Thursday, July 31, 2008

How does your garden grow?

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty girls all in a row.

Was this a nursery rhyme you used to say as a child. When I found out what contrary meant - I liked it even more, as my sister is called Mary!!!!!

We have a wonderful garden at our home. Some of it was planted by the previous owners but we have done quite alot of new areas ourselves. It is quite the English garden - and by that I mean that there are a lot of plants, all thrown in together - and in no way is it formal! We also have quite a few fruits trees, a little raised bed area for our tomatoes and other vegetables..and relatively new is our arbor above one of our outdoor dining tables. We planted table (ie eating) grapes over it and last year they had some mildew, the previous year some animal (raccoon?) ate them all one night before we had any....but this year, we have a good crop and are enjoying them every day. They are seedless green grapes as opposed to our red merlot wine grapes that we grow. Quite small however..... as we joked last night. We made chicken skewers for dinner and had marinated the chicken and were alternating the chicken with our own grapes on the skewers. My husband was moaning that the grapes were so small - until I pointed out that really, there wasn't alot to complain about! How many people can use their own grapes on their skewered chicken!

Anyhow - my husband does alot of work in the garden and I do very little. The majority however is done by Hector and his crew. We inherited Hector as our gardener when we bought the house - and I'm so glad we did too! He's wonderful - and all his various family members who seem to help him.

Even though I don't spend alot of time working in the garden - I love it! It is so pretty and restful....and looks wonderful year round. We have many roses - hundreds - a big bank of lavendar...a few of our favorite English plants like aubretia...and countless others I could mention.

When I started working with silver clay, I made quite a few different silver flowers....but then I seemed to move on to other things. A few months ago however, I went back to the garden scene and made this watering can. I've often thought of putting some flowers in it - but then revert back to it just being a watering can. It is entitled "how does your garden grow?" and I think the answer to the question is really Hector! Thanks Hector for all you do!

I think it's a lovely necklace for a keen gardener - little details like the holes in the rose spout, the little "screws" on the handle. You can wear the chain either through the top handle or the one on the side. And when you are not wearing it, you can take the chain out -and it's a little decoration!

So how does your garden grow? What is your secret? Let us all know........

4 comments:

Mariana said...

what a cute watering can!!!

How does it grow... wild, wild, wild!!! and now that the NEtherlands is acquaring a more tropical weather with rain, sun, rain again; everything (weeds included) grow like crazy.
A while ago we decided to be as enviormentaly friendly as possible. So, while outr neighbours were throwing cement all over the place, we left grass. Planted about 10 trees (since we moved in, 4 yrs ago) and countless plants, and bushes. In the back garden, which is closed up so the dog, Olaf, can't go in, we have apples, casis, pears and cherry trees. A big old cart with strawberry plants, framboise and redcurrant. Grapes. Plus a big patch with broccoli, tomatoes, red beats, acelga (sicilian stuff very similar to spinach but with big leaves), peas, beans, lettuce, carrots, pumkings ... and some other stuff which name I can't remember in english.
We dont have gardeners and it is a whole lot of work. Deweeding, harvesting, etc. A lot about learning too because I used to have gardeners when I lived in Argentina...so now I have to learn what to do with all these!
Oh yeah, and today we are buying a big freezer because we've havested more than 4 kilos of peas yesterda and I dont know where to put them! the fridge is full now!!!
So yeah.... that's my garden.

Magriet said...

What a beautiful garden :) I sing Mary Mary quite contrary to my little girl all the time :)
I'm not much of a gardener myself (my hubby says plants come to my garden to die :(
But I love admiring other people's gardens.

Ruth said...

Marian your garden sounds wonderful - and with lots of unusual things growing in it too. There's nothing quite like eating your own produce is there! We don't grow peas but we do grow peanuts! We have a pet parrot, Harold - and he loves peanuts, so we planted them for him a while ago - and they just keep coming back!! We gently roast them for him - no salt!!!

Glad you enjoy all that gardening. Must keep you fit too.

Ruth said...

Hi Magriet - Nice to imagine you singing Mary Mary to your daughter - even if you don't quite have the green fingers!!!! What is your daughter's name?