The path that my son Christopher is traversing while determining which college to attend has been long and arduous. What started as fun Saturday afternoon strolls around picturesque campuses quickly became spending hours sitting in front of a computer writing essays, ordering test scores, and hitting the submit button while silently praying that he had done enough to receive the prized âYouâve been acceptedâ email. He has an absolutely clear vision of his major and his future profession: audio engineering leading into a career as a music producer. His passion is palpable. What he is in the process of determining now is the logistics. That is where the path becomes a bit more difficult. Reality has set in. Finding a high quality program, in a setting that will foster his creativity all while being something that he can afford. What college and college program will best prepare him to succeed at what he believes is his lifeâs purpose. That is the ultimate end to this path.
We all have projects around our homes that we would like to implement. Generally, those projects start out similar to Christopherâs idyllic Saturday afternoon strolls. We dream, as we bask in the beauty of what we want to achieve. We think, we plan and we may even discuss our plans with others. The process of planning a home improvement project is tremendous fun at first. The process though can become quickly muddled as we try to figure out the logistics.
The days of winter can seem tremendously long. While there are many things we canât do, we certainly can dream. I often think of this quote by Josephine Nuese. âAnyone who thinks gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year; for gardening begins in January with the dream.â
For now, while the snow is blanketing the ground, I encourage you to dream. Dream of what you want flowers you want to plant in your yard, what type of tomatoes you want to eat on your BLT or what herbs you want to harvest in June. Donât try to figure out the logistics just yet. Simply envision your yard and dream. As a means to envisioning your yard, please consider these resources.
The Huntley Library has a great selection of books and magazines available regarding plants and gardening.
âThe Huntley Library has a wide variety of gardening books available, from container gardening to flower-arranging and everything in between. Weâre always happy to assist you in locating a book that would be helpful for your project,â said Leigh Ann Porsch, Huntley Library staff member.
I could spend hours wandering around the Half Price Books store in the Algonquin Commons. They often have some beautiful full color gardening books several of which I have found very inspirational. Their website is www.hpb.com/117
Also, âBig Dreams, Small Spacesâ is a television series that is featured on Netflix. It is set in England, so the specific plants may not do well in our area, but that is the beauty of dreaming. Check it out, you may find that there are some elements that you could incorporate into your yard.
âLove Your Gardenâ is another gardening program available on Netflix. It is a truly fantastic series about a team of horticulturists that travel through the United Kingdom planting gardens for deserving citizens.
Through social media, âGarden Ideas & Outdoor Livingâ offers a Facebook page that is a treasure trove of information. From caring for your houseplants during winter to a DIY corner planter their articles are many and varied. Check it out at www.facebook.com/GardenIdeas/
Fine Gardening magazine has a tremendous presence on Pinterest with 59 boards you are bound to find inspiration.
If you would like to venture out of your home for inspiration, consider checking out the The Morton Arboretum. It is open year-round. Chocolate weekend is February 9-10 from 10-4 p.m. It celebrates the Cacao tree with free chocolate samples and array of vendors. For more information go to their website www.mortonarb.org or call 630-968-0074.
The Chicago Botanic Garden is also open 12 months. It offers a complete selection of Adult Education classes. The classes range from Botanical Arts to Cooking to Wellness & Fitness. For more information please go to their website www.chicagobotanic.org or call (847) 835-5440.
For now, keep dreaming. During the next column, I will address more of the logistics of planning, implementing and paying for your outdoor home improvement projects.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or emailing her at Kathleen@thegrowingscene.com.. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
