Excerpts From A (recently discovered) Garden Diary (5)
By david
20 comments
January 23 ’00 16.00 hrs Sunday.
“On Friday more timber was delivered. The gazebo at the back gate is now completed, and have begun extending the trellis screen up the west side of the gravel path to separate this from what will be a lower level dining patio”
January 27 ’00 10.00hrs Thursday.
“In the post this morning I recieved a new book by Jane Brown – “The Pursuit of Paradise: A Social History of Gardens and Gardening”
(This was the beginning of my, now, great, interest in garden history. Have still not read this book cover-to-cover, as so much in it, and not “easy” reading).
March 12 ’00 13.00hrs Sunday.
“The bottom raised bed is completed and planted. Convex mirrors mounted on wooden backings are fixed to the trellis. Decking joists are cemented in and bitumenised. Blue Tits are going in and out of the nest box.”
April 1 ’00 19.00hrs Saturday.
_"Dug up the rest of the grass….."
(This was a relief, because it took longer to set up the lawnmower than to cut the grass, which, being on a slope, was always wet, squelchy and mossy).
April 7 ’00 19.30hrs Friday.
“A large amount of timber came today…….The lower deck area is now excavated and levelled.”
April 16 ’00 16.00hrs Sunday.
“The raised bed running alongside the shed is built, filled in and planted. The diagonal joists and some cross joists for the main deck are in and painted with butumen.”
April 22 ’00 20.00hrs Saturday.
“Easter Weekend. The first 8 deckboards are in place. The blue Tits are still collecting dog hair from the bag and taking it to the nest box.”
“Don’t suppose there’s a cold beer in the ’fridge?”
April 30 ’00 20.00hrs Sunday.
“Bank Holiday Weekend, and have just completed the lower patio deck. The table is down there, as well as some containers.”
No grass, no slope, and a lot of painted trellis needing covered!
(Yes, this was at a time when we were being encouraged to look to the Mediterranean countries for gardening inspiration, as climate changes would see us here in the UK having to adapt to drier, and often, drought conditions (was this a joke, I now ask?). At that time, I loved our Greek island hols, and got a lot of “inspiration” from them. Even stuck a few in the diary…….).
!
“Zakynthos, 1998. Maruguerites framing the entrance to a white house. Noted the blue sky and red flowers.”
(This inspired my partial detour from a blue, mauve and cream scheme, to include red and “white”. All the trellis and raised border sides were painted in an “off-white” shade of Cuprinol masonry paint caled “Soapstone”).
Wild Pelargonium, over 5 feet tall, Corfu, 1999
(In our own garden at home, I “copied” the colours with a cheap, climbing red rose (£1.99 from the supermarket, and, so un-named), which bloomed profusely within a year).
Climbing Rose, June 2001
(Must say, am loving those 35mm Nikon photos. They’re looking as good as new, even when scanned. :- D)
(To be continued………..)
21 Nov, 2009
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Comments
a great transformation David, I love looking at people's before and after pics, they are all inspiring
21 Nov, 2009
Indeed....a great transformation. I love the way you have the trellis round the little beds.......a lot of wood to cover....yes. That wild pelargonium is wonderful and what a good idea to use that red rose....magic!......more soon....please....:)
21 Nov, 2009
'The Pursuit of Paradise' seems to be having an affect on you Dave. Your garden is very different. I wasn't sure at first but you've created something very pleasing, I like your planting too. The un-named rose looks great on the white trellis - no sign of the dreaded blackspot! I'm interested in your attitude towards 'Climate change' as my feeling is that we should all do what we can. Better that we're wrong rather than the sceptics.
21 Nov, 2009
Wow... I'm surprised you had time to write the diary....
...a LOT of work that year...spring and summer ! :o)
21 Nov, 2009
WoW David, Fantastic garden, I love before and After pics, I wouldn't of wanted to paint all that Trellis tho!! You have an eye for design and colour, A Proper gardener lol.. It must of been hard to leave that garden behind..
21 Nov, 2009
You have a lovely garden David, love your decking and everything, well done.
21 Nov, 2009
Fascinating to see how your garden grew, David. What a lot of work you put in there, you must have been glad when it was finished and you could take a rest :)
21 Nov, 2009
It looks really good David.Now I want to see more. You haven't left that garden have you? I too like the white trellis, what a good idea to use masonry paint. You have worked so hard. Anything must look nice against that trellis.
It is a lovely little private nook for dining - that is if you get time to sit down.
21 Nov, 2009
Another brilliant design David :) Love it!
21 Nov, 2009
Many Thanks for the marvellous comments! Quick update if you haven't read all the instalments. This garden, diary, and writings are from 10 years ago, and have had 3 gardens since that time . For me, the most fascinating thing is just how much I paid attention to trends and beliefs, but (I think) they were ultimately, a success even though we sold up and moved before I got a real chance to find out. Not too disappointed, however. :-))
21 Nov, 2009
3 gardens in 10 years! You certainly moved around! What a shame to have to leave those gardens behind! I also moved a lot when I lived in Spain but at least I could take my plants with me being as they were all in pots, even if they were clay pots!
Great blogs! I'm enjoying reading them all!
I have 100s of photos of my plants growing on all my balconies in Spain & even from the different gardens I once had here in England. Though strangely enough I don't seem to have any photos from my parents' garden before I moved to Spain in 1972. I did buy a camera in 1969 & I still have some photos from that time - including the first photo I ever took, of a clock tower in Skegness, in July/August 1970!
26 Nov, 2009
I've never thought it a shame, have enjoyed the excitement of doing something in a new space each time. The moves have just been a result of having a family, and adapting to their changing needs, such as space, hobbies and interests, etc. Have you scanned your photos onto discs, or something like that?
26 Nov, 2009
No, I haven't scanned many into the computer yet. I've got so many that I'd have to get a new HDD! LOL!
I have scanned many of my garden photos into the computer bat I'm sure that there are many I haven't done yet! Our granddaughter has been looking at our photo albums during the last few months & it remembered me there are still many that may not have been scanned as yet.
28 Nov, 2009
Looks great, David! Ready to do mine now?? Lol!
28 Nov, 2009
I know that I have hundreds, too, somewhere, which I will scan, but not store on the PC, but on disc. I'm sure that you have a mammoth cataloguing task ahead of you.
What, Marie, scan your pics for you, too? Lol!! :-))
29 Nov, 2009
As if!! X~)D
29 Nov, 2009
"I'm sure that you have a mammoth cataloguing task ahead of you." Well, actually, no! I'm very good at organizing my stuff on the computer. I put every new photo in the corresponding folder. I always give them a meaningful name & make sure they go to the right folder - though this sometimes means going through 3, 4 or perhaps 5 folders till I get the right one. But knowing where everything is kept lets me get whatever I'm looking for faster than a desktop search wizard! (I've tried a few & they have never satisfied me!)
2 Dec, 2009
Wow! Glad to read that you have it all "in hand", Balcony!! Puts me to shame! :-((
2 Dec, 2009
:~)D~~~~~~~~
3 Dec, 2009
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