Amish quilt for my Tim

The Black-eyed Susie flowers came from Kentucky, uprooted to Coconut Grove, Florida, uprooted to West Palm Beach and finally resting in Georgia.  They have made the rounds for the past 30 years and transplanted well.

This is where I go relax when I can't garden anymore. 
It's my outdoor breakroom.

My daughter gave me this Cat Art for Christmas. 
At the foot of the Oakleaf Hydrangea is catnip for Possom & Melvin.

White MacDonald lily from Scotland

About the Artist/Gardner: Jane Moran

When I was in my twenty's I sold my embroidered jeans and jackets to independent clothing stores and made dresses for boutiques in NYC. I was lucky enough to meet with Janis Joplin's manager and made a few outfits for her also. Did I save any…only the one elf in the picture. I love to give away.

As time went on motherhood became my lively hood, I got into quilting and gave family members my best. The last quilt I started was the Amish quilt which I made for my Tim. It hangs in my great room with an occasional cat checking it out.

My PAH came with the famous pill back in 1997 that was taken off the market. I've had to adjust everything in my life around this illness but I'm going to keep going and fighting this disease. Fortunately I'm still able to work, it's a sit down job with data entry.

My main interest is gardening and canning what I pick. When the last tomato is picked and the season is ending is when I go into high gear cleaning the beds for next year. As New Years Eve approaches I've already planned my garden in my mind and on paper and wait on the seed catalogues. This year I added more raised beds so I could sit down on the cinder block covered in bricks. I plan on covering the cinder blocks with a moss mixed with buttermilk. I blend it and paint it on when the weather is cooler. Makes a nice look. Sometimes I can only spend 5 minutes a day outside and then the grandkids come over and help weed. Nothing like the grandbabies. Since I got the weed hound (a stick that pulls out the weeds without bending over) the kids run to pull weeds. Great tool. Oh I forgot, I collect bricks so all of my gardens are bricked.

Copyright © 2006 Janie Moran. All rights reserved.
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Boy those stocked shelves look good! You have a bounty stored away for the winter months. I love that you dragged bathtub water out. I wish I could find a plumber that would help me capture my gray water from the wash and the bath to water my garden. It's against code, but I'm going to try to find someone to do it anyway. Watering and flushing with potable water makes no sense at all and it's time to face it.

Your garden is a joy to see and hear about.

Your gardens are truly beautiful, How creative you are. Liz

Janie, I am dreaming of spring and planning to start a garden this year. We are living in a new location, and it is an open palate. I would take you up on your offer of the black-eyed susan's. You may already be coming out of the dormant season there in Georgia, but we are still very much dormant here. I have 300 bulbs that I didn't get in the ground last fall - kept thinking I would get it done, and didn't. They have been in the garage all winter, so hopefully I can still set them out early and encourage them to set in and bloom. The problem is, I don't know where to put them, because I don't have any beds ready yet. But I know your little beauties would find a lovely spot to repose. You have a beautiful garden and a lovely patio. I have a question, though - how do you get the gazebo to stand up to storms? We have a patio and have though of putting a gazebo on it, but we don't know how we would anchor it so that it wouldn't come through the window. I love the screens; it's the only way to be able to sit outside at night. What a restful, peaceful place you have. Well, anyway, it looks restful, but you probably don't get much rest at all taking care of it.

Janie, your Garden is gorgeous. I Love your Black-eyed Susan's, they are Maryland's State Flower. I love Quilts and yours are so beautiful. I envy anyone who has so much talent and the energy to do everything that you do.
You remend me of my daughter. Her name is Kathy and also very active. Gardeneing, quilt making and even a Soccer Mom, besides taking care of her family and holding down a full time job. She doesn't have PH though but you do so in my eyes that makes you "SPECIAL".

Doris

Sewing and gardening are two things I would love to be good at, but no talent there for me. Your work is all beautiful and I absolutely LOVE your outdoor room!!! What a fantastic place to relax.

You have to tell me how to do the cinder blocks and bricks...to elavate them so I can have a place to sit down would be wonderful! I think I will work on it in the year to come! If you could just email me the ingredients that I need becides the basic cinder blocks and bricks...lol! Thanks!!!
God bless,
Sue

Wow! I absolutely LOVE your garden. It certainly puts my yard to shame. Your love of growing things certainly is reflected in this masterpiece.

My favorite place would be on the patio with a steaming cup of tea and a good book.

Thanks for sharing your talent with us.

Marcine, the walkway in the shaded area I had for my grandson Jacob. He lived with us for the first 2 years of his life while my daughter Beck and her hubby Dave saved money for a house. To keep Jacob away from the woodsy area, I made the garden path with bricks I found and made it Jakes garden. It has turned out to be wonderful and I know what you mean about shade gardens.

Cheryl, as for Janis, her manager stiffed me for the clothes….those were the days. The garden attracts many birds and turtles that Melvinator the cat and Possomcat try and eat them. The turtles have made my garden their breeding area. Yes, it's way too much for me and hubby Darryl. There are days we think of moving to a smaller home. Maybe down the road but at the moment I'll keep trying to keep it.

Jeannie, I just can't drive past a pile of bricks. Even if it's too much for me to gather, I take days to keep gathering. Right now I have about 400 bricks stacked up with no place to go. Will have to think about them this winter. Keeps my mind going even in the fog.
The cinder block and brick is quite enough for me to sit on. It would cost you a bundle in dirt if you had 2 cinder blocks. I'm 5'4" and I'm quite comfortable sitting on one cinder & brick. Give it a try.

Ralf, no garden is too small. When I lived in New York City I lined my windowsill with pots, tomatoes, herbs and so on. Every garden is a work of art. Mine has just gone wild. It needs dividing and I don't have the energy. So please, please post your pictures. It's wonderful to see everyone's garden.

Also if any of you would like some Black eyed Susie's I could send them in the mail. I think they would make it, even to Germany. I'd do it when they are dormant. Let me know. They have traveled all over.
Janie

Janie, what a wonderful garden and so many beds! The terrace would be my favorite place. The black eyed susies are impressing, imagine how they came around, like you. And that you dressed Janis Joplin - WOW.
I am not sure if I should post my tiny garden, after I say this.
Very nice.
Ralf

Oh Janie, Your gardens are just gorgeous. The only regret I have from selling my home in the city is having to leave 15 years of gardening effort behind. If I'd known what was in store for me (PH) I believe I'd have stayed... five minutes from the Texas Medical Center and all my wonderful gardens. I actually chose this house because of the huge yard... back and front... with almost nothing planted... lol... I thought, FINALLY... I'll have enough space! Well... of course, didn't happen. But I've learned to adjust... or, I should say, I am learning to adjust. This year I planted about a thousand vines all over every fence, trellis, porch railing, patio railing, heck I even found a pipe connected to the house (had previously held a TV aerial) and planted a vine on it. You know, it isn't my dream garden, but I swear I have more butterflies and hummingbirds than I've ever seen... and the best part? The two little girls next door love the vines frowing onto their side of the privacy fence... and we're saving seed for them to plant next year.

But, I digress. Your plants are fabulous and I can see it is a labor of love... it shows on every corner. I loved what you said about 'collecting' bricks... I have always picked up stray bricks and particularly like the ones with names and/or symbols impressed in them... plus, the best, old street bricks. Are your elevated beds the depth of one cinderblock with one flat brick on top? If so, is that high enough for you? I made a small elevated bed this year (about 8 inches deep) and it still seems very awkward for me. I'm hoping to create an area two cinderblocks wide and two or three cinderblocks deep... then topped with something to make a more comfortable seating area... probably bricks. I'm afriad this is gonna cost a small fortune so probably won't be building many...lol! I also looked at a concrete company where they make all sorts of concrete "pipes"... culverts, septic tanks, etc... thinking a few of those would make nice elevated large beds... I could decorate the edge with a band of mosaic or something. I dunno.

Anyhow... absolutely love your gardening efforts... Jeannie in TX

I had to laugh abour Janis Joplin. When I heard her sing live years ago at the Fillmore here, I thought "who is that woman who cannot sing?" What did I know!!!!!

Your garden is fabulous. Fabulous! I know what it takes to keep things going. I don't know this from personal experience mind you. We have a postage stamp sized parcel out back and my husband tends to that. I would love a bit more land, but I'm pretty sure we could not handle it.

My hat is off to you. You've created a paradise there.

You must attract many birds and butterflies. Good job.

Janie,

Your work is fabulous. Nothing else can describe it.

You are so lucky that your grandhchilren help in the garden. Through you, they are being taught not only how to garden but how to appreciate the benefits of nature.

Personally, while I love the garden products, be it vegetable or flowers, nothing speaks to me like the smell and silence of a garden, especially a shade garden. There is no place more peaceful...

Welcome to the Creative Corner, Jane!