For the first anniversary of my blog I decided to look out some old photos of the house and garden. This was the house about 26 years ago.
Most of my old photos were really of the children rather than the garden but the Oleander on the doorstep is still the one we have today and although regularly pruned back it still flowers beautifully.
For many years the front garden was laid to lawn but bit by bit I dug out the flower beds until now there is no grass just beds.
Rachel and Rebecca on the rocking horse but not a lot going on in the garden as you can see, by the way of plants.
This snap shows the garden open plan before Mike built the fences which I think help divide the garden into separate spaces and give new dimensions to grow things on.
Rebecca was enthralled by these Amaranthus, Love lies Bleeding but they did do especially well in this hole we made in the back patio. You can just see the small Ceanothus that was planted there under the window which eventually grew very well and then just died. It was replaced by Banksiae Banksiae rose which is still there now.
This was many years later as the Leyland Cyprus hedge is very mature but the second fence is not yet built and the swing is still in what is now a mixture of vegetables box edging and roses.
This is about twenty years ago before we had the house extended over the back room. The bird bath lost its top so often we eventually moved it to the side of the garden and the top never came off again.The Ceanothus is showing on the back of the house it grew very rampantly and needed considerable pruning every year. The honeysuckle on the fence also grew so well I was sure the two would join hands across the patio and stop us walking along if I left it for a day or two.
This was just after the extension was built and clearly Mike is busy laying out the vegetable area. No fence yet at the second level. The trees on the left were peach trees which eventually just died. They did have peaches but the birds and bees made a meal of them before they ever ripened enough to eat them
This was just after the extension was built and clearly Mike is busy laying out the vegetable area. No fence yet at the second level. The trees on the left were peach trees which eventually just died. They did have peaches but the birds and bees made a meal of them before they ever ripened enough to eat themSorry about the quality of the photos.
Happy Blogging Anniversary Joanne..... Blogging too will go through phases, as much as the changes that garden itself had to go through the many years. But the enthusiasm never diminish I suppose..... ~bangchik
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post..wonderful tribute! Yay..I love the picture with the amaranthus! Wonderful! Gorgeous photos Joanne..very inspiring and charming! Congrats on your Birthday Blog!
ReplyDeleteKiki~
I love the photos. It is so fun to share the older stuff. Happy bloggiversary!
ReplyDeleteDon't think I looked at any of the plants - just the children. A very proud mother owns this blog. Nice to have the chance to reminisce.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary.
Happy Many Years in your House.
Esther
Happy Blogiversary! I'm so glad to have met you and gotten to know you through your blog.
ReplyDeleteI just loved seeing pictures of your house from so many years ago. Your girls are so cute playing outside with the flowers behind them. The one of them sitting holding hands is so sweet.
It's fun to look back and see how much things change.
What a great nostalgic post. I loved the photos.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great walk down memory lane. 2 of our four girls are also Rebekah and Raechel!
ReplyDeleteLovely. It is always nice to go back and see the progress we have made, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteAll best wishes on the first anniversary of your blog Joanne and here's to more of them. Your early garden looks so flowery and yet a great place for the kids to have fun too.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary! I enjoyed seeing the past photos of your garden. Isn't it wonderful to have a space to garden and create new mini-gardens. I love the photos of your daughters...
ReplyDeleteHi Joanne,
ReplyDeleteA year goes by so fast!Sweet pictures of your girls. Congratulations and I have enjoyed your blog. I look forward to your garden season starting-probably soon?
Carolyn
Joanne, Happy Anniversary. It was lovely having a look back at when both your children and your garden was young.
ReplyDeleteBlogiversary
ReplyDeletewhat a lovely descriptive term!!
Happy Blogiversary Joanne
The photos are great and so are the kids but how did Mike escape being included?? :-))
Happy Blog Birthday Joanne! What a lovely way to see your garden and girls ... growing together... hope to see more shots of them along with your beautiful gardens. Many Many Happy Returns to your blogging years!
ReplyDeleteHappy Blog Anniversary! May you have many many more. Thanks for taking us along in your walk down memory lane. I enjoyed it very much.
ReplyDeleteWhat a charming house and garden and your girls are precious....The photos make me smile and remember how much fun it was to be a young mother and a new gardener. I hope your blogaversary was fun and that the next year brings you more adventures. Thank you for educating us about Lyme disease...In that synchronistic way the world works, my son was treated for Lyme this summer. Again thank you, xoxogail
ReplyDeleteA most happy blogaversary, Joanne! I loved seeing your girls AND the gardens. Of course you were taking photos of them back then, they are children for such a short time, and these photos are priceless! You are fortunate to have lived in the same house so long, it is a lovely one and the gardens have grown to reflect your love of gardening along with being a great mother! :-)
ReplyDeleteFrances