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TEN YEARS OF GARDENING
For me as head gardener, my garden is ten years old, having moved here on this very day back in 1998. The garden started its life back in 1967, and the fuchsia above is one of many plants we inherited from the previous owner. I must confess to not being a lover of the fuchsia, although I am quite happy for this one to stay. The amazing colour shock has occurred naturally, so who makes the rules here, who thinks red and hot pink shouldn't go side by side?
This award couldn't have come at a better time, it has been given to me by a recently acquainted blog friend Clare at Summerfete. I am really pleased Clare left a comment on my blog a few weeks back, as I feel as gardeners and homemakers we have very much in common.
The rules are to list six things which make you happy, well gardening makes me happy, so my answers will be on this theme.
1. Gardener's World makes me happy and I feel very miffed if I miss an episode, I know Clare loves the programme too. I too have reservations about Toby Buckland taking over as main presenter, but hopefully I shall warm to his style. I have really enjoyed Carol Klein's temporary position as head gardener, but I so miss Monty Don, I really do aspire to his style of gardening. Two of my favourite gardening books are The Complete Gardener and The Jewel Garden, both containing most of my favourite plants and brilliant photography.
2. Birds in the garden make me happy. My favourites being robins, wrens, great tits, the list is endless!
3. The scent of Nicotiana Sylvestris makes me happy.
4. The frogs in the garden make me happy. The other day whilst digging out a holly bush about half a dozen hopped out, all going in different directions! I think the spade must have just missed them?
5. To see a hummingbird hawk moth makes me happy. I haven't seen one in my garden this year, have you?
6. What will make me really happy is when I can finally take a step back and feel in total control of my garden. It is of fair size with many mature trees and shrubs, ivy clad slopes, walled borders, a large rockery and an area on ground level for planting. I can see improvement as every year passes, can I ever say I am completely satisfied with how it looks? I think you can all guess the answer to that one!
Now the Tree of Happiness has to be passed to six inspirational bloggers. I choose:
Farming Friends
Flighty's Plot
Greenridge Chronicles
Nikkipolani
Reflections in the Afternoon
The Flour Loft
If you have the time I would love to know what makes you happy either on the farm, on the allotment or in the garden?
15 comments:
Hi Louise! The things in your happy list make me happy too! I haven't seen much of Gardeners World this year. I used to love it when Geoff Hamilton was in charge and then Alan Titchmarsh. I was a fan of Bob Flowerdew too!!!
Hi Louise, Congratulations on your ward and your tenth anniversary.What an honour to get this award. I am delighted.
I too like gardeners world and especially when Alan presented it. I love to see an array of birds in the garden both wild and domesticated(guinea fowl, hens and ducks!)!!
I will definately post about this when I am not collecting eggs!
Best Wishes and thanks again
Hi Louise,
Thank you so much for nominating me... even though i am busy i would love to do this one as i think it is so important to stop and notice the things that make us happy. I love Monty Don too and just adore seeing birds and bees in the garden. Thank you for sharing... you are such a lovely inspiration.
with love
Ginny xx
Congratulations on ten years and on the award.
I like the six things that make you happy, especially 2. and 4.
Many thanks for giving me this lovely award. I shall do an entry all about it early next week, with a linked mention to here of course. xx
I think the pink is very pretty!
10 years! Goodness, I bet you have seen some changes!
Thanks Louise! It's lovely to be inspirational to someone. I have to say, reading garden blogs is one of my favourite things to do.
I have Alan Titchmarsh's autobiography on audio CD. He narrated it himself. I discovered him when I briefly got BBC America - I think the show was called Garden Force. I was gripped, I tell you, gripped! American gardeners aren't half as witty and amusing as you Brits.
How very lovely! I like this tree of happiness thing :-D Funny you should mention garden shows... I don't pay for cable so I don't watch any TV at all (just DVDs of old movies). My internet provider sent two guys to my door the other day to upgrade my connection and sign me up for a free first month of TV. I signed up to avoid the installation fee, but will likely cancel after the "free" part ends!
I just love the sound that a watering can with a fine sprinkler makes, when the drops of water hit the leaves, especially at the end of a long dry day.
Elephant hawk moths are very beautiful but elusive, I haven't seen one for ages. I think they like honeysuckle?
OMG Louise I dont like fuchsias either! Though not as much as daffodils, cant stand them, I hear the gasps!
I'm an Alan Titchmarsh fan, I used to cycle around Hampshire shouting I love you Alan into gated gardens, hoping he might hear me!!
Thanks for the verbena spelling, I did know it, I was just being lazy!
Clare
Hi Louise - happy 10th anniversary!
And I have something for you over at my place that I hope will enhance your enjoyment of your Happiness number 2 :)
I actually posted my happy list earlier today. We cant grow fuchsias in Western Australia well but they grow in the other states a lot better. Our climate is dry and hot, I think that is why they are not too successful. Have a good weekend.
Congratulations on your garden's 10th anniversary and another award Louise.. I have enjoyed seeing snippets of your garden so much..and it's sounds beautiful..I'm sure you'd just get bored if after a while if you stood back and there was nothing to do! I enjoyed your list and also love hawk moths..they are so fascinating :D Gx
Louise, I find you pics and your writing inspirational. You make me want to be a better gardener...the photos I still struggle with!
You are the goddess of gardening! Your green thumb is truly a wonderful gift!
Congratulations on your award! Well deserved, I declare. Your garden sounds like a paradise. I enjoy all the photos you post from it...and yes, red and pink look smashing together indeed....
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