I love this story from Connie Orient about her inspiration for an English cottage garden that was inspired by her grade school pen pal. Read on to see what she had to say about it, and view some photos by clicking here or the image below. Thank you for sharing this Connie! 

“The background story behind the idea is this:  As a grade school project way back in the late ‘60’s (and I am dating myself!), our class was to choose a pen pal from a list given us by our teacher and to write to that person for the school term.  I chose Christine from Essex, England and we are STILL communicating after 50+ years!  We’ve gone from snail mail, to e-mail, to phone texting (via What’s App) and have covered not only world events and different customs but our lives as we graduated from high school and college, married, had children and now grandchildren. I have been to England several times and have visited and travelled with her and her husband and over the years. She has gifted me a bird house that looks like an English post box and a bird feeder that looks like an English phone booth!  With those in mind, I decided to create my English cottage garden with garden phlox, delphiniums, peonies, foxglove, catmint, hollyhocks and lavender. Plants were purchased this past weekend and I hope to have everything in the ground by this weekend and the feeder and birdhouse hung.  It is my own personal tribute to a beautiful friendship that has survived and thrived over many years and hundreds of miles!”