Monday, January 20, 2014
Mark and Gaz
I was preparing for a post regarding the Gunnera tinctoria growing on the raised bed beside the small pond on our bottom garden patio and whilst doing so I had to look at our photo archives. Instead of concentrating on the Gunnera alone I found myself reminiscing as I went through the old photos of our garden.
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| Charcoal was still with us then - Summer of 2007 |
Crikey, those were the innocent days!
Why did I say those were the innocent days? Looking back at the photos of our garden back in 2007 made me realise how much things have changed, both in the garden and our way of thinking. I remember how innocent and extra exciting it felt on those early days when we were still discovering new plants and trying to figure how best to develop our garden.
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| The patio near our house pre decking and conservatory! |
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| All three Cycas revoluta are still with us but the pots have surprisingly disintegrated (who says metal pots lasts forever?) |
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| Phormiums, I've almost forgotten how beautiful they can be |
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| Pleioblastus auricomus |
We both know a lot more now, knowledge and wisdom acquired through years of interacting with other gardeners, reading, travels, and experience cultivating our own plot. The sense and level of excitement may have changed since then but it is still there, albeit on a different plane now.
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| How many of these succulents are still with me now? Hmmmm.... |
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| That arbour, before it became bright red |
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| Once upon a time we had an Anigozanthos flavidus |
Looking back at the old photos certainly brings back a sense of nostalgia, seeing all the plants that have done so well since then, and seeing those that are not with us any more.
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| Butia capitata - how I miss thee. A gift for my 30th Birthday.... |
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| All that remains of it now is a stump, a result of winter 2010-11 |
Phormiums stood out in my head, how many phormiums did we have back then? Now we don't have a single one left, perhaps we ought to introduce them again this year. How many potted plants did we have back then? Perhaps even more so than we have now. And look at all those bamboos! That was a period when my fascination for them was still peaking and at the summit of my bamboo collecting years have managed to amass more than a hundred types of them. My love affair with bamboos have since waned and I have drastically reduced my collection to what is now a more manageable amount (nowhere near a hundred now I can assure you).
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| This area then, before it became a fernery |
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| Once upon a time, the pathway of the jungle was grass and not gravel. This side anyway |
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| This side however has been gravelled early on |
Speaking of plants that are no longer with us now, some were let go as our fascination with them dwindled and were rehomed in other gardens. Some died as they went through the trilogy of bad winters we've had in the past, the queen of which was winter 2010-11. Whilst some have died from one other reason or another. All part of the process and journey that is gardening.
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| The grassy pathway was a remnant of what used to be a lawn that was here when we bought the house |
On a positive note, those that are still with us are something to celebrate and be very happy about. What a bunch of stalwarts! They have done well since and continue to do and are a source of plant pleasure year in and year out.
Including that Gunnera tinctoria that I was supposed to write about. Oh well, more on that later on, for now join me as I relish in nostalgia.
Mark :-)
This gardening blog follows our journey as we create our Tropical and Exotic themed garden. We hope you'll enjoy the journey as much as we do. We started our Exotic Garden in 2005 and this site will show its development, as well as our travels, both abroad and within the UK to gardens, nurseries and friends.
I've just spent a good half hour reading and catching up on your blog posts. It's been a very interesting read as ever. You've done so much and to such a high standard. Lots of inspiring aspects to digest and think about when creating my own garden. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and photos.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kris, lovely to hear that and it's a pleasure to share. We're looking forward to the development of your new garden and so far it is shaping up very nicely :)
DeleteThat all looks very good but having looked at your photos do you see any areas/ planting themes or specific views that you might like to revive.
ReplyDeleteDon, theres a couple of pictures that I look at and think the area looks better then... the 5th photo from the bottom looks a lot better than that area has done for a while (and not just because that area was affected by the fire!)
DeleteMost of us would have rested on those laurels (just a figure of speech...I know you have no laurels in that wonderful jungle). Not you guys: you soldiered on to keep refining and rising to new heights. It was fun to look back with you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ricki :) You always discover new things through the years and with the changes bought about by the weather the garden has evolved too.
DeleteWow, what a journey! It's easy to forget how much has changed without referring to old photos. But then, few gardens evolve as much as yours has. As I've been saying, you should write a book about your trials, tribulations and triumphs.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gerhard! It was fun looking back at the old photos and seeing how much things have changed since then. We've learned loads too and the wisdom we gained has been invaluable. And learning never ends.
DeleteI enjoyed this trip down memory lane with you. Your gardens keep getting better and better! When I look at old pictures of mine, I think it was better a few years ago than it is now. Oh well, there's always time to keep forming our gardens as they form us.
ReplyDeleteThanks Peter! And you're right there, there's always time to keep forming gardens as they also form us :) Your garden is fab btw!
DeleteGood to know you've gone through the Phormium love affair and loss as well, it really is a special club to belong to.
ReplyDeleteYesterday the Hardy Plant Society welcomed Rick Darke who gave a wonderful 2 hour talk about the transitions he's seen, created and just been a part of in his garden over the last 25 years (!). While your time has been much less than that I am confident should you ever give such a talk (complete with photos from your garden) the audience would be in rapt attention and awe.
Thanks Loree! We actually think of you now whenever we think of phormiums and have been using your acronym PKW as well in reference to winter 2010/11, the winter that sealed the fate of all our phormiums including a massive P. tenax that has been in this garden since the nineties (an inherited one).
Delete25 years, wow what a lengthy and admirable length of experience! We would have loved to hear his talk too. We'll see about doing a talk ourselves, perhaps one day. I think we'll be doing a talk about our pond build this year in our local koi club but no plans yet for a garden one.
It's always fascinating, and a great learning experience, to go back through old pictures of the garden and see how it has changed. I've seen some changes in mine, and it's only 4 years old.
ReplyDeleteWe agree Alison, it is fascinating to see the changes through the years and fun looking back at old photos. There are cringe moments too (did I really do that planting combo etc?) but mostly it's good fun to reminisce.
DeleteYour gardens have gone through a lot of changes, but I think that is what happens to so many of us. Hopefully with all of us, it's always for the better.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
Indeed Cher :)
DeleteYour post gave me idea that I should also document everything in my garden. I love your garden -- both old and new. It's a Shangri-La in London. That's what I want to do to my garden, but still too much lawn.
ReplyDeleteCan you suggest any bamboo species that's edible but also will survive in Zone 6.? Thanks.
Thanks KL :) I can think of Phyllostachys dulcis as a candidate for your location although it will take some time to size up to make it worthwhile digging up the shoots for eating.
DeleteI am catching up on my blogging today… how do you manage to write so many blog posts?! I can barely manage once a week! I really enjoyed looking back at your garden. It was beautiful then; but gardens are never static, and it is interesting to see how they evolve. I wish I had had a good camera back in early days of my own garden. Before I started blogging, I did not take so many photos!
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