I have Rocks in My Head, OOPS!, I mean Garden Bed!
86My love affair with rocks started in my youth. How could it not? I was exposed to their beauty and utility in my earliest of remembrances.
My father grew up living in a house that his dad built. In fact, my father was born in that house. That was a rather common practice in 1925...at least in small towns.
My grandfather whom I never met, because he died of pneumonia when my dad was only 7 years old ( also common back then prior to penicillin and other drugs being invented ) designed the terraced hillside leading down to Okauchee Lake in the State of Wisconsin. He utilized numerous rocks in it's construction.
The rock garden must have been gorgeous in it's day! Each terrace had not only it's share of different shaped rocks of various sizes and colors, but shrubbery and flowers that would have created a scene of spectacular beauty as viewed from the shoreline looking back up to the house. It was also enjoyed by the people in boats that would be passing this site.
Rock pictures
Click thumbnail to view full-size
My paternal grandmother
My grandfather also built a number of cottages going down the hill and all of them were lake-side. As the hill flattened out, more terracing was not necessary. These were summer cottages and were rented out primarily to "city folks" coming to enjoy the lake for the season.
It was fortunate that my grandmother had this source of income as her husband died at such an early age. It was hard work getting the cottages readied for the summer. Piers had to be put in to the lake. Painting the cottages; cleaning them and preparing them for the summer occupants took much time and effort.
My dad got the job of mowing all the lawns, among other chores.
Keeping the terraced garden weeded and tended was not just work, but a source of relaxation and pride for my grandmother. The photos of the rocks at the top of this piece are ones from that very hillside. I am fortunate to have 3 rocks from that location in my possession today.
Rock from Central Wisconsin
Rock colors enhanced with water
Rock collecting once begun has continued through the years. The rock above was collected from a Wisconsin Rapids neighbor's parent's farm. The rocks would continually work up to the surface of the fields and became a nuisance to them. They were happy to have us take as many of them as we desired.
We had a sump pump in our basement that would electrically operate when the water table would get high. Instead of water flooding our basement, the pump worked to force water outside into a retaining pond that my husband and I had constructed. Various multi-colored rocks of different sizes and shapes lined the pond, and when not filled with water, the rocks became the eye catching focus of this part of the yard. Flowers lined the perimeter of the rock garden in the summer.
We lived there for 4 years and when we moved back to Houston, Texas, many of these rocks were moved along with our other possessions.
Rock Souvenir from Moonlight Bay
moonlight bay
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Mineral Identification
Beautiful colored rock in our backyard
Now instead of simply wanting a remembrance from my grandmother's home, and also using rocks to fulfill a purpose......like the construction of that pond, I started collecting rocks as souvenirs from various places that we had visited.
The one above is from Moonlight Bay in the Door County region of Wisconsin. It is a beautiful vacation spot for most people. In fact, my parents honeymooned there!
Imagine a peninsula surrounded by water from Lake Michigan with charming cottages and cute little towns. One distinct memory my husband and I have is of a grass covered roof with a goat on top munching the grass. One does not see sights like that in most places! Flower boxes filled with blooming geraniums and other brightly colored flowers are in abundance.
Friendly shopkeepers and restaurant owners are there to fulfill one's every need and desire.
Spring, Summer and Fall one can count on Door County being filled with tourists. If you plan a vacation there, make your reservations well in advance to secure a room for yourself. Then sit back and enjoy this quaint area filled with aquatic views almost everywhere one gazes.
This rock from Door County is in my garden today to remind me of our brief vacation there.
door county wisconsin
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Texas Hill country rock
hill country of texas
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The pictured rock above came from the Hill Country of Texas.
My brother helped lift them into the trunk of my car one time when I was visiting him.
I like to use natural rocks like this one as stepping stones.
They certainly are prettier than the concrete ones that one can purchase in most nurseries and garden centers.
Rocks as Art - Covered with lichens
Have you ever looked at rocks up close?
They are things of beauty........inside and out.
While some can look quite ordinary on the outside, if sliced open and polished, they become quite extra-ordinary pieces of jewelry or can be put to other decorative uses.
The rock above with the lichens growing on it looks like an abstract painting when photographed up close. It has a prime spot in our backyard where we can enjoy it's distinct form and shapely mass.
Lichen covered rock
Lichens
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Lichens and rocks...
Rock with quartz crystals
This rock pictured above with the quartz crystals was purchased from a rock shop along side the road while we were traveling through Arkansas.
It along with a few other purchases grace our backyard and add highlights to the rest of the landscape.
Good article about collecting rocks...
quartz
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Close-up photo of a gorgeous rock in our backyard
Identifying Rocks : How are Rocks Made?
Identifying Igneous Rocks
Identifying Metamorphic Rocks
Do you collect rocks and use them in your landscaping?
See results without votingRocks in my head?
While most of my rocks have prime staging areas in the garden and become a focal point, others like the ones above are gathered together to show off their contrasting colors and shapes. Ignore the clover! It does not belong there but sneaks in occasionally to capture my attention.
I remember with humor the time I had picked up a number of small rocks from a vacation in Oregon and put them in my suitcase. Some bright orange rocks and some totally green in color were among my prizes.
The suitcase was obviously very heavy and all was well until I got to the area of the airport where my carry on luggage was screened. Not realizing that my umbrella and the opaque rocks looked very suspicious to the person looking at the x ray, I was asked to open my luggage and display the contents.
The airport screen-er just shook her head in disbelief when she realized what those queer shapes on her x ray machine turned out to be. She said, and I quote........"I have never seen rocks worth carrying home in a suitcase!"
I know that she thought that I had rocks in my head!
Well........as the old saying goes........one person's trash is another person's treasure.
I value these collected rocks along with the memories they invoke, and although we have recently moved to a new home and had to leave some of them behind, a selection of them continue to happily reside in our backyard garden.
Do any of you readers have a similar attachment to rocks? I would love hearing from you to see what you do with them.
Isn't this rock a beauty!
What makes Rocks Red?
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Peggy enjoyed this - both my boys love collecting rocks, sea shells and fossils - we have quite the collection. Haven't found any in their beds yet though!
Hello arizonasunshine,
It would appear that we are two of a kind with reference to picking up rocks as souvenirs and using them in our landscaping and decorating. Nice to meet another rock lover! Thanks for your comment. Those must be large rocks to be used as benches!!!
Nice hub Peggy. I thought I was the the only one ever crazy enough about rocks to carry them home from vacations in my suitcase! I love rocks and thank goodness my husband does too because he doesn't mind hauling the heavy ones home that we find when camping. The big ones become part of our landscaping, my favorite "benches" are rocks! and the small ones sit in a shallow bowl on our coffee table to remind us of those special places.
Hi Dave,
Having studied geology in college, you would know much more than I do about rocks. I just love their beauty and have used them in landscaping for years. They are beautiful, aren't they! Happy rock hunting! :)))
Wow! I just love rocks and minerals...some of the most beautiful creations from our God. I got interested in rocks when I took a geology course in college. The lab we took with the class got me hooked. I have a modest collection of minerals and other rocks. I have used them to teach in some of my classrooms and some of the kids got interested.
I never used them to landscape, but keep them safely stored in a box. Some of very fragile and don't want them to break.
I live in Missouri and there are lots of places for rock hunting. Have to get out soon and do that...it has been too long not doing it.
Hi KoffeeKlatch Gals,
I can look out in our backyard today and enjoy looking at special rocks from special places worked into our garden design. Glad that you liked this and thanks for your comment.
Peggy, you come up with the most interesting hubs. Rocks are beautiful in their own way, they all have something special about them. As a souvenier they remind you of where you have been. Wonderful pictures.
Hi Pat,
I love that story of your daughter taking a rock ("a piece of Scotland") home with her and the reaction at the airport. Today with added fees for luggage weight, this is probably no longer a typical souvenir when flying. I have never been to Scotland but would enjoy visiting it someday. It is a golfing mecca. Does your daughter enjoy the sport of golf?
This is a great hub - lovely photographs, and interesting personal stories.
The tale about bringing home rocks in your suitcase brought back a memory.
When my kids were about 8 and 12 we went to visit friend in northern Scotland. On the last day, the kids asked to go play on the beach. It was winter, and the promised not to go near the water so they went while Wonderful Husbnad and I loaded the car.
At Aberdeen airport, our daughter was pulled over at security, and another officer was summoned. She was then asked to unpack her ruck sack. The mystery object was (of course) a large rock. Her explanation was that she was taking home a piece of Scotland.
It might not surprise you to learn that she is now grown, and lives in Scotland.
Hello Photography7777,
What a nice thing to say! Happy to hear that you enjoyed this hub about "rocks in my head..." as well as other hubs. Thank you! :-)
I absolutely love your writings, photography and the things you are interested in. Puts a smile on my face. Thank you for the time you have taken to write these and share them :]
Hi Tony,
From one "nutter" to another...glad that I have company in my love of rocks. Haha! Maybe it is the rest of the world that is nuts in not appreciating rocks? :-)
OMG I thought I was the only nutter who likes taking photos of rocks! I love rocks and tend to collect pebble-sized stones. People around me think I'm nuts enough already without confirming their opinions by actually collecting rocks! But I would love to!
Thanks for helping me feel less lonely in my love of rocks. Your photos are awesome. Thanks for sharing them.
Love and peace
Tony
Hello Lita,
Thanks for your insightful comment. Nice to know that you now understand your friend's love of rock collecting as souvenirs of her travels. They truly are art as you mentioned. I love the ones used in our landscaping beds.
My best friend loves to move around places and won't go home without rocks in her luggage(stones because they are smaller and easy to carry). Through this great hub about a family rock hobby, and the awesome photos of rare rocks, I now understand my friend. This is art! And only an artist appreciates the beauty of those treasures! Great works of art here, Peggy! Thanks for sharing.
Hi GodsAngel1,
We seem to be kindred spirits in the collecting of rocks. I was sorry any of them had to be left behind at our former home...but all the very special ones made it over here. Some were just way too heavy and also since one of the focal points was a collection of rocks around a tree in our backyard, I could't totally dismantle that for fear of ruining our chances of selling the house. I took as many as I thought that I could and spread the rest out so it still had the same effect...just a bit more sparse. Guess it worked...the house sold in 2 weeks time.
Keep sneaking yours into the back of the car! Rocks are beautiful souvenirs of your travels. Nice that you have strong boys to do any heavy lifting! :-)
I had to laugh. We do a lot of nature hiking and I carry rocks home from various locals, too. My boys always grown because I invariably recruit them to carry them home for me. My oldest son got the privilage of helping me the whole rock garden in our last move. We moved each rock, including some that took both of us to carry. I was lucky to be blessed with good, strong boys. I've never carried any through airport security, but sometimes I have to sneak them into the back of the car, so my husband won't see, or they might accidentally get left behind when it's time to go home.
Haha, Billy.
Since luggage now is strictly weight limited and has gotten very expensive verses the "old days" I think that my days of bringing rocks home via my airport luggage is probably over...but not forgotten! :-)
Perhaps you should have been a geologist Peggy. Imagine going through security with all those rocks today - no doubt they would find something wrong with them. Great pictures.
Hi itakins,
Oh those stone walls built of rocks are so beautiful! It is an undertaking that takes a lot of work but also artistry to fit together well. You should take pictures of your work and insert them into a hub if you have not thought of that. I think that most people appreciate them. Thanks for the comment.
I love this hub-living in Wicklow and having a woodland/forest garden,we have been gradually building a dry-stone wall with them.They are beautiful-if heavy!!
Hi loveroflife,
Yes, the rocks in my bed ( Ha! ) do provide good memories as they have been collected over the years from many sources. Thanks for the comment.
Those rocks provide great memories. Good choices.
Thanks for reading and commenting, mkhovu.
Amazing Hub Peggy W with such beautiful photos as well. It really makes you take a second look at nature and admire all the beauty it presents.
Hi Pest, Here is a link for you:
http://www.gaaj-zenhokyo.co.jp/researchroom/kanbet
Hopefully it will answer your green quartz question. Personally I am not familiar. Just like collecting pretty stones. The ones with fossils are especially fun to find.
I like rocks too...I am being serious now... I have green quartz from Arizona...do you know anything about this stuff?? Also white marble looking stuff from the same area. I hope my technical terms dont throw you off. I use to dig through rock piles in Michigan looking for pudding rocks. Here in Minnesota there aint a whole lot of out of the ordinary finds. I want to go to Lake Superior and look for Petosky stones. Fossil hunting is also fun as well as digging or hunting for arrow heads. I did that in Louisiana for a while. I love this Hub! Thanks for posting it.
** puts clown shoes and nose back on **
Yes AEvans, I remember where most of the rocks in our collection were acquired and they each have special meaning. Thanks for commenting.
You see beauty for what it truly is and those rocks were absolutely beautiful. My favorite is the quartz rock and the orange and green rocks, I am certain that you have a story to tell about each rock that lines your home and that is going to be something as you get older and are able to share it with others. ):
Seems like we are kindred spirits........loving rocks, creating art, etc. Thanks for commenting. Are you creating some new art?
I just moved some rocks I have been keeping for I do not know how long. They have a new place in my Art Studio. Some came from Texas, Oklahoma, Lake Michigan, here and there. My friends give me rocks, just simple ones that I might like. I have two that are almost perfectly round, yes, I share your rock Love. I pick them up all the time. Some go in the aquarium, some on the shelves, many in the garden, rocks in my head? Most likely! Great hub, thanks for sharing your passion.
Hi Joni, Looks like your sister has a nice business. I like and have some holy rocks like what she sells. Thanks for stopping by.
Nice hub. I like how you mixed in your family history with the info on the rocks you collect.
I love rocks and have a nice collection in my gardens and inside. I also have some that have moved with me several times. I don't find many large rocks in my area, Kentwood, Louisiana, so I also use chunks of recycled concrete for bordering my gardens and fish pond.
My sister collects and sells rocks as her business.
Kajon ConnectionRock & Driftwood for Landscape, Pond and Water Feature Decor
Thanks Mardi. Wishing all the nominees well. Some amazing writers out there! Thanks for commenting.
Great article Peggy and excellent job of picture taking. Your collection must be amazing and obviously very meaningful. Wishing you well on the voting!
Way to go, Camping Dan! Just tell your friends that this is your bit of extra aerobic exercise lugging the extra weight in your backpack. Don't you just love them when you get them home and on display?
Thank goodness I am not the only one! I have rocks on my window seals and everywhere else that I thought were cool and brought home from hikes all over the US.
Trust me I take a lot of grief from my friends for putting rocks in my backpack.
Will look forward to watching it some day, Rochelle. Quite the coincidence that you would have been traveling in a trailer at the same time! Did you pick up any rocks? Ha!
his way not a TV episode-- it was a theater movie. There are some reviews of it on the amazon page.
http://www.amazon.com/Long-Trailer-Lucille-Ball/dp
I happened to See it on Turner Network a few weeks ago.
I originally saw it in a Theater in El Paso (after we had ejyoyed a huge Mexican dinner)-- while my family was on a trailer vacation going to Carlsbad Caverns and the Grand Canyon.. We literally laughed ourselves sick. It was even funnier when we were actually on a trailering adventure ourselves in 1953.
Hello Rochelle,
I LOVE seeing rock walls and terraces. Before I ever met my husband he used to like taking photos of them in the Texas Hill Country. It is a very rocky part of the State so obviously the raw materials for these wonderful fences are in abundance. It is a lot of work in collecting and piecing just the right rocks together to form the fencing. So I applaud your husband's efforts. Bet he does not need a gym to keep in shape!
I can't recall seeing that particular show but I will look for it. Was watching some just yesterday and I was laughing out loud at some of their crazy antics. How I wish we had more shows being produced like that today!!! At least we have these re-runs!
Hi KCC Big Country,
Holding rocks in your hands......small ones......the beauty can be enjoyed this way as well. At many rock shops one can purchase them already polished. Their beauty is astonishing! There is every color of the rainbow and every hue and design makes each and every rock a unique treasure.
Did your husband enjoy your collection as much as you did in assembling it?
Very nice hub! I guess we are rock people too. My husband has built many rock walls and terraces on our property.
Did you ever see the Lucy and Desi movie "The Long, Long Trailer" from the 50's. i saw it on TV the other night and remembered the part where she pick up a rock from everywhere they visited until they weighed about as much as the trailer.
Rock on!
Great Hub Peggy! Beautiful pictures and story. Thanks for sharing.
I can relate somewhat. I've always been fascinated with rocks as well. But my interest is on a much smaller scale. I like to hold them in my hands. LOL I just recently brought out my collection to show my husband.
Good luck on this week's voting!
Hello Christoph,
Nice to meet another rock fan. I also have a few with fossilzed imprints. What do you do with your collection?
Arrow heads.........interesting also. My parents had a rock given to them that is now in our backyard that has holes in it where Indians used to sharpen their tools.
Very nice hub! I'm a rock fan. Used to hunt for small ones with fossilized imprints and arrow heads when I was a child in TN. and OK. I'm not much for dragging large rocks around with me though. Very nice pics too. Nice!
P.S. Let the clover live!
Hello NVarchitect,
At my age I have to look down more often to keep from stumbling over rocks and other things. Ha! Seriously........rocks; fallen trees; mushrooms; lichens; even weeds can be beautiful.
There was a book published many years ago called INTIMATE LANDSCAPES. The photographer focused on close-up perspectives of things that might ordinarily go unnoticed in the grand scheme of things. Close-ups of the bark on a tree and ripples in water give you an idea of what he captured on film.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Great story about things most of us ignore. I will remember to look down more often after reading your story. Well done on being nominated.
Hello Lifebydesign,
Most of my other hubs were regarding travel or the serious subject of protecting oneself in emergencies. Thought that I would have a little fun with this one as I also did with the one just published regarding the CowParade in Houston a few years ago. Used some of the cow names in my title. Thanks for your comment.
What a lovely, fun hub. I love the way you introduced me to this topic!
Hi MellasViews, Yes........often the beauty is within.........just like with most people! Glad that you enjoyed the hub.
I love geodes. I cannot find natural growing geodes where I live, but I have ordered sacks of 20 geodes before from magazines, and they arrive in their normal form. I then get to crack them open and discover the cyrtslas within. Fun hub.
Kellys Writing.........What a wonderful way to share education with children! To actually take a piece of something away with them while at the same time learning something new.........your parents obviously have a love of teaching.
Dottie 1.......My pleasure! Thanks for commenting.
I enjoyed the beauty of your rocks and appreciate your story for each one. Thank you.
Yes and they used to give them to boyscouts and children so that they could open them too. They wanted to share them and teach about them.
Hi Kellys Writing,
If your parents have been collecting geodes for sometime now, they must have quite a collection. Do they put them on display?
Thanks Uninvited Writer for the comment. I see you have a glass of red wine in your hand! Will have to write about our being part owners of a vineyard sometime.
What a nice surprise Ripplemaker! It is quite an honor to be mentioned no matter the outcome of voting. Thanks for the heads up!
You are correct in that rocks become even more beautiful when wet.
Very nice hub. My parents have always loved collecting geodes. They have they're like opening a present everytime.
Great hub
This is an excellent hub. Very interesting. I loved reading about your family history.
Hi Peggy, congratulations! Your hub is this week's hubnugget. If you haven't received any notification yet, click on this link to visit Shirley's hub and find out what this is all about! And vote and ask your friends to vote too!
http://hubpages.com/hub/hubnuggets-jan30-2009
I enjoyed reading your rock story. We have many colored rocks here in the beaches esp. in my hometown. The rocks would change color when it becomes wet. I remember getting small rocks from the beach and putting it in our aquarium. LOL Your rock collection though is amazing. Keep on "rocking."
Thank you glassvisage for your comment.
Growing up in the country with fields and woods surrounding us left much of nature to explore. There were few children to play with outside of school except for my two younger brothers. I guess that influenced me up to this day.........and that is many days ( years ) since those early times of my youth.
You are welcome Robie. Thanks for commenting. These are just a few of the rocks gathered from various vacation spots. Besides rocks, photos and art are our other preferred souvenirs.
Beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing these and your history with rocks... they are so fascinating when you're a child and when you grow up!
lovely personal memories and beautiful photos too--really enjoyed this. Thanks for sharing
Hi Jerilee,
I agree that special rocks become like "old beloved friends." Thanks for the tip about Bisbee, Arizona. Will check it out sometime the next time we plan to go to Arizona.
Great hub! I've been lugging some rocks around for more than forty years, like old beloved friends I cannot do without. Great rockhound and gem shows in Bisbee, Arizona if you ever get the chance to go.
Thanks rockinjoe. I intend to keep it up! My garden is an ever evolving one with periodic new additions. That goes for plantings also. If it does not flourish...out it goes and something new is tried. I do, however, try and find a new home for discarded plantings. They have feelings you know!
Very nice hub, Peggy. I'm not a rock collector, but I can appreciate their bauty and your obvious attachment to them. Keep it up:)
Peggy W Hub Author 10 months ago
Hi Billy,
Perhaps when they have garden beds of their own someday, you will find some of their larger rocks situated there. :)) Are they doing anything special with their collections?