After three weeks we have managed to empty my mother's garden. Well, nearly. There are still big Rhododendron, some berry bushes and one long border of Hostas and daylilies nicely put together. It was the last border mother made, only two years ago. We're leaving that. I'm having a hard time believing that people have no wish of any plants in a garden. Fingers crossed! We've had lots of people in to fetch plants. I didn't need to advertise. The word got around that a plant collector's garden was removed and the plants given away so gardeners who wanted something special rang me and came to adopt plants. Some left with two or three plants, some with two or three carloads of plants. I have visit rights if I want to. Some photos of the progress and the near-finished result: A friend of mine took two trailerloads of nice Hosta for her new garden: The big Rhododendron yakushimanum is leaving for a new home. The Erica arborea alpina is dug up by my husband and his antique digger: We managed to move it this far. I have hired a lorry with crane to get it from there to my house. At least I could prune it from the balcony: We also managed to dig up an old mini-maple. It has been growing for about 35 years and stands about as tall as I am, 150 cm or 4 foot 11 inches. Look at the stem of the thing: It is now growing in my oldest daughter's garden alongside the R. yakushimanum and a variety of other small Rhododendron. Here's what mother's garden looks like now: The grass will be rolled out on Friday and Saturday. I've also had arborists in to cut down some trees and prune the Rhododendron to make them more child friendly. They are now ideal for playing hide-and-seek in. Fingers crossed they'll be standing where they are for many years to come. And here's what my garden looks like now: So far 1 box of peonies, 2 boxes of lilies and I'm working on the third box of Primula. Don't know how many boxes I'll need for the Corydalis, Erythronium and Trillium but I fear three or four to each. I've also got 8 or 9 mini-rhododendron and about 20 Helleborus. I don't know how many different single plants I've got in there. My own lawn is almost non-existent and will be so for the next couple of years. My wise and kind husband said that our children are big enough now to not need lawn to play on so no rush. Bless him! While clearing out the house I found many weird and wonderful things, but that's a thread for colder weather.
What a sad sight your mum's garden is now Droopy. I'm amazed that nowadays people don't want to take on established, mature gardens. I know I'd love to move somewhere that had such wonderful design and planting. Thankfully most of the plants have now found new homes and will flourish for years to come.
Wow, I am speechless.....wow. I am amazed. You did a wonderous thing..Love the maple.....LOL have to get that in here...
Oh man, that is sad. but still, I'm so glad that your mother's garden will live on in so many other people's lives!!
So glad you found new loving homes for your Mom's plants. That was a lot of work for you and your family. We have been told that the fact that I took up all the lawn areas front, back, side and replaced it all with gardens... our house would probably not sell. It would take someone who loves to garden, already knows what they are doing (i.e. not willing to learn from scratch) and has time to jump in and take over, to buy our house. And looking around our neighborhood, there is only one other homeowner who doesn't want just a few trees and nothing else but grass. Interesting things in the house, looking forward to those photos.
Well Droopy....I almost didn't want to look at this posting, as I knew what was coming, but of course I had to. I was sat here with a bit of a lump in my throat as I scrolled downwards.... When I came to the shot where your mum and sat on our knees next to each other talking plants and she was showing me this and that and telling me about them. It was in this place that she selected a few plants for me to bring back home. Thinking back to those moments there...and how focused we were. We sort of forgot that my bride and you guys were actually waiting for us to go to visit the next garden. All these thoughts coming back just sort of made me well-up. That sort of surprised me. That was one aspect...but what you had to do to the garden was surprising as well as sad. I mean, destroying a garden that someone has put forty years into developing can be nothing else BUT sad. Sad; but necessary, I realize that. Thanks very much for posting these impressive piccies.
Eileen, I agree, but also understand that a family with children will want space for ballgames, trampolines and such. waretrop, thank you. I wasn't alone. We spent three weeks in there and I couldn't have done it without a lot of help. Ronni, I take comfort in knowing that people all over the area will look at their plants and remember where they came from. toni, it was but it was worth it. There's still one Rhododendron that we need to dig up and one we need to try and dig up. Wish us luck! Sjoerd, you are not alone in choking up. Many people visited that garden and most of them are saddened by the fact that it is no more. One of the arborists took down a lovely mini-ceder while the other one had his arm around my shoulders murmuring: I feel your pain. He was in that garden last year pruning some big trees so he knew what it had looked like. Funny, I emptied the house out without a second thought, but the garden really got me. Every tree and bush that went gave me stomack ache and teary eyes.
It is so sad to see such a beautiful garden be dismantled. At least you have your memories and know that the plants are appreciated and taken care of.
Wow - you did a phenomenal amount of work that would have carried a real emotional component. The positive is that so many others can now share and love the plants. I can't fathom anybody not wanting a fully established mature garden. That maple tree would have been made MORE than welcome here!
It's beginning to look child friendly now. My son-in-law is busy rolling out the grass. It's raining, which is sort of good for the grass but not very pleasant for the grass layers. We had 4,5 inches or 112 mm of rain over two days. I don't know how bad it will be today. Our local newspaper ran a story about the weather. This is the illlustration they used: Photo by Synnøve Nordstrand. Here's the link to the article: http://www.bt.no/nyheter/lokalt/Dette-biletet-seier-alt-om-vret-pa-Vestlandet-i-sommar-3637422.html
That rainy weather is no fun to be out in, but sometimes you just have to. The rain is ideal for laying lawns though. That was a great foto of sheep sheltering in the abri at the bus stop. Really a good one. I sorta felt sorry for the spotted one...he was a day late and a dollar short I reckon.
Very sad to see a well established garden being taken apart,..imagining all the care those plants had while there and the enjoyment they provided for your Mom,..the consolation is knowing that parts of that garden now lives on in many other gardens,..including your own,..it will mean your Mom will be well remembered,..that's nice to know.
