Thursday, January 28, 2021

Drawn to the decay

While I love a clean, modern garden defined by hard lines and significant hardscape I'm also a sucker for an overgrown plot, with years of use, that's fallen into decay. When we bought this garden there was a crumbling, unmortared wall that defined the upper and lower back garden, it was a mess, falling apart and sprouting weeds. Still, I loved it and I could have built a garden around it—minus the weeds. Thank goodness I didn't have to though, Andrew was the smarter half with a vision who knew we needed to tear it out and build a new wall and a large patio.

Still, I am drawn to the decay. I spotted this old fountain and overgrown garden on a walk. I wanted to get in there and sit surrounded by it all, see what there was to discover. But that would be wrong, so I walked on.

I found this greenhouse on a neighborhood walk. Looking up the property online I discovered it's part of an Alternative High School—a Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Program. All of course abandoned since at least last spring, when COVID regulations went into effect. However it looks a little unloved for even longer than that.

It's locked, but there are cracks at the seams which I could put most of my arm through—plus all it contains are bags of soil, amendments and empty pots.

Someone put these bromeliads in a container, they're obviously not enjoying winter.

In fact they're officially rotten, but it was a nice try!

Just for trash? Or as planters? I hope the latter.

Nice bench to sit a spell and take it all in.

It's not everyday you see a wheelbarrow in a stock tank.

I looked for fishes in these, but didn't see any.

Just water and plants.

A wide-shot of sorts.

And a piece of metal tossed aside. I posted this image on Instagram and someone said it looked like Betty Rubble. Yep, I see that.

Weather Diary, Jan 27: Hi 45, Low 38/ Precip .10 

All material © 2009-2021 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

14 comments:

  1. I always find those abandoned sites a little depressing as I feel they are forgotten and unloved. However, there is something fun about imagining what the history of the place was, kind of like a A Secret Garden idea.

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    1. I've heard others say they find them depressing too. I just see magic and a place that was loved and is waiting to be rediscovered.

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  2. Only serious gardeners would lead into a discussion with a statement like "when we bought this garden"...It's sad to see a greenhouse going unused, especially in winter.

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    1. I often say we bought a garden and got a house too. Although I guess that's not quite right as there wasn't yet a garden here...

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  3. Looks like a takeoff point for flights of fancy.
    rickii

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  4. The Lion King's "Circle of Life' is coming to mind...

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  5. I see possibilities in looking at this space. The basics are there. It's kind of dreamy in a way, to imagine about how you would be able to rebuild this garden. I see gardening all about the dreams of possibilities.

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    1. Exactly! Hopefully when things return to "normal" there will be an excellent teacher who whips it all in to place.

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  6. My favorite quote from this post "When we bought this garden" because thats what we do ! We don't just buy a house,we buy a garden ...

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    1. Yep. This place only got the nod because I could imagine building a garden here.

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  7. It seems the male half of a partnership sees a garden differently than the female, and while I was willing to work around the mess, he had the landscaping vision to make serious changes. And I for one am thankful that he did. I could use both wheelbarrow and the stock tank... hope the place will bounce back after schools open.

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    1. Are you talking about a personal experience or rephrasing mine? I'm not sure. I guess in my past it was that I never dreamed I'd married someone who would put that amount of time and money (not to mention sweat) into the garden. I didn't dare to dream...

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