Romaine's Garden

Back Garden

Post and rail fence made by Peter

There is certainly no wondering as to the whereabouts of this garden. It spans the southern end of our house to the children's cubby and has a small flight of stone steps leading up to the kitchen garden.When designing this garden we took note of the fall of the land. The ground had a lovely gentle slope and so we decided to make some sort of a terrace. During this planning stage we were fortunate to have some neighbours giving away old railway sleepers. Our mind was quickly made up. We thought that, with a bit of effort, (especially from Peter) railway sleepers were just the thing our garden needed and best of all they were free.

The saying that one person's junk is another person's treasure certainly holds true when it applies to the arrangement of a garden. Railway sleepers, old wheelbarrows, rusty milk cans, washing tubs, half wine barrels and even driftwood are all treasures when appropriately placed in and around a garden. However, I find that the real treasures of any garden are the flowers. Nothing can rival the beauty, form, colour and perfume of a flower.

Cosmos

Sasanqua Camellia

Planted in the back garden are a variety of beautiful trees, their ages ranging from five years to five months.They include: a white flowing robinia, a crab apple ("floribunda') a liquidambar, and also a lovely weeping grevillea ("royal mantle") grafted onto a silky oak root stock. The flowers of this native plant are a firm favourite with the nectar eating birds and within a few more years, I envisage that birds with a taste for fruit may visit our loquat, fig and peach trees. These trees are not yet fruiting, so we have plenty of time to relocate our friendly scarecrow. In the meantime however, we will happily devour the passionfruit and tamarillos and share our strawberries with the snails.

Providing welcome shade in the back garden is a box alder tree, while an albizia sways in the gentle breeze. As I write this list I imagine a future garden overplanted and tangled with many wonderful trees. The crepe myrtle, young paulownia, Chinese tallow, tulip tree and purple lilac will one day add to this delightful tangle. One of my favourite plants in this garden are the beautiful sasanqua camellias. They are a delight to see in the autumn sunlight, especially in the morning all covered in dew, revealing their delicate, pink and lightly fragrant petals.

In life's Garden

Count your garden by the flowers,

never by the leaves that fall.

Count your days by the golden hours,

don't remember the clouds at all.

Count your nights by stars,

not by shadows.

Count your life with smiles not tears,

and with joy through all your life,

Count your age by friends not years.