A short introduction

[Aylee]

Hello, I thought I should introduce myself before going any further into the forum.
 
I have a small garden on the North Kent coast (southern England) established by my father fifty years ago, which is prone to salty gales from the Arctic in winter, and droughts in the summer, but few frosts.  The soil is solid clay which the plants either love or loath!  I started planting it up with much more enthusiasm than skill ten years ago, learning along the way.  It is now full to bursting.   I also enjoy photography and combine the two using Ideas Genie.

I am looking forward to using the forum, swapping ideas, and if I may, picking some brains when I come across problems!

[ideasguy]

I do the Ideas Genie bit... I'll step aside and make way for "the brains" 

I'm delighted that you have joined us here Alison. I inherited my fathers garden as well.
Question: Did you have to learn the name of the plants in the garden when you took over?

I really enjoyed reading the gardening books my dad left me to try and identify his plants.
I think he left it to me to figure out knowing it was in my genes to "assume responsibility".
It was always such a great moment when I identified a plant. Shucks.. I'm a sad man!

[greenfinger]

I always am delighted when I see an old walled garden and I get the same feeling when I read about inheriting your fathers garden AND his gardening books. Lucky one!

[Aylee]

When I took over the garden it was about two-thirds full of roses ? all Father was really interested in.  There was no difficulty in naming them, as I found plans of the beds and borders all neatly labelled with name and year of planting!  Most were 40-50 years old and past their ?use by? date so have gone now to make room for my own choice of plants.  The few remaining are doing well with TLC in mixed beds ? seem to have a new lease of life.  Most of the books were about roses plus a lot of Rose Society annuals and old catalogues!

[ideasguy]

RE: Most (roses) were 40-50 years old
They are certainly long-lived! My dads roses have survived him by 22 years now. So has his favourite Paeonia which I identify as P. officinalis 'Rubra Plena'

Have you followed on with the Rose growing tradition?
Have you photos of the garden in your fathers day?

I had a project this summer, taking photos of the Rose Society of Northern Ireland members gardens.
I'm not a rose fanatic. They cut me to shreds EVERY time I go near them. I dont like that 
I was very curious to see how the members planted their roses. Took hundreds of photos.

Did your Dad plant his in traditional rose beds, or did he mix them with other plants?

[Aylee]

Oh yes, old fashioned rose beds and borders, front and back garden ? the only underplanting was self-seeding bluebells, and a few bulbs Mum managed to sneak in when he wasn?t looking!  The garden looked fabulous in June (yes I have some pictures, though most are slides), and there were a few shrubs etc in the one mixed border, but the only other gardening he did (without much enthusiasm) was fruit and veg.  Of course, the dead-heading, spraying and pruning took some time.
A lot had been removed by the time I took over - only about 150 remained (!!) set in solid concreted clay.  Now I have just eight of them left, but I have since bought another seven (from David Austin).  They are all in mixed beds, and I never spray them (cruel woman).  I still like them, and think they look lovely.

[Pixydish]

How lovely to have inherited not only a garden, but a love of gardening from a dear parent! This sounds, to me, like something out of a book. I cannot even think how it must be to tend a garden that was tended by a parent. You are both so very fortunate in this. I hope that I can instill a love of gardening in one of my children.

I am restoring my neighbor's garden which was put in over several years by a dear friend of mine who is now unable to garden. The garden had been neglected for about 10 years. Certainly not long by some standards, but long enough for there to be plenty of work to be done getting it into shape! The new home owners know nothing about gardening and are dear people, so they've given me a key to the back yard and I can go in there and work till my heart's content! If only I could have 48 hours in a day!~

[Aylee]

Speaking for myself, I?ve found cultivating my father?s garden a mixed blessing.  There are lots of happy memories of people, events and plants (and some painful ones like learning to ride a bike and always falling off into the roses!), but taking over was really daunting.  For a while I felt very inhibited ? it was still his garden.  I imagined him looking at it and saying ?What on earth are you doing that for?? or ?You?re making a lot of work for yourself there!?  At first I did a lot of  ?working around? the old features.  Now I find myself working around my first ?working arounds?.  It would have been better to design it properly from the start if only I?d known how to do it. It?s too late now ? I?ve ended with an already small garden made up of a patchwork of tiny bits ? full of surprises!  My friends say it reminds them of me; I?m not sure if they mean eccentric or chaotic!  Anyway, I love it.

How marvellous for you to be able to bring a much loved garden into bloom again.  Your new neighbours are also very fortunate to have you.  I imagine they are thrilled when they see the garden begin to come to life again under your hands.  Are you keeping to the original planting and design, or adapting it to the new owners preferences?   What an interesting occupation - I really envy you your situation and I can understand that you need at least 48 hours in every day!