A Library and a Garden

I am reminded of a lovely quote from Cicero on the days when I venture in to one of my local libraries; a library with many books and a garden too!

 Sweet ceramic quote tag by the talented Kylie Johnson of Paperboat Press.

I visit this library not just to browse the books at my leisure but to visit the community garden. There is always inspiration and ideas to be found in the flowers, herbs, fruits and seeds in this garden just outside the library's doors.

Citrus trees feature in this community garden.

 A riot of purple flowers adorn this basil.

 Hot pink blooms on a dianthus.

 The vibrant flowers of the marigold.

 The delicate flowers of society garlic.

A thriving salvia in bloom.

Just imagine if every public library had a community garden! A place where adults and children alike could wander; brushing against herbs, bending down to smell flowers, asking when the fruit on a lime or lemon tree might be ripe and following a bee from bloom to bloom. Sometimes, there might be seeds, seedlings or bunches of herbs for sharing; to bring home to your own garden to plant or to cook with. And, just think how lovely it would be to sit on a bench in the garden to read a newly-borrowed book...

 Garden seating on which to rest and read if one chooses.

A community garden like this one offers much that can delight us, inspire us and grow our knowledge about gardening, food and nature. I think it's kind of perfect that it's attached to a library. Together, they offer perhaps not everything we need, as Cicero said, but still a whole lot that is very worthwhile.

Do you have a community garden close to where you live? Do you visit it and draw inspiration from it?

Meg

p.s. This lovely little community garden is located just outside the Mitchelton public library in Brisbane, Australia.