Professional Documents
Culture Documents
a real
SECRET
garden
text
jennifer hughes
photography
tracey ayton
The vaguely Asian flavour at the gardens entrance comes from a cut-leaved Japanese maple and black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus Nigrescens), and was
inspired by the fence and gate. opposite, clockwise from top right: Nikko Blue
bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla Nikko Blue); lady fern (Athyrium filixfemina); pendulous AmeriHybrid Salmon tuberous begonia; a place for quiet
solitude; Cornel ball dahlia; an old push mower acts as a decorative accent; Ginkgo
biloba foliage; Echeveria cv.; a rose-pink daylily cv.; an antique sundial.
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when
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garden stats
Size: 900 square metresZone: 8Orientation: East to west along its length
Focus: Divided into different areas with separate themes: Asian-inspired section,
Mediterranean-style space, woodland area, etc.Conditions: Sunny and sheltered
Age of garden: 14 yearsGrowing season: March to NovemberFavourite tool:
Stirrup hoe for daily maintenancetip: Garden for peace of mind. If you build a garden
because you want a pretty place like your neighbours, dont do it its a lot of work
As the garden has grown, so has its popularity. Where there was
once a cardboard box to collect donations, now a permanent metal
lockbox offers a spot for admirers to contribute to its upkeep. A
wishing well Brian built has become a popular place to add memor
ial plaques for the many visitors the garden has touched. A guest
book offers testimonials to what a special place the plot is and to
what Brian has done here. Locals and international visitors are
amazed by the space and often moved by the peace and beauty they
find. Recently, the municipality erected a fence and gate so the
garden could be locked at night. And finally, Brian put up a section
of iron fencing at the far end to mark the limits of the garden. It
was more to give me an end point so things wouldnt get even bigger, he admits with a laugh. Because the garden, as is, certainly
keeps him busy and happy now.
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