Re: secluded vs open gardens
"f. cardama" wrote:
>
> > > I am , myself, quite zealous of my privacy and I strive not to show even
> a
> > > glimpse of my garden to the occasional passer by.
> > > atavistic?
>
> > I must say I do get a lot of enjoyment out of showing my garden to other
> > keen gardeners (even some of the untidy bits, which nevertheless still
> > have their own charm).
> >
> > Moira
>
> moira
> I love showing my garden to interested friends.
> I mean seclusion from strangers.
francisco
I am like you in part, in that my back garden is very private and only
seen by invited guests, but like a majority of NZ suburban gardens the
front is quite open, omly separated from the footpath by a low wall of
pierced concrete blocks, so that all who pass can look in. It is only a
comparatively small space, walled at the western end by a garage and
dominated by a large golden elm (Ulmus precera) in the middle of a small
rectangular lawn. At the base of the tree is a flowerbox with species
Hellebores and a creeping cmpanula, through which blue crocuses grow in
Autumn. Round the edge of the lawn are beds which variously (according
to the degree of shade) are dominated by English Austin roses,
Rhododendrons and Fuchsias, standard Camellias and Anemone japonica and
finally mixed miniature conifers (well, they were meant to be miniature,
but some after many years are now getting a bit larger than was
planned..)
Of course each bed has a few smaller treasures as well, including many
miniature Narcissus varieties and clumps of hyacinths. I have had many
people stop to look over the years and at least one stranger complement
me on the show, which she said she did enjoy passing regularly as it was
interesting at all seasons.
The only "vandalism" I have ever experienced was one year when I had a
show of spring anemones along the edge of the conifer bed and was
puzzled as regularly I would find a plant pulled out and lying on the
bed. I solved the mystery when one day I saw a small girl on her way
home from school stop to pick a flower (maybe to take home for her
mother). Unfortunately Anemone flower stems are apparently stronger than
the roots and this was not achieved until the whole plant had been
heaved out! I had to protest and suggest she picked her flowers elsewhre
after which the pulling-up stopped.
I guess you could say it is an arrangement which gives the best of both
worlds, but does require one to keep up at least a reasonable standard
of maintenance all year on the "public" bit!
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata (near Wellington, capital city of New Zealand)
