Wonderful garden @Silver surfer, How many acres have you got, you must have a thousand plants.
Thank you for very kind comments. Old garden in South Wales was 4.5 acres... small alder woodland, moist areas,open drier sunny areas.
Became obsessive collector of all plants...yes many thousands. Some people collect stamps...we collected plants! We knew nothing. Learnt slowly one plant at a time. Especially trees /shrubs with fab autumn colours or wonderful interesting leaves. Always planted small and cheap and waited for them to fill the space. For years it looked rather stupid.
Got old...realised couldn't cope./keep it looking immaculate. Tried to sell it as a botanic garden as every single plant was labelled. No one wants gardens that are 12 hours a day, 7 days a week work for 2 people.
Moved 450 miles North, so we could never see 35 years work revert to the wilderness it was when we bought it. It is probably now a housing estate. Try not to think about it.
Now in Perthshire. Scotland. in an OAP bungalow with a tiny garden...a blank canvas in 2013. The passion for plants is still there. I never go out without my tiny Canon ixus camera...adding to my photo library. ....Boring pics of leaves, stems, flowers, berries etc....Weeds/garden plants/tropical plants. Now I spend more time on computer helping to id plants than creating a garden. Sadly getting old is no fun.
All my plant pics are on flickr...all labelled free to look at...or use with my permission.
Thank you for sharing all those wonderful photos @Silver surfer.
I've downsized too, still in SW France, left my lovely garden behind, but I'm making a new one. My second OH has a cottage in Norfolk so I've been re-planting there too. I'm 70, still garden making left in me, despite arthritic hands and a gammy knee!
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
@Silver surfer. That’s sad, at least you have the memories, although it’s not the same. I think when we come to sell this someone will knock it down and build a des res if they relax planning permission anymore.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
But it existed @Silver surfer, and you loved it, laughed in it, it lived.
I have come to accept that nothing is forever. Our garden is now my garden, and it lives on while I'm here tending it. I don't expect it to live on as it is after I'm gone. But while I'm here I'll plan, and plant, sit back and remember, appreciate it. I won't let it's future destiny spoil it for me in the present.
Your beautiful garden existed. You lived it, loved it, created it.
Silver surfer, You give joy and interest to me and many other people on here and I keep learning all the time from your superb knowledge and photographic skills, thank you for sharing your time and knowledge with us.
I couldn't agree more @garden geek. Whenever there's a puzzle over an I.D. I hope to see you @Silver surfer come to the rescue with the answer, and usually photos and information. Your knowledge and generosity in sharing is a wonderful contribution to the forum and much appreciated. Thank you.
Silver surfer, You give joy and interest to me and many other people on here and I keep learning all the time from your superb knowledge and photographic skills, thank you for sharing your time and knowledge with us.
Wow! Thank you.
I try to add pics to show why plants are incorrect as well as the one I believe to be correct. So others can learn. Every day is a school day. I am still learning.
I couldn't agree more @garden geek. Whenever there's a puzzle over an I.D. I hope to see you @Silver surfer come to the rescue with the answer, and usually photos and information. Your knowledge and generosity in sharing is a wonderful contribution to the forum and much appreciated. Thank you.
Posts
Old garden in South Wales was 4.5 acres... small alder woodland, moist areas,open drier sunny areas.
Became obsessive collector of all plants...yes many thousands.
Some people collect stamps...we collected plants!
We knew nothing. Learnt slowly one plant at a time.
Especially trees /shrubs with fab autumn colours or wonderful interesting leaves.
Always planted small and cheap and waited for them to fill the space.
For years it looked rather stupid.
Got old...realised couldn't cope./keep it looking immaculate.
Tried to sell it as a botanic garden as every single plant was labelled.
No one wants gardens that are 12 hours a day, 7 days a week work for 2 people.
Moved 450 miles North, so we could never see 35 years work revert to the wilderness it was when we bought it.
It is probably now a housing estate.
Try not to think about it.
Now in Perthshire. Scotland. in an OAP bungalow with a tiny garden...a blank canvas in 2013.
The passion for plants is still there.
I never go out without my tiny Canon ixus camera...adding to my photo library.
....Boring pics of leaves, stems, flowers, berries etc....Weeds/garden plants/tropical plants.
Now I spend more time on computer helping to id plants than creating a garden.
Sadly getting old is no fun.
All my plant pics are on flickr...all labelled free to look at...or use with my permission.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/11713966@N02/albums
Cornus pics
https://www.flickr.com/photos/11713966@N02/albums/72157676243434333
I've downsized too, still in SW France, left my lovely garden behind, but I'm making a new one. My second OH has a cottage in Norfolk so I've been re-planting there too. I'm 70, still garden making left in me, despite arthritic hands and a gammy knee!
I have come to accept that nothing is forever. Our garden is now my garden, and it lives on while I'm here tending it. I don't expect it to live on as it is after I'm gone. But while I'm here I'll plan, and plant, sit back and remember, appreciate it. I won't let it's future destiny spoil it for me in the present.
Your beautiful garden existed. You lived it, loved it, created it.
Whenever there's a puzzle over an I.D. I hope to see you @Silver surfer come to the rescue with the answer, and usually photos and information. Your knowledge and generosity in sharing is a wonderful contribution to the forum and much appreciated. Thank you.
I try to add pics to show why plants are incorrect as well as the one I believe to be correct.
So others can learn.
Every day is a school day.
I am still learning.
My 2nd pic shows the branches after pruning.
Cornus are so underrated my most people.
I haven't even started on the ones with amazing flowers in summer!