A Season in the Garden at Middle Path April-June, 2014
new arrivals stir a burst of TLC for the gardens and plants - it was “Winter” but it felt like Spring
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It all began with Sprouts
We bought a magnificent brom at a market (the big one below) and it came with several seed pods.
Soon we were delighted to see a lawn of sprouts cheerfully sunbathing in the bedroom window.
Despite an imminent launch of the new Remedies Range we were drawn back to the soil.
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An Influx of Broms
A week later we went to a Bromeliad sale with an empty car.
This is what we made with what we brought back.
It certainly spruced up the welcome visitors received.
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Like the Triffids
And they just seemed to keep on coming.
By this time we were becoming regular visitors to a wholesale Brom nursery.
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And Coming
The front pillars suddenly seemed so bare.
The obvious (by now) solution - tiers for Bromeliads.
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Surrounding Everything
They add such a patient, durable, imperturbably joyous presence.
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With a Riot of Joyous Colour
The patio became like an outdoor conservatory.
And they are so undemanding as companions.
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Spilling down the Hill
Eventually there was no more space round the Temple.
They started their journey to connect up with our the large Brom patch along the drive.
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Winter chores
It wasn't all fun and games though.
We also consolidated our various piles of garden building materials.
After 20 years we finally have them all in one place, discretely located and - dare I say it? - tidy.
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Spring is here?
We found ourselves behaving as if it was spring.
The garden was showing us new tasks on a daily basis and they all had a “Spring has Sprung” feel.
The Lemon tree was freed from the enveloping shadow of a banana patch which also provided a huge amount of ready mulch.
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Orchard extensions
The long-overdue attention in the citrus orchard saw truckloads of mulch changing the landscape.
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More new arrivals
Naturally, as the mulching progressed around the foreshore, new plants were welcomed - more citrus and a mango.
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Taking care of business
The main crop is, naturally, medicine plants and our potted “weeds” are growing ever-more popular.
An array of potent medicines for today's ills ready for the market.
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Decorating the buildings
A group of epiphylliums had been languishing in crowded pots.
Repotted in hanging baskets, they provided support for other hanging baskets with Lobelia - an visual intensity so calming for the eyes and spirit.
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A Basket of Peace
To gaze on one of these is to feel the calm of nature seeping through one's bones.
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Calendula owns the planter tiers
These planter tiers were intended to grace the kitchen door but were displaced by the demand for bromeliad shelves.
This was intended to be a well balanced colourful display,
The Calendula cared nothing for the balance.
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More space for plants
The change brought by the plants and their colours inspired more shelf space for plants.
A couple of shelves hanging off the studio front seemed a a way to fit the bill.
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Ready for the back bulbs
An ideal location for orchids, the recent crop of orchid back bulbs felt to be just perfect for the job.
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