Rain or shine – mid July and thirty years on at the Exotic Garden…
Posted on | July 13, 2012 | 8 Comments
The Exotic Garden and tree house
It’s been a very hectic week here at the Exotic Garden with back to back coach parties which are always enjoyable for me as I am able to see the garden through visitor’s eyes afresh. When I’m on my own though, all I tend to see are weeds and jobs that need doing!
When coach party’s arrive I always give them a short talk on the history of the garden and this week was no exception, though this time I could add the fact that I have now lived here for thirty years this this week. Something to celebrate though I am now twice the age I was when I bought the garden. I say ‘garden ‘as the house was very much secondary to me as it could have been a caravan! The garden has certainly matured over the last three decades, but thankfully it hasn’t turned grey like me, but is maturing gracefully, as only time can turn saplings into trees and a small pot of bamboo into a massive jungle of stems many meters across.
In July 1982 the garden was completely overgrown with a thicket of thorny brambles and countless sycamore saplings, as the garden hadn’t been tended for at least a decade. There were a few very narrow, barely trodden pathways around the garden flanked by a sea of the ‘Blue Borage’ Borago officinalis. Here and there from a past garden were towering clumps of bright yellow Solidago ‘Goldenrod’. The garden even had a dozen or so Rose bushes that were very gnarled and well past their sell by date. The only remaining garden structure was an old rusty metal pergola that could barely be seen as it was in a twisted heap on the ground covered in nettles and bindweed. The original wild garden also had its’ fair share of rusty objects like and old tin bath and a decaying bicycle amongst other decaying objects. I must admit, the garden in its unkempt state did look rather beautiful, but of course the urge to tame nature was overwhelming though I do miss its original wildness, a condition that only a neglected garden can have.
July 1982
Only a few very narrow paths leading to the house
I am constantly asked if I had a plan or vision for the garden, but no, it organically grew as the years passed with occasional quick burst of energy producing the many features that are now in the garden such as the tree house built some ten years ago in an old Oak tree. I have been very lucky over the years as so many people have been caught up in my enthusiasm for construction, as many friends wanted to become involved in my projects and of course a very big thank you to all those who have helped to make the garden what it has become over the last thirty years..
Building steps to the front of my house
Construction of the first raised beds. All the walls were faced with local flints…
The tree house was surrounded with scaffolding for two months
A younger self workng on some barn doors for the tree house
Liam Tobin paneling the outer walls with bamboo canes
The finished tree house completed in the early 2000s
Despite the fact that it has rained virtually every day over the last month or so, most of the gardens visitors have only been bothered by the lightest of rain showers.
Rather moist Colocasia’s taken by Chris Ridley
Thanks to the new tropical Polly-tunnel, no one needs to get wet if it rains! The resent temperatures may not have been that warm, but to me it has never the less felt very pleasant – I hate gardening in hot sticky weather anyway!
After a very slow start in the garden most plants are now growing well, apart from such tropical’s as the Canna’s and Colocasia’s which have never been as short as they are this year. I looked at some photographs I took of the garden at this time last year and see that the garden is still a good three weeks or so behind in growth for the tender perennials planted out in later May, but all the permanent planting such as the many hardy gingers are enormous and very lush indeed with all the heavy rain. Oh well – that’s the joy of gardening, we have to cope with whatever our climate throws at us.
Most people ‘especially non gardeners’ probably dislike grey days, but in a way I rather like them. After all, they are typically British! Often the greyness changes from pale grey to rather dark, ominous grey which gives a moody feel to the garden and as long as it’s not actually cold I rather enjoy the sultry atmosphere it creates.
A short while ago there was yet another torrential rainstorm rattling on my studio roof, though this time with hail. All my cats were lined up at the window behind my computer fascinated by the clattering noise the hail was making. But now the sun has come out again in all its glory wrapped in a deep blue sky and the garden is steaming like a tropical jungle! I think a cup of tea and a stroll round the garden is calling.
At the beginning of this article I mentioned weeding, a perennial chore for us gardeners and of course the rain deluge of late has made them all grow like mad – even the soil surface has gone green this year as it rarely gets a chance to dry out which is quite amazing as the garden is a very well drained sand loam! Although I try and keep them down, there are always one or two weeds that get away and I see them popping up behind other garden plants pretending that I haven’t seen them, having quietly grown to three feet or more tall!
Last year, the bamboo garden now in its twelfth year, was suffering from drought with the tell tail sign of their leaves rolling into tubes to preserve moisture loss, while this year the new culms (canes) are towering above the old ones, enjoying the summer monsoon like conditions.
I was asked the other day if it upsets me having had such wet and comparatively cool weather this summer, or that we have had a few consecutive cold winters? The answer has to be a resounding – no! Of course, I would like the summer to be mild with rain at night and sunny by day, but alas it seems that the more settled weather conditions of much of the last century are now a thing of the past and our climate over the ‘next’ 30 years or so will probably bring some dramatic changes, so all we can do in our gardens is go with the flow and enjoy our gardens whatever our summers and winters throw at us!
Have an excellent weekend in your garden rain or shine… Ahh – it’s raining again!
Twilight in the garden
'Sqink' with Bromeliads in between rain showers...
Comments
8 Responses to “Rain or shine – mid July and thirty years on at the Exotic Garden…”
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July 14th, 2012 @ 5:53 am
I do so love hearing that you don’t like working in hot conditions either!
My garden is Open tomorrow for the first time along with 5 other gardens, in a little village in Wiltshire. Mine is only 13ft wide and is very different to the other ‘cottage’ gardens. Although I live in a frost pocket I have managed to grow a tropical patio area. I wish I could have a bigger ‘tropical area’ but the micro climate on the patio is totally different to the rest of the garden.
July 14th, 2012 @ 9:04 pm
Absoluely awe inspiring!
July 14th, 2012 @ 10:25 pm
I loved reading some of the history of your wonderful garden. Looks very different now than it did 30 years ago.
July 14th, 2012 @ 11:37 pm
It is always a pleasure to read your blog we have lived here in Cornwall at our home for over 30yrs now the garden faces south and we have been growing tropical plants in ernest now for 2yrs this year the problem has been the low tem. my cammas,gingers and bananas are growing very slow our tem has been on 16-17c and has not moved above we hope to see it going up soon
July 17th, 2012 @ 5:26 pm
WOW , Truly inspiring!!!
William , you must have been about 8 when you started – a fantastic garden m hoping to visit soon again, the Stebbings xx xx
July 18th, 2012 @ 6:44 pm
Amazing Will – I just love this blog – it shows yr ongoing passion for creating such a very special garden. What a tremendous personal achievement as well as brining so much pleasure to your thousands of visitors.
Love the conclusion about what our weather might bring over the next 30 years – think we have to prepare for more uncertainty but also see this changing climate as a wonderful gardening opportunity as well
Planning to visit yr plant haven in late August when the jet stream is supposed to reposition itself in a more favourable location for UK Gardeners. Indian summer on everyone’s wish list I would imagine?
Enjoy the rain reprieve forecast for end of the week
Best,
Debbie
July 18th, 2012 @ 6:45 pm
http://www.myclimatechangegarden.com/blog/jet-stream-changes-course-bringing-uk-warmer-weather
August 13th, 2012 @ 4:06 pm
Hi Libby – Sorry I didn’t answer this sooner – summer is such a busy time. I hope your open day went well for you. Your garden sounds fab – it’s amazing what can be done in such a small area…
Andy – thanks for the comment…
Missy – One of these days I will get around to writing a small book with lots of pics about the history of the garden…
Alan – It certainly has been a slow year for Cannas, as mine are only now coming into flower – good luck with your new tropical planting…
Kathleen – Thanks for your comment – I was seven when I started gardening in earnest! It’s always a great pleasure to have you and your family visit the garden. It’s now August and the garden is starting to really look over the top!!
Hi Debbie – glad you like the article and hope to see you in the garden later this month (August)