You may see things differently

-
Dear reader,



I used to write these letters to Monty Don, and I still find his contrasting views on gardens very interesting even if a little confusing. He seems to dislike artifice yet he 'loves' Chelsea. This kind of seemingly contradictory mix is probably found in us all - we perhaps go with the tide of opinion, we get swept up in the glory and glamour of show gardens (which those of us who are financially challenged could never achieve) - and then we are brought down to earth by the reality of our own plots.




But what I've also come to realise is that I see my garden differently to others - that my view of my little world is not the same as other peoples view of that world - they see order where I see relaxed - they see weeds where I see food plants for caterpillars - they see too much work where I see .... OK yes I see work too!







Why am I rambling like this ? Well as you may be aware the garden was open this last weekend for the www.ngs.org.uk and I always go through a period of self doubt and anxiety about this space, because it is going to be judged by others. We all do it - we all form opinions - we all judge.
Then it dawns on me that to open a garden you are opening yourself up - any creative activity is the same - the created thing comes from within - it is personal. Also to open up - you also have to be open yourself to those other opinions - we may not concur - but sometimes we learn more about what is true for us - it hones what we believe to be important, and sometimes that chimes with our fellow humans. It's a process, a journey - it's life.

I was visited by both the County Organiser Rosamund Davies and her assistant Sol Blytt Jordens - Sol was a garden designer in her previous life - no pressure.






I think that it was understood - and I had many positive comments - people 'felt' the peace of the space - its sheltered, cloistered feel had its desired effect.





I met some lovely people including a Vlogger who lives just up the road - her name is Erica and her Vlog can be found on  www.youtube.com it's called : Erica's Little Welsh Garden - she is just starting the journey - it's infectious.

Thank you to all that came, sat, chatted, laughed and relaxed- you raised £200 from our garden and £600 combined with the lovely Rhos -y Beddw our best total yet.

Paul

Comments

  1. Charles Hawes5 June 2018 at 22:47

    I like that message that when we open our gardens we open ourselves, too. Well, ideally anyway.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pity the cabbage white

-
Image
Dear Monty, Having seen you protect your newly planted cabbages from cabbage white butterflies - it made me realise that I haven't seen many this year. Despite warmth yesterday - a brief interlude with blue sky and a light wind there was a dearth of butterflies in the coal tip garden. There were honey bees, bumble bees, wasps, hover flies, a gangly legged wasp, one hedge brown, one speckled wood and a common blue - that is all. Oh and a frog sheltering in the shady hosta and a silent peregrine falcon swooping overhead. What has happened to all the insects ? What has happened to all the aphids this year ? Is it just me that is missing them ? I have seen no ladybirds or ladybird larvae - because there have been so few aphids - was it the birds that have snaffled them ? I worry about the lack of insect numbers. We walked through a wild meadow full of meadow cranesbill and meadowsweet with the purple haze of knapweed in the grasses and yet there were one or two meadow br...
Read more

Letter to Monty Don 48

-
Image
Dear Monty, I know that despite these rambles being addressed to you, they never reach your eyes or heart, but this question is most certainly directed to you : Can nature be ugly ? I am pondering this question sitting in my cupboard of a 'studio' where I am putting the finishing touches to paintings of  British native orchids, pollinators and butterflies for an exhibition next weekend. Now I believe that you understand perfectly well the response you may get when you make statements on GW - including the one about spent buddleja flowers being 'ugly'. I too have always deadheaded my buddleja for the same reason, and as you said to promote new flower spikes. But this ugliness is an intrinsic part of nature - it sets seed to create the next generation, the flowers last but for a few days. Is this ugliness a kind of acknowledgement of the frailty of 'beauty' .... and the cutting off and tidying away a kind of denial ? ( Perhaps I think too much.) I ...
Read more

Monty, where does the road take us ?

-
Image
Monty, I see you have returned to France. Your film reminded me of my visits to Paris as an art student between 1981-83. It is a city that cannot fail to make an impression with its wide open streets, avenues of trees, the river and public gardens. I particularly remember Versailles with its long canal. At that time I was not aware of having a particular interest in gardens, but the gardens at Versailles were astonishing. I saw them in early morning light, when there were not that many people there. I also remember being intrigued by the garden at the Musee Rodin. Strangely for an art student, it was not the sculpture that caught my attention but the garden with pyramid shaped topiary. Perhaps what I was responding to was the sense of order, balance and harmony. It almost feels as though I was meant to visit, and that the encounters I had which were sensually intense, were pre-ordained. There is one incident, which has great significance only to me perhaps, but which was of ...
Read more