The evolution of a garden

Eighteen months ago, we left our small farm and its garden that we grew over 10 years from a bare lucerne paddock. We still own the farm, and return as often as we can. I miss my farm garden terribly! Here it is in its 'glory days':

We purchased a house in a new estate in town, so that we could be closer to school for our children. This was the backyard when we moved in:

True to my name, it didn't take long before I was planning to set the yard 'a-bloom'! It has been a long, slow process, but yesterday I took photos of my first town garden blooms - quite momentous for me! This is Prunus 'Elvins' blossom.

I thought the gardeners of you out there might like to see some progress shots of our 'baby garden' over the last 18 months.

Step 1: Intall bore in backyard for water supply.

Step 2: Install garden shed - a critical step to keep husband (aka 'my garden slave') on side!

Step 3: Bring in some serious digging implements. We landscaped the yard into two levels at this point.

Step 4: Two levels in a garden necessitates the building of a retaining wall. All hands on deck for this job. Coerce children into some bricklaying - nothing like a bit of child labour!

Step 5: Get creative & mark out garden beds.

Step 6: Lay turf - at last some green, after months of moonscape.

Since the previous photo, we have painted the wall & planted lots of trees & roses.

As we wait impatiently for plants to burst into leaf & bloom, we can look back and at least see where we have been in the last year and a half. It is such fun to build garden - hard work, but fun!

So at last I have my very first blooms from our garden in town to share with you.

"The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies." - Gertrude Jekyll

"A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in." - Greek proverb

"How sweet is the life of a gardener." - Bloom!