! Ah, the Victorian and Edwardian gardens and gardeners, Gertrude Jekyll, William Robinson and many more... He brings them all into his Golden Age Gardens as one would bring plants into a walled garden.

Houseplants: Should be named Houseplants and more. I learn things there, such as: Dicksonia antartica plants were brought back as ballast on packet boats in the 1880's. He describes this blog as: Houseplants, conservatories, glass houses. I add that it is also:
Houseplants to container gardens; Alpine troughs to Carnivorous plants. Photography of his and others.

His work is not without humor. One Ann Geddes style photo of large flower pots each filled with a baby, he has labeled: "Need plenty of light and good drainage!"

His blogs are no longer showing up in the Picks lists of Blotanical, because they need to be updated with Feedburner, but, they are definitely worth seeking out... especially if you are a romantic. Houseplants
Golden Age Gardens I could (and do) get lost in this one for hours!

And finally, a couple in the subtropical mountain rainforest around Nimbin, Northern NSW Australia, and his blog Wholistic. I add him to my list for the beauty and elegance of their lifestyle. I am reminded of Swiss Family Robinson, and Tarzan and Jane. Reminded, also, of Jon Franklin who wrote in Writing for Story, "Simplicity, carried to an extreme, becomes elegance." I scrolled all the way down to the bottom of his archives list and started with his first post: "A nice opening thought" Sunday, February 18th, 2007. If it had been a book, I would not have been able to put it down. Wholistic