Making a Travel Garden

Probably because the end of this year's quarantine is nowhere in sight, I've been dreaming of traveling. I think traveling is one of life's chief joys, and one of the things I like to do when I'm far from home is enjoy the different plants and environments I get to visit. Usually when I'm traveling, I am inspired by the gardens and cityscapes I see and want to try to recreate a little piece of that once I'm home to remind me of the good times I enjoyed while there. In the last few years, I've been lucky enough to travel overseas and those trips have served as inspiration for how my garden has evolved.

A few years ago, we took an amazing trip to Ireland (the ancestral home of my husband's people). We spent time walking the city streets in Dublin and enjoyed the tranquility of St. Stephen's Green in the city center, and the antiquity of the Trinity College Campus, and then spent 8 days on a self-guided walking tour in County Kerry on the Dingle Way. After all this time, one of my fondest memories, is the beauty and vibrancy of the colorful flower boxes and planters that adorned every pub, no matter how small the village and the ever-present bright pots of Geraniums on the country doorsteps.

When I got home, I made sure to bring a little bit of Ireland to my garden. I bought a set of 3 terra cotta pots with saucers, and every year since, I buy a set of 3 vibrant geraniums to fill them. Just like the doorsteps of the Irish cottages along the trail, I stack those pots along my staircase. All summer long, when I pass them on my way in and out, I think about the beauty of the wild west coast of Ireland, and the time we spent there.

Another trip that inspired my evolving garden, was a trip to Southern France we took just a few summers ago. I had some extended time off work, and so we spent 15 days in Provence and the Luberon hill villages. Since our trip was in July, we were lucky enough to see the famous Provencal Lavender fields in bloom and I was inspired by the color, the scent, all of it!

This year, when re-landscaping our front walk, I was able to bring a little bit of my memories of Provence to life, when I added six Lavender plants to the scheme. I've been really happy with the result and love on a summer morning to step out to the walk to smell the lovely perfume as they warm in the sun. I truly hope to return to that part of the world again, but until I do... I'll get to appreciate my little piece of it, everyday!

Of course, you don't need to travel far afield to find inspiration for your garden. When you visit a new or even a familiar place, keep your eyes peeled for the plants that make that place unique or beautiful, and consider how you might bring a little bit of the place home with you to enjoy again and again every year! Here's to hoping that someday in the not-too-distant future, we'll all be able to enjoy the luxury of travel again!

Lavender in the village of Lacoste in Provence