What Motivates Me To Garden
While reading, I came across this quote above and loved it. Only yesterday, I had said to someone, I love gardens because you collect not only plants, but the people who go along with them. For me, it is a powerful personal driver for gardening.
I was flipping through Jo Thompson’s new book, The New Romantic Garden, to fire my imagination for my roses that are yet to grow. At the moment, the rose bushes look like tiny tufts of brown twigs with a few pink and green shoots – not much to write about. My five new rose bushes that came bare-root this spring, and I am trying to imagine the glories that they will become–hence Jo’s book, which is loaded with glorious images of roses and romantic flower gardens.
I had already been thinking along these lines because my friend Jacki had just asked me, “Why do you garden?” This question continued to rattle around in my head for days. My first response to her, as we were standing in a luscious greenhouse (AKA my equivalent of a candy store), was I garden for all of me: heart, body, and mind.
Gardening is so intertwined with my whole life. It is such a big part of my identity and the driving life force within me. It is my exercise, my head-clearing space, my spiritual driver, and so much more. But the more I thought about it, I realized that the answer was not solely a personal one, but it really involved the gardening community–all of us.
I would love for you to share your thoughts on this question. What motivates you to garden? Is it the gardening people, as Jo says in her quote; is it the plants themselves? Do you talk to them? Or is it something completely different? Each of us has a unique garden, so it would make sense that our reasons for gardening are different too.
P.S. After writing this section of the newsletter, another box of roses arrived that I must have ordered in a fit of winter blues. Then, of course, I acquired another couple of rose bushes on my travels, and now I don’t know where to put them (and the arbors have not yet arrived.) Oh well, it is a nice problem to have.
Before You Garden…
This month, I discuss some of my favorite pink flowers for your garden. (I couldn’t resist – it includes some roses).
Someone asked me the other day why I love pink. I thought for a moment and the best answer I could come up with was that it makes me happy. It is a cheerful bright color that brings me joy – so I wear it and plant more pink flowers! I thought then that I should share my obsession….
Jenny Rose Garden Travels
What a busy month! Lots of travel, fun lectures, and meeting people from all over the country. This year so far, I have been to Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, and, of course, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington State, and West Virginia. My goal is to visit every state and to give a lecture there too. If you live in a state that I have not given a lecture in, please invite me–I would love to add you to my list. There will be a map up on my website that shows the states and countries where I have lectured. Please help me turn the whole map pink!
We had a lovely tea in the Carriage House to celebrate Pam Hubbard’s new book,The Contemporary Cottage Garden. Pam gave a presentation; we ate cake and drank tea; and we enjoyed a garden walk.
Please check out my Instagram accounts for updates on garden travels and lectures-@NorthviewGarden and @JennyRoseCarey.
Plant of the Month: Cherokee Rose
On my recent trip to Colonial Williamsburg to speak at their Spring Symposium, I was very taken with the old roses growing on the fences. I have always loved old roses, and grow some of them here at Northview. I have found that these plants, which were loved in earlier times, are survivors in today’s gardens. They are tough, but at the same time, lovely–otherwise, no one would have passed them along from garden to garden.
One of my Herb Society friends, Joanne, has the rose of the month in her garden. I have admired it for years and wanted to take a cutting from it. When the chance arrived in Williamsburg for instant gratification, there was a rose already rooted and ready to plant. I took it.
The Cherokee Rose is a perfect plant to grow over a three or four foot fence. It is covered in single white blooms with a slight fragrance. The center has decorative yellow stamens, making it a great choice for a pollinator garden. I can’t wait to find a place for my new-old rose in my Herb Garden.
Curious About My Garden?
Throughout the spring and summer of 2026, I will be hosting two Open Garden days from 10am to noon at Northview, the four-and-half acres I call home. Full of intricately connected small gardens, whimsical fountains, native shade plants, and much more, a visit is sure to leave you with inspirations for your own gardens.
The entry fee to Open Garden Days is $20 per person. Parking is limited, so I advise carpooling if possible. Email me at jennyrosecarey@gmail.com to reserve your spot!
2026 Dates:
June 5
September 26
Book of the Month:
The New Romantic Garden,
by Jo Thompson
The New Romantic Garden, by Jo Thompson is truly an inspiration. There is a short introduction that defines her style, some of her favorite plants, and the way that she works. The rest of the book is a collection of some of the gardens that she has designed, accompanied by wonderful photos. The gardens are varied, and she describes them in different seasons, so that you can see how the designs work throughout the year.
Thinking about the title – what makes a garden look and feel “romantic”? Jo Thompson defines her parameters, and one of them is that she wants “to see the plants enjoying themselves”. This is such a great image. She also likes to “let the plants define the space how they choose”.
Roses are heavily featured throughout the book. The deep, rich maroon rose, ‘Munstead Wood’ leapt off the page to greet me. She mentions another pink favorite of mine, ‘Ispahan’. All of these luscious roses are combined in Jo’s designs with gem-colored tulips, stately foxgloves, globe-like alliums, dahlias, salvias, and many more. These flowers are set off by green enclosures, nooks for sitting in, and sometimes a fountain. Jo’s gardens look exciting and livable.
I am lucky to have met Jo several times. Once, when she came to speak here in Pennsylvania at the Andalusia Symposium, and at various of her exquisite Chelsea Flower Show Gardens. Last year, her Chelsea Garden won a Gold Medal and was called The Glasshouse Garden–named for the women’s charity in the UK that supports women’s rehabilitation after prison. The garden was re-located after the show to one of the prisons where they work.
The flow and design of the garden were so good. The focal point was a glass-enclosed pavilion which featured doors that swung open. There was a water-filled narrow channel called a rill that led along a stone path. The benches were rough-hewn large logs. The planting was partly in the shade of some birch trees, with sun-filled areas at the front. The predominant flower color I called “crushed mulberry,” and that was paired with coordinating deep dark colors in foliage. Flowers included Roses ‘Tuscany Superb’, and ‘Charles de Mills’, paired with pink poppies, bearded irises, poppies, and astrantia.
In Case You Were Gardening…
Using Chicken Grit in Gardens and Containers as a Mulch and to Increase Drainage in Soil, published April 6, 2026
A Mother’s Day Tradition – Planting Seedlings out, published May 12, 2025
4 Easy to Grow Cutting Flowers from Seeds, published March 5, 2025
If you like this newsletter, please tell your gardening friends about it. It is easy to subscribe by contacting me via my website.
If you would like to see photos of my garden at Northview and images of my garden travels, please follow me on Instagram @NorthviewGarden and @JennyRoseCarey
Bye for now,
Want More? Check Out My Books!
While shady areas can be a challenging area for gardeners, Glorious Shade shows you how to make the most of it by helping you chose the right plants for the space and sharing key designing and maintenance tips.
The Ultimate Flower Gardener’s Guide gives gardeners the confidence needed to create the flower-filled garden of their dreams. Instead of concentrating primarily on color, it brings flower shape and texture to the fore, helping homeowners to create cohesive, yet unique, flower gardens.
The Essential Guide to Bulbs is a gorgeously photographed, comprehensive, and inviting resource. While many gardeners may be familiar with the early show of spring bulbs, there are so many more to choose from that provide three-season color, drama, and spontaneity in the garden.
Not only are these books an excellent addition to your gardening book collection, I personally sign every book purchased directly from my website as a special thank you.
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