Reminiscing: Our Former Garden (Part 1)

Jan 26

When you move to a new home that has space for a garden, you get swept away in the plans and possibilities for the new and can quickly forget the old. But we leave a piece of ourselves in any garden that we tend and nurture. And, I would wager this is the case for most gardeners, there is always some level of connection to that particular plot of dirt and the plants that may still grow there.

I feel that. With memories of our former garden - the spaces, the process of creating it, the plants, and the time we spent in it as a family - cascading unintentionally and unexpectedly into my mind from time to time throughout the year. It was a small garden and you could easily call it just another small suburban backyard with some beds and borders. But to me, to us, it was certainly more than that. Time, labor, and money were poured into it with the hope of making something beautiful and special, regardless of the size. It provided a space for me to continue to learn through trial-and-error (often trial-and-success). It was a space where I could dream and design, plant and remake. It was a space for Daisy, our English Setter, to bask in the sun and follow the scent of birds. It was a place for the family to swing, picnic, lounge in the dappled shade, and play lawn games.

The ‘East Garden’…a bare patch and a dream

The ‘east garden’ on the side of the house. Fencing in and preliminary layout marked on the grass.

A Conceptual Sketch

I had a clear vision for the east garden. The space is approximately 12’ x 26’ and lent itself to creating a garden room as it was bounded by six foot tall privacy fencing on the east and north, the house on the west, and (eventually) a faux wrought iron fence and garden arbor on the south. I love private garden spaces where you can go and not be overlooked. So, I would plant hedge shrubs along the east and north fence lines. The ‘wrought iron’ fence and arbor would be smothered with various climbers.