Garden Art Show

The Cracked Pots Garden Art show near Portland, Oregon is quite the festival. It's held on the grounds of McMenamin's Edgefield and you stroll around the gardens, beer in hand (!), marveling at the creations of mixed media artists. It's really fabulous to see what people can make from recycled materials. That's the rule, they have to use something in the piece that is reused. Metal, wood, stone, garden hoses, glass, wire, cable, etc. The creativity is astounding! If every area had an event like this, imagine all the stuff that would be repurposed and not go to the landfill. Oh, and all the gardens that would be decorated with beautiful, original art - LOVE it!

Zen Garden Sanctuary

Some people really know how to create a sense of place. This stunning garden belongs to my dear friends, Becky and Kris in Astoria, Oregon. The use of large containers, specimen trees and lots of interesting foliages really sets this garden apart. The sounds of water, wind chimes and the breeze rustling the bamboo is all part of the experience. That's what I like in a great garden - the feeling that you get while there and the exciting journey of discovery as you walk through. This gorgeous garden is for relaxing and calming the soul. I feel so fortunate to have spent 3 days taking it all in! I hope you can find your Zen garden experience this summer....