Beautiful boxwood

I really like boxwood. I guess I'm not the only one. I just discovered that there's an American Boxwood Society. Here's a new fun fact: boxwood has a lineage of ornamental use that dates back to 4000 B.C. Egypt and the first Roman courtyard gardens, boxwoods seem to compose a royal dynasty. Three times harder than oak, boxwood is so thick that ancient civilizations thought evil spirits couldn't penetrate it. And deer don't eat it... which is especially important in my garden, where they think we are here to provide their own personal feast. Here are some lovely inspirations:

Garden and a library...

I just stumbled upon an amazing Wonderland at Katiedid's blog. I'm new to the blogging world, but I'm quickly finding out how many wonderful bloggers there are out there and what wonderful things I can discover through the things they post.

So I definitely HAVE to go to The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens next time I'm in the L.A. area. I had no idea that this was in Pasadena.

As my Cicero quote says 'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need'. I think the Huntington has more than everything I want too :)

How does your garden grow...

I love formal gardens! I just got a bunch of new gardening books at an antique store this weekend, and there are some wonderful examples of formal gardens in them. I am very inspired for doing some major projects this year. Maybe not this major...

The thing I love about formal gardens is the symmetry and fun patterns that you can create. It is such a classic look... and once you have done the major work of design, formal gardens can actually be much easier to maintain than 'country' gardens (even though I love those too!).

This photo shows you can have formalness and symmetry, but still maintain some variety and color.

I love the idea of using different types of hedges, with different colored foliage to create a beautiful pattern.

This is an idea that I want to use for my vegetable garden.

Using potted plants and trees is another beautiful and creative way to add variety without having to actually do much gardening.

Its great when you can get some wonderful statues or focal points. I love this one.

I can't wait to get my hands dirty!