This morning we visited a nearby garden as part of the Australian Open Garden Scheme. I read about it in a local newspaper and thought it looked quite interesting, in an 'English Cottage Garden' way. The owners have won many awards over the years and are great plant collectors, which in my opinion, was the garden's downfall.
It was on a reasonable sized corner block and almost every centimetre of space was filled with plants - decidious trees, ornamental fruit trees, camellias, over 300 roses (not in flower yet), shrubs, perennials, bulbs, annuals and vegetables. In fact, if it can be classified as a plant, then I'm sure it's in that garden. All of the nature strip and the entire block - front, back and sides - had been planted with thousands of plants, with very narrow winding paths throughout.
There were some magnificent camellias, but the majority of trees and shrubs were so densely planted that nothing could be seen to its best advantage, and indeed, many were distorted and drastically pruned due to lack of space. The garden would be lovely and shady during the summer months, but overall I found it so disappointing that I didn't even take any photos.
I'm sure the owners love it, and they've certainly put in a lot of work, but I felt quite stifled and overwhelmed by it all. I did see many things that I would like to grow, but not crammed 'cheek by jowl' with everything else.
However, I better not be too critical as this afternoon, after mulching the most recent plantings in the new section of garden at home, I counted the plants. Excluding all the pansies, tulips, calendula and ornamental grasses around the edge of the garden bed, there are still 89 plants in there!!! I'm well-prepared to remove some of the in-fill plants as the shrubs grow (I think....lol), but it will be interesting to see how it looks as they begin to grow a little more.
Richard pulling up self-sown Sycamore Maple seedlings to repot on the deck.
Up the garden path...
and down again.
I decided not to turn the remaining dirt heaps into a 'wildflower meadow' of flowers and weeds and ripped the lot out yesterday.
HELP, please.......can anyone tell me how to reply to comments on my blog directly under a particular comment? Or do I just have to be lucky enough see a comment and reply before the next one appears? (Tanya - you seem to be able to do it very well, but I know you are using Wordpress. Perhaps it doesn't work with Blogger?)
6 comments:
Your garden looks lovely. Don't we all plant things a bit close and then have to adjust as they grow? I know I did. We have an area around the deck in back that was planted up with shrubs and peony and this year had to remove a shrub as everything got too large. Looks much better now though. And, yes, we did relocate the shrub.
Happy Gardening!
Oh, your Garden!!! I just look and look my eyes full, every year, but especially now, when the rain has not been here in more than a month, and so much is just crisp and dry.
And the PATH!! Grand, it is---mine's just a little trail through the plants where our feet have smushed down the dying grass.
Do have a wonderful weekend out there in the Spring Sunshine!!
rachel
Oh, that's too bad the garden was disappointing. I can fully understand the desire to grow so many different plants, but cramming them all together would just be a big hodge podge...resulting in a mess!
Your garden path is so pretty. I'm sure your new space will look beautiful when those 89 plants spread and fill in.
Is Richard planning to find homes for all those volunteer maple seedlings? ;)
Unfortunately, you can't reply to a comment within the comment with Blogger, but if you begin your reply with the person's username they'll know you're talking to them :)
Now I'm off for a stroll through your flowers....put the kettle on please!
A lot of work going on in your lovely garden. Can't wait to see it as it grows. We actually pulled all the weeds out of the veggie patch that grew while we were away. Now to try again to grow something we can eat.
can't help with the comment thing but just write the name of the person that you are replying to, or comment on their blog in case they don't return to the page.
Dear Alice, how lovely it is to visit your blog and more importantly your garden here today.......I do admit I have been sitting here going back through your posts and enjoyed them all, the "finding your farm" was a gem and I agree that we wish we could simply find more time to ask questions of our parents past when they are with us......today it is 8 years since I lost my father and I have so many questions about his scottish roots I wish I could have asked him.......it is truly lovely to be visiting you today and I have added myself to your "watchers" today if that is ok! lol lol lol! hugs from us here on a spring day in Malmsbury.
Amazing! The garden looks so lovely but a lot of work going on in the lovely garden. We actually pulled all the weeds out of the veggie patch that grew and try again to grow something we can eat. Thanks for lovely pictures of your garden.
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