Monrovia : Community : Blog

It’s been some time since I’ve last written. Since then, my Midknight Blue Agapanthus and Cape Aurora Kangaroo Paws (Anigozanthos ‘Cape Aurora‘) have bloomed.

And, in a way, so, too, did my appendix.

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks recuperating from a very sudden operation. While everything went smoothly, as anyone on the mend can attest, it was still a little miserable. Having time to putter around my house allowed me to spend weekday afternoons in my garden – a rare opportunity – and, for that, I thank that seemingly useless organ.

It was this unanticipated time in my garden that made me really understand the idea of an outdoor space as a refuge. For me, my family’s backyard has been for entertaining, dining, growing food, and just plain frolicking. But, until now, I didn’t appreciate the idea of a beautiful space that allows quiet contemplation and a respite from the chaos of life.

My appendix is gone, but a much larger part of me will always be grateful for our simple concrete planter bench, the shade of a well-placed tree and some timely blooms in June.

In 1955, the groundbreaking designs of the American landscape architect, Thomas Church, were collected and published. The book, while showcasing the achingly beautiful, temperate climate of California, also inspired a great many after him to embrace what we all know to be true: gardens are for people.

It may be a coincidence that I am a great lover of Thomas Church and a native Californian; I’ve enjoyed what seems like a continual spring-summer, spring-summer my entire life. But, climate aside, it’s the notion of what Thomas Church exhibited in his work and in his landmark book, Gardens Are for People, with which I am so enamored.

Gardens and our outdoor living spaces are where we find calm, celebrate with friends and watch children grow. It’s where we throw open the doors and let down our hair. Our outdoor spaces are an extension of our indoor spaces, but intentionally or not, they are subject to the fragility of nature. And often, that’s what makes them so remarkable.

Church crafted personal spaces that connected the outdoors with the real lives of people. Shrugging off the notion that a garden is for ornamentation alone, he was one of the founding fathers of the modern outdoor living room. Indoor-outdoor living, so in vogue today in every part of the country, is a tribute to this man and this philosophy.

At Monrovia, we are merely a group of people that have coalesced to promote this idea. We are, in fact, people for gardens.

In this space, you’ll find musings and thoughts from a collection of us here at Monrovia. And along the way, we’ll have some special guests too. In late April, we’ll launch our Community Forum, where we’d love to hear all about your garden dreams, ideas, inspirations, and questions.

We know that gardens have always brought people together and we invite gardeners from every style, skill level, and climate zone to join our virtual garden club.