I follwed directions, started exploring your posts, and just lost a work hour to your garden, which is nothing but the highest of compliments! I will justify taking time to write now, simply because I am on my first cup of coffee and not yet awake.
First though, I have a good friend in South Africa, quite the city gardener and pond maker, and I wanted to send you link to his photos, but should do that privately, so email me directly at
jenny@wavestonegroup.com sometime! Next, here I am a complete forum newbie who understands that I must give back, after enjoying everyone's posts, photos and sharing spirits, but bear with me on learing to post pix, etc. OK? I am so busy this month with critical stuff that it will be hard to get something of interest to you, but I do want to share our place with you all too.
Now, Jack's place is stunning, and again my favorite style of gardening...a loose but thematic approach that is somewhat self-dictated by the essence of the garden or land that is already there. I am sooooo enamoured by the flow of your place, Moosey's and any land that gives up secret treasures when you take the time to explore down paths and around corners. I am particularly taken with your gates and framed views of distant garden vignettes. Too many wonderful things in both gardens to comment upon with the time I have today, and other posts cover all of the nice things I would say anyway!
Now, my contribution to come will be on the set-up and progress of our land, so here is a brief teaser: We have 6+ acres in Central California, a mile up from the coast, with a bit of ocean view here and there, especially from our treehouse we built last year in the Douglas Fir forest. The forest is small, just 100 trees, but has its own climate, with year-round blue jays, etc. The upper meadow above it is chaparrel, with scrub oaks, quail and rabbits, and bobcat and coyote visits. It borders more of the same across the property line, and the neighbor's land, untended and far from his house, has beautiful, poisonous mushrooms each year that we go visit. This meadow is also next to the start of civilization and our neighbors on much smaller lots.
Our house is nestled against the end of the forest, with views to this meadow, and a 6 tree redwood grove outside our living room window, so we can sit there and watch deer go by regularly. I have plans to turn the grove, and the curved flat area around it, into a true Japanese garden, since a berm sits above the grove and we have this naturally separate area to work with, bordered by ornamental fruit trees with burgandy leaves, and 2 Wisteria already growing on a small arbor. I have Japanese Maples in pots ready to go, once we clear out non-native iceplant and relocate our banana slugs and salamanders while we dig a small pond and start path/bridge/deck/teahouse construction. But this project is most exciting, and I did a mini zen garden at another house a few months ago, with great results. I will be following some true and traditional design principles, with care taken for color placement, symbolic compass point recognition dictating the direction water is to flow, which of the elements is emphasized in which direction (metal, wood, water, etc.) and so on.
We have the middle meadow, all weeds, and a dilemma on the best and fastest way to carve some space for wildflowers and veggies, since we are procrastinating on the hard work it will take to kill the weeds and protect anything from gophers. I envision a natural meadow with herb shrubs and sculpture, curving paths and benches, the occasional arbor, etc. But the deer, gophers and weeds are our main concerns.
Middle meadow is bordered by more scrub oaks and falls off towards a slope dominated by larger oaks and choked withy pesky but beautiful ivy, raspberry brambles and poison oak. Having extensively read about the best environment for the oaks, I know that clearing the ivy makes sense, and I have already spent days pulling it out of the trees to give them back their chance to live a long life, but the rest of the job is MASSIVE, and until then, the ivy chokes out most of the poison oak and IS a habitat for lots of animals who will be upset with any future change. This hillside countinues around much of our property and our lower meadow, and is where the deer, bobcats and coyotes hide and traverse. On a hot day, the shady hillsides are our retreat, and Cala Lilies pop up here and there, along with some ferns.
Lower meadow may get a large pond next year, since our downhill neighbor has the pro equipment to dig one in a day and he has one that is thriving with reeds, water plants, fish and bullfrogs we can hear from our place. I will go with native treefrogs instead, since we have them already and they will find a new pond easily enough. Lower meadow is ringed with Coastal oaks strung with Spanish Moss, and is large and sunny, but also weed and gopher filled. I want to make it park-like, but all natural, so it will get drought tolerant plants spaced naturally, and mostly shrubby things, nothing formal or small because it will just become a deer snack.
Around our house, we have front and back planted areas, masonry walls and steps and decks, some patio space. My challenge is to erase the former owner's bad personal vibe, chop out boxwood hedges and things that don't look right as our transition into the natural areas, and replant with lavender, rosemary, cut flower species, other herbs and groundcover, and keep it all wildlife friendly as well.
I have yet to plant a single new plant into the earth here, after almost two years living here. I have potted plants that want their freedom, but gopher control and irrigation comes first. My planting preferences are as follows...color and fragrance in every season, attract insects/birds/butterflies, carve out special areas to rest and relax in, have theme areas (fern garden, zen, cutting garden, edibles, sun and shade areas, oak and redwood compatible gardens that look completely native and amost untended, garden art/sculpture when it fits the area, some picnic and entertaining patios with arbors, and some secret retreat areas. And I am somewhat of a typical Santa Cruz wannabe hippy with mystical interests, so a moon and ceremony garden, and an outdoor alter would be nice, as well as a passion garden overseen by a goddess spirit is planned for outdoor art project creating parties.
I hope that piques your interest, and now I have sealed my fate with expectations to fulfill, and years of work ahead of me. All for now, work beckons cruelly.
Jen
Follow Your Passions
