Last week Lord Mantle announced that he had found some photos of the garden taken before we began our attempt to reclaim it. Later, when studying these shots, it occurred to me how quickly we forget what has gone before. It does well sometimes to look back at what has been achieved and give yourself a high five or perhaps a more ladylike equivalent. Nothing like a bit of reflection to bolster the spirit.
This has not be instant gardening. The soil is dire and full of stones, Lady Mantle’s old gin bottles, metal, glass and Spanish bluebells. We have worked hard. However you would be wrong to suspect that it has taken a long time to turn around this garden. It is only its second year and although it is still work in progress, it is beginning to look the part. There have been mistakes along the way, shuffling has had to be done and visions synchronised. But working as a team and laughing along the way has meant that a daunting, neglected wilderness is now a colour soaked, fun-filled oasis. Most importantly, it is now loved.
Well done L&L Mantle, you have made this garden your own, as the philosopher Yazz once sang “the only way is up, baby”!
Off The Edge Gardening 
Much improved. Well done that team!
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The world could use more vision synchronising.
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Wow what a difference! Well done all of you, high five! We have taken on a garden that had been beyond our predecessors for some years, and Derrick and I have been working on it for 3/4 years now, I am lucky that D is a keen photographer and has made me two albums of before and some after pictures, just as you say, when the vibes are low (and the wind is wrecking the garden, in flipping July!!) it does help to study the progress made. P.S. I love your blog it starts my day, every day.
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Thanks Jackie, that made my day! x
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Ooh! Who did the dry stone wall then? Very nice.
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Not me! 🙂
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What a transformation! I’ve also been looking back on the progress of my garden and you’re right, we forget what it used to be like and it’s nice to see the changes we’ve wrought. Thank you for that reminder x
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Sometimes we only look at what is still to be done, instead of what has been achieved. Glad you have had fun recollecting x
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Should not the “what was” photo have come first and the “what we made of it” one come last? 🙂
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grrrrrrrrrrr!
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Beautiful, now I will have to have a think about rearranging some of my plants…..
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