Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Does Your GARDEN Mimic Your DREAM Garden ?

I think we all have dreams, fantasies about the perfect home, dream garden , perfect spouse, perfect job, perfect life...a dreaming soul is in all of us. And if I had a dream garden that I would love to have, that I would aspire to...it would be this one in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. I have written about how this garden ' draws me to it ' , every time I go on my walks. It is , out of all the glorious gardens there, my very favorite.
Outwardly, from the sidewalk in front...the casual stroller would not immediately notice this garden. But when you walk past the opening here...this is what you see,
 Wow, I do believe I catch my breath every time I see it.

 18th century design.

I love the small clipped boxwoods or hollies. The curved lines of the crushed shell paths , mixed with pebbles if I recall correctly....seem to lure you around the garden with your eyes.
To the right of the garden. I have to take all these shots from behind massive wrought iron gates , as my dream garden is out of direct reach to me.
I cannot set even my foot on the curved paths, without permission of course.
I hate to ask permission to do anything...not shy, actually assertive enough to go ahead and just do what I want to do .
But this is gated off , and I am in in bit of a paralyzed state when I am there.
If I ever am fortunate to see a real person out there, I will try to see if I can come inside. So far, I have not ever seen anyone outside.

I look out at it, and wonder what it would be like to go further  in ... there is a back larger garden area.
behind this guy...
This very handsome bronze statue, with his one broken forearm, always dances in my garden.
He is their centerpiece.



My daughter took this shot of me in early April, holding on tight to the bars of my dream garden. That is pretty much what I do when I am not taking pictures of it.
Staring and smiling, holding on tight.
Glad the homeowner's have not called the police on me before.
Alert, " Woman holding on tight to our garden gates in front , and looking dreamy."
That's me.
Oh !
forgot to show you the historic marker -plaque that describes this historic garden. Here you can read it for yourself:
Just click the picture to make it larger and read all the info. The John Blake garden, done in a  pattern style. Or parterre design info:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parterre

Getting back to my earlier title to this post...Does your garden mimic your dream garden ? I thought that I am trying, unable to maintain mine like this one, as all of the historic Charleston gardens seem to have professional landscapers-caretakers come around and take care of them.
All I have is me, in the  yard-lady category.
Me will have to do though.
Here is part of mine below, overgrown, no clipped hollies surround, no winding pebble paths, no dancing teasing bronze statue... but it has a' feel ' of the other garden..at least to me.
 Late May.


Late June, today. Little wild out there isn't it ? Lush, needs further weeding and trimming.
But it is my garden, getting closer to my own dream garden at my own house.

I am sure this made you think of your dream garden .
Maybe it is already in your own backyard.

I do love my garden.

Have a great day,
going to be another scorcher here in the Deep south today...high 90's again,
Gina

 " All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirits. " Proverbs 16:2

13 comments:

  1. That style of garden was very fashionable in England in the 1600s-1700s, around the time people were going out to America. Here it's called a parterre. I was at such a garden this morning, taking some snaps, which I'm going to post shortly. At this particular garden, which was a very early one, the edging around each of the little plots was made from rows of strawberry plants, and rows of thrift, the box bushes as edging came slightly later.

    My own garden is a lot more informal.

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  2. I can see why you love that garden! It is beautiful!

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  3. Gina ~ I love your lovingly created garden. Yes the gated one is pretty, but it seems a little too stiff, too neat and orderly for me. I think a garden needs a little wild abandon, to look lived in. Our gardens would look more the way of this walled garden if we had a troop of gardeners caring for it, instead of just ourselves to do the work. You are doing a wonderful job with what you have. Gardens are always a work in progress, and take more time being cared for by one person. The older I get, I realize I cannot have it all or do all that I might like to do, so do what I can and enjoy each day. There are always new things to see in a garden, something to delight our hearts and souls.

    Don't work too hard out there, and drink plenty of fluids when you do.

    Hugs ~ FlowerLady

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  4. Yes Robur', I included the parterre Wikipedia link, thanks. I love those and knot gardens as well. Can't wait to see your post with the garden you visited !

    Mellisa Jo- It is even prettier in person.

    Flowerlady-I know what you are saying about it being formal, I guess I am such a jumble inside sometimes ( all the time ), that it brings a sense of order to me when I see it. That's me analyzing myself , ha. Thanks for being kind about my garden, being very careful w/ heat here ! you too.

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  5. Gina, I DO think your garden mimics your dream garden! Kind of like how married people begin to take on the physical appearance of the other after living which each other for a long, long time! The more we "gaze" on the object of our affection, the more we become like it! (There's a spiritual parallel here, too...)

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  6. I have Charleston SC in my list of must visit cities and when I do I’ll make sure to visit your dream garden.

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  7. Gina, I love your garden and your dream garden, too. I'm in the middle of a redesign of mine. I just hope it comes close to the vision i have in head eventually.

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  8. Your garden is pretty and does have an air similar in some ways to the more formal garden of your desires. I wonder, will you ever be asked to walk in that garden and tour it? I hope so!
    It seems mysterious, how you've never seen anyone in the garden. Is there a mystery there?

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  9. You're kidding right?
    I much prefer your garden! :D
    I find this elegant and delicate, with the right plants for the environment.
    The garden of your dreams find it too schematic and unnatural, though beautiful mind you, while your there you can immerse yourself in nature and beauty immediately.
    You are very good, let me tell you! ;)

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  10. Unwittingly, I had the same impression and I wrote the same concepts FlowerLady!
    You see? two of us! ;)

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  11. I think your garden is absolutely beautiful. No, my personal garden is not my dream garden, but it will be some day. Your dream garden is spectacular!! I can see why you love it so much.

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  12. aloha gina,

    now i remember why i love charleston so much, its amazing to just spend the time rambling around and peeking into someones treasured garden behind massive gates like this one...i loved seeing these kind of discoveries with soo much rich detail...who uses shells in their gardens anymore and that bronze is just spectacular...i'm sure the large black arbor just draws you into the back room with some mystery pull,i hope you get to see it one day and show us the magic!

    thanks for sharing this :)

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I love comments , please leave one if you like. I try to respond to comments,but if I'm running behind, please know that I read each one before they are published. Thanks much, Gina