Thursday 12 June 2008

Our journey.......

I was sitting in the garden at dusk last night watching the bats feed. I love to see them leave the house, fly out into the garden, it seems almost joyous. I tried to get a photograph, of course, I couldn't. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed two insects sitting on top of the cardoon bud and thought they may do instead. Poor light did not give a good image but you can probably see why they fascinated me. Now in daydreaming mode I thought about seven years ago when we decided to move here.
With rose tinted specs we started to live our dream, after 31 years we were moving to an old property with a large garden. Mr Practical would do all the work on the house and I would landscape the garden.
The house had not been cherished, so Mr Practical has spent the last seven years replumbing, rewiring, replacing all the outside timber, installing central heating, etc etc.
The garden itself was sad......the small copse had been used as a dump.......It took me three days of solid work and two large skips to clear most of it.
I can remember opening the shed door to be greeted by some sort of chemical cocktail. Being someone who doesn't use sprays etc my heart sank into my boots. I believe it takes ten years to be able to say 'this is an organic garden'. So I am still not there. I cleared the shed and then pulled it down, before it fell anyway.

The rabbits were the worst problem......I had my mind set on a garden for bees, butterflies and birds. I therefore needed to plant native , also wildflowers. Breakfast, dinner and tea for rabbits. At one count I had 22 rabbits in this garden, so my problems were huge.
I know quite a lot about the little creatures now, I am by no means an expert but I probably have more knowledge than most.
The garden itself is a heavy clay soil, also a high water table......not to bad in summer but in winter the garden becomes a bog. If its a wet season the results are horrendous.
I have given this garden my all, my body has ached in places I never knew I had. And if I am honest I have sometimes wondered what I am doing here. Mr Practical has felt the same. He works full time and then comes home to work. BUT we are a good team........when one is down, the other will pull them up again.
In the cold light of day, I would not have missed this ongoing journey for anything.


I have only to look around now and see the dream taking shape.
To sit amongst the flowers in the meadow and watch the insects settling on the grasses.
To have something like this foxglove appear from nowhere......she is just what fairy stories are made of.
To watch and see her grow into something beautiful............
where my soul can gain strength and my spirit renew itself, so that I have the capacity to carry on with the problems that life dishes out to us all.



I look at the garden and the house........I have the right man by my side........we are sharing a dream...........this one day will be a haven for wildlife, they are starting to arrive and I look forward to greeting everyone of them with a smile. Do you have dream????




16 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

It sounds like you have found your Utopia Cheryl. The only thing that makes it any better is that you have the "right man" by your side.

Cheryl said...

You are right there Lisa, it makes all the difference in the world.

beckie said...

Oh Cheryl, what a lovely post! I don't know that I would have had your energy or determination even 7 years ago. You are indeed a special person. And your wonderful garden and haven for wildlife shows it. Praises go to you and your Mr. Right!

Rose said...

Cheryl, Thank you for taking us along on this journey. We lived in an old house (by American standards--nearly 100 years old)for 26 years, and I know how much work is involved. You are fortunate to have Mr. P. to share your dreams and to help make them come true. Thoreau said, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams." I think you have, and you should feel very proud that you have accomplished so much of that dream.

Cheryl said...

Thanks Beckie and Rose......for all the positive words....

Zvrk said...

I think your dream is coming true!
Do you open your garden for a garden safari or for charity?

Cheryl said...

Hi Zvrk.....It is a nice thought but I really don't think the gardens would come up to the required standard.
But I am enjoying my dream!

Q said...

Dear Cheryl,
I have a dream too.
My dream is to see lots and lots of native plants and butterflies and bees in my neighborhood. I dream of clean water and clean air. I dream people will change their ways and take care of Mother Earth.
I love that you are living your dream! You have all sorts of native plants for the birds and bees and butterflies! Knowing you are planting for the criiters means my dream is coming true too. It is a slow come true. Cleaning the land up and planting habitat is hard work but so worth it.
You have lots of gardens too! I am inspired to keep on keeping on by you. Sometimes I get tired. Sometimes I just want to close my door and let the world go by...but than I know if just one more person will plant Paw-paws the Zebra Swallotail will have a chance. I know if I post pretty pictures of the bees and butterflies others will think of planting for them.
More and more people need to do as you are doing and go back to the "wild ways".
I understand remodeling. My husband and I have been remodeling our house for 31 years. We are redoing the redo! I would move but I could not move my gardens. LOL!
Thank you for sharing your dream with us and with all the critters.
Namaste,
Sherry

Dawny P said...

You are a great team and how nice to have in Mr P someone who shares your dreams - a true soul mate. How lucky you are Cheryl and I bet you wouldn't swap any of it for all the tea in China. You are very special xxx

TheSingingBird said...

Cheryl, visiting your garden here brings me such a sense of peace and beauty, thank you :)

Cheryl said...

Dear Sherry...you and I are soul mates. We may be miles apart but our hopes and dreams entwine us by an invisible thread. I like you started this blog to try and make a difference, I think you and I will do this.......I to get so very tired but I have my fathers strength of character. My job will never stop until my body says 'you are too old Cheryl, now is the time to quit.'

You are my very good friend.....I often think of you with the bees and butterflies, it to gives me hope.

Cheryl said...

Thank you Dawny......so very much.


You to singingbird....thank you.

Sage said...

My dream is to be able to spend my time doing things that I love instead of being chained to a desk... if it were not for the need of the money I would be out of indentured slavery today..

Seriously, I would love to have more time to do the things that I love, the trouble is I love to do things lol

Sage

Cheryl said...

Hi Sage thanks for dropping by....I think you speak for the majority there.......

Jan said...

Cheryl, thank you for your comment when you visited recently. I can see from your writing that you 'loathe' peonies, but when you said you would be happy with the beautiful white one in my garden, it made me smile:) I'm not a 'peony person', and that is the first peony plant I've ever had! it didn't bloom last year, but did fabulously this year. There is another plant on the other side of the garden, but no blooms came of it this year. Peonies are not always the friendliest or easiest of plants...but I had always wanted to 'try' one. I think I have a keeper! I LOVE your blog and your writing. It's very beautiful, and uplifting.

Cheryl said...

Hi Jan....I have fallen in love with the white and pale pink peonies.....
I might dig my red with the yellow centre (yuk) up. Then plant a white one somewhere else in the garden.
Glad you like my blog, tku.