Tuesday 7 March 2023

ALL CHANGE!

In the autumn we moved house, leaving a country cottage in a small hamlet of twenty or so houses, no street lights, no facilities, and moved to a large, sprawling and busy town. What posessed us? I think that Covid was part of the reason, being unable to freely travel to see family and friends was a new and unpleasant experience. That and a health scare and the realization that we are actually getting old! Anyway, now we are here in busy Bournemouth close to our younger daughter and family and ten minutes in the car to a lovely beach. We are settling in well! My new garden is much smaller and very different, unlike any that I've known before. The main reason for our choice was that this space gives us privacy, surrounded by the mature trees that are growing in the neighbouring gardens. It is former woodland, now a conservation area. The trees mean that the garden is in heavy shadow and I have a lot to learn about how to manage it well. Since we have been here I've been endlessly clearing leaves and cutting back crossing branches. Thinned bamboo canes have been woven into a cage for the leaves so at some point in the future I should have some good leaf mould.

12 comments:

  1. Best wishes to you. It's not an easy thing, moving and giving up one's large gardens. My husband and I did so in 2014, moving from the countryside in New York State to a development in Central Florida. Very different. It took us a while to adjust, but adjust we did. Being closer to the grandchildren helps.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nice to hear from you, Colette. Our lives seem to follow a similar pattern!

      Delete
  2. Oh, what a change, but what a stunning garden. It looks very secret and romantic. Love it. All the best to you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is VERY different and I have a lot to learn about gardening with acid soil and deep shade. Peter, however is happy never to have to mow a lawn ever again!

      Delete
  3. Good luck with the new spread. I trust it won't bring on an attack of Claustrophobia Horticulturensis, a mental condition that tortures those whose garden has shrunk for unknown reasons.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Roderick. Considering the fact that I'm no townie I seem to be settling into our new home very well. (Although I am suffering from an absence of vegetabilis crescente.)

      Delete
  4. Your new garden looks as gorgeous as your old one. Those trees giving it shade will be very handy in hot summer, and if you do want sun, you are not far from the beach.
    It sounds like you made a wise decision.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just what I'm telling myself - when the sun shines find me on the beach!

      Delete
  5. Ah, Rosemary, what a life-change! And yet ... your new garden is vaguely reminiscent of your other beautiful garden, insofar as there are so many interesting nooks and crannies for us to get acquainted with. Your helleborus harvest is magnificent and I rather expect more shady wonders to grace these pages yet!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is quite a change, Pip. The new garden is small and private and I'm hoping to make it magical if I can encourage lots of climbing roses to flourish. We shall see!

      Delete
  6. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  7. No advertising on this site please, T&T.

    ReplyDelete