Monday 7 September 2009

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!

17 comments:

  1. Wow! What a difference you've made! Well done! :0)

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  2. Absolutely beautiful! I am about to move to the country to a garden that has been neglected for the last 2 years by everyone but neighboring deer that have claimed the territory. So it is nice to be reminded that the hard work does pay off! (But when you love to garden you tend to call it 'play')

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  3. Awesome! It is amazing to see the transfer of the yard from bare dirt to growing beauty. You have a green thumb for sure.

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  4. Thats great you have made good progress on this build!

    Where the shed going?

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  5. Your farm garden looks terrific - I can see why you didn't want to leave it. But what amazing progress you have made in your home. Everything looks wonderful.

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  6. Beautiful!
    I live in an apartment and one of my dreams is to have a garden of my own, one day!:-)))

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  7. Congratulations, it is gorgeous. I am sure that we will see pictures of roses from that garden within a few months!

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  8. I love your farm garden!

    We had a prunus elvins for a while. They have the most glorious blossom in spring! Apparently they are hard to find in nurseries around here these days.

    Isn't it wonderful having a new piece of ground to plant out? you have put in a lot of work there!
    I look forward to seeing some more photos as your new garden grows.

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  9. You are living up to your name. I know how much work goes into a garden and like you I had to leave one that I had put years of work into. Your new garden is taking shape and will be fabulous, I'm sure.

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  10. You have done a great job on both the gardens!! Now when can you come do mine??? LOL

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  11. hey can't wait to call in again and see the garden..........it will be wonderful by the time I get there...........you have done very well in the time you have been there.........

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  12. Very interesting, since I'm trying to get my gardens in order at the moment. The only thing that doesn't really suit where I am is your bore. I opted for rain water tanks to catch what runs off our roof instead of tapping into already depleted ground water. I'm also getting rid of all the grass from the front yard and replacing it with waterwise plants for an ornamental garden. I can't wait till its done. I wish I wasn't so time poor!

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  13. Hey, I got my copy of Handmade Help and will be trying out your Greek Chicken tonight. I'm pretty bad at following recipes, I can never stick to them, but I will try my hardest with this. I can already see myself adapting it, I would love to try it with rice instead of potatoes. I'll let you know how I get on!

    Anna

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  14. great work!!!compliment.I love threads,fabrics and blooms too!!!hugs

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  15. How unbearable to leave such a pretty farm. How awesome your new garden will be. Looking forward to seeing Blooms' blooms! And I loved your quotes!

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  16. I feel tired looking at your labors :) Well worth the effort. Hope you grow to love your new garden as much as you did your old.

    We live on about a 1/2 acre slope and are giving serious consideration to terracing the main front section.

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