Creating a Garden: Welcome to Shortmeadow!
Any garden can have a name regardless of size. Even if it's just a nickname like the Garden of Weedin'. But if you're setting out to create a garden of substantial size, let's say half an acre or more, it just seems right to give it a name.
Now, some may scoff and some may question the point in it. Saying, "it's just your property, just your backyard...why are you naming it?! It's not open to the public, only your family and maybe your neighbors know it's there...what's the point?!" And that may all be true. I don't know that there really is a practical purpose or a point to it. It's just for fun, if nothing else. It gives your creation one more touch of character and personalization. It becomes a place with a name...in a way, it elevates the whole. If people name farms, ranches, parks, and houses, then why not name your garden? And I'm sure many have, so perhaps this is all a moot point.
Welcome to Shortmeadow!
The name for our garden, Shortmeadow, started as just a bit of fun, a joke really...and it stuck. Monty Don has a wonderful and inspiring two-acre garden in Herefordshire named Longmeadow. I have no doubt many (most?...all?) gardeners are aware of Monty and Longmeadow. If not, you MUST become aware. (More on Monty and Longmeadow another time.) We're on just over an acre, so everything is scaled down compared to Longmeadow but it will still be a fairly large garden when fully realized.
The vision is to create our version of an English country garden...4,700 miles from the real thing. Of course it will be personalized and adjusted to our particular climate, etc. So, what we may end up with is an American garden with English garden influences. I'd like to keep it as close to the mark as possible, but we'll see how things develop over time. While there are beautiful gardens all around the world, for me (and I'm sure millions of others), the most beautiful is the English country garden.
The future Shortmeadow
The plan for Shortmeadow includes a variety of gardens and spaces:
The orchard and orchard meadow
The lavender walk
The cottage garden
The wisteria tunnel
The sledding hill
The vegetable and fruit garden
The berry beds
The east garden
The "woodland" garden
I'm sure there will be more gardens and spaces that reveal themselves as Shortmeadow evolves over time.
Weedy Pete
