Wednesday 27 June 2012

A Voyage Round my Garden

You'd never describe my garden as 'manicured' or 'neatly laid out' - far from it. Things just happen on a whim - my whim, I'm afraid, and not that often.


I'm not a hands -on gardener, more your hands-off type, with very  little hoeing and weeding if I can help it. I basically let the garden fend for itself.
There's a gardening word for it - laziness.

 Yet I love every inch of it's untidy, somewhat dishevelled, but natural, cottagy, look.
It holds  many fond memories of seasons long past.  Littered in the many nooks and crannies are gifts from friends and family and these serve as a constant reminder of them.


June is just about the best time to appreciate it's blousy, meadow-like waves of wild flowers that seed themselves - seemingly from nowhere - they jostle gently with each other for light, space and warmth.



A table for two - a present from my baby sister.





Vintage French potato box from my lovely friend Patricia.
You're probably wondering why I have a 1940's colander in it. Well just because I can!




Angel hiding amongst the ferns.
(Sshh! She's plastic - but don't tell anyone!)




Goosey Goosey Gander on a tree stump - fell off the back of a lorry - literally, hence the broken beak.





And of course -The 'Shed'!





The 'Shed' straddles the pond which my daughter helped dig out, aged 7 and half!
Couple of terracotta pots from my middle sister in Australia.




Hostas from a friend's garden and  hidden Buddah from Mum and Dad!




After the constant deluge of April showers, the lawn has all but returned to normal.



Stone Japanese structure from Mum and Dad, bless them, and two Greek urns from my OH.





I built a rough dry stone wall from reclaimed Purbeck stone from my parent's old house - they were the stepping stones we children  hopped and skipped over on many a happy day.
Antique stoneware jars dug up years ago by my sister and I from an old Victorian dump. 




Homemade bunting mingles happily with the grapevine my parents bought me.





The Sentry Box holds all my tools and paraphenalia. Some say it looks like an outside lav... I beg to differ. :-)



A Victorian cast iron umbrella stand from my Dad, rescued from a derelict house  and the little blue bench was made by an 80 year old blind man!




Fabulous hand-painted pot made for me by an old friend of my Mum's. 


And finally a few stars of the garden...mostly self-seeded so I can't take the credit! 











Unkempt clematis  provides many a hidey hole for  birds nests so that's one good reason for not trimming it!













All in a day's work for Mother Nature.






6 comments:

  1. Absolutely fabulous, I loved the tour round your garden with all it's treasures. Cottage garden is my favourite and you have some gorgeous plants there too. The sentry box reminds me of a Beach Hut. Thanks for sharing it all with us, has been a cheery start to my day, Best Wishes, Jacqueline BAB xxx

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    1. Hi Jacquleline! Glad you enjoyed the tour. You're right about the sentry box - beach hut it is, then!
      Jules

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  2. I really like your sense of style and your sense of attachment - both to the objects themselves and, as comes across in your words, to the people who gifted them to you.

    As for your outside lav ... there is a hint of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang about it ... Indjah!

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    1. Hello Fi! Lovely to see you over here at the blog.
      I'm so glad the attachment 'thing' came across in the post. I truly love every little object in my teeny weeeny garden. :-)

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  3. LOVED the garden tour. It all looks so pretty and wacky (but what would one expect?) And WHAT am I doing on your blog when it's Open Studios in less than 3 hours and there's still much to do? I have regressed to being a school girl with a huge essay that needs handing in tomorrow morning, realising it's time to stop reading Jackie and make a start as it's now nearly midnight. Talking of Jackie mag - must post some pictures of my brief early career as a model in those gross photo stories (we knew the photographer and he was always desperate for models. AND it was £4 an hour in the late seventies! Riches!!!)

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    1. You sound a bit like the bloke who fiddled whilst Rome burned!
      I shall look forward to seeing the pics of you in Jackie Magazine! £4 WAS a good rate. The basic wage now is only £6!!!
      Jules

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