My gardens have been busy in the past week for some reason. A neighbor has her parents visiting from Brazil, and she has brought them both (on separate visits) to see the gardens and the butterflies I'm raising. Neither of them speak much English, but they both love flowers and they were fascinated with the caterpillars and chrysalises.

I also had a mother bring her young daughter to see the butterflies. Okay, it's not the garden, but we visited those too, to look at the Milkweed plants and the Monarch Waystation sign. The little girl loves caterpillars and butterflies.

Often the visitors get to watch the hummingbirds that visit the garden in back. This Spring I had a Baltimore Oriole nest in the Oak tree above the bird feeders and would show that to visitors. The birds and butterflies certainly add to the appeal of the gardens.

People stare as they walk by, but they don't stop to talk usually. A friend called this summer though and asked if she could bring her cousin, who is a master gardener, to see the garden and we had a great time talking flowers. The home schooled kids next door came over to see my caterpillars I was raising. Whenever we have folks over for dinner, they always ask to see the gardens. However, I joke that they only asked because they knew if they didn't, I wouldn't invite them back. LOL

I love that your neighbors stop and talk, Bakemom. A garden should bring people together.

We live at the end of a dead end road in a town that is very rural anyway, so we have no "strollers". Sod fields on one side, potato fields on the other. Only one neighbor who does come by to look.

I FORCE people on to my garden paths!!! The UPS man has been a very patient garden tourer!!! Three summers ago we began a tradition of a huge pot luck garden party the 2nd weekend in August, just so these beds can get the viewing they deserve. Almost a hundred friends/co-workers came this year (which was a little much, actually..)but they all ooohh and ahhh. It's helped me recruit future winter sowers, had 3 colleagues from the office try it last year and at least one of them is really hooked.

No visitors. But family say "It really wild!" It is!

I love it when neighbors stop me while I am working in the garden and tell me how much they enjoy my garden. I have this one neighbor who teases me and tells me that when he buys a house he is going to hire me to do the landscaping for him. A few years ago I had someone stop and tell me that they took a pic of zinnia bed and had up as thier background on their computer. I thought that was so cool. And a few years ago a little girl knocked on the door and asked if she could pick some flowers for her mom. I thought that was so cute and of course I said yes(actually dh did) but still.

Paula

I have zero landscaping ability, so even after 12 years of gardening, my yard is not very remarkable. Or not enough to trigger spontaneous garden visits. Oh well, I enjoy myself and that's what counts! And DH enjoys me enjoying it, which is great, too.