Last December, on a grey and gloomy day much like today, I wrote out my goals for the garden for 2015. Re-reading that blog post a year later, I’m amazed to see how much of what I set out to do I actually accomplished.
Discovering this was a big surprise, but after only a few minutes of thought I realized that it wasn’t because 2015 was such a productive year but because I set myself rather modest goals. (Who, me? Surely not!)
I wanted to make the ‘staircase’ on the China Terrace more prominent, and I did, transforming it from this…
Copper tubing outlines a ‘staircase’ that leads to an upper floor of this re-creation of Glen Villa Inn, destroyed by fire in 1909.
to this.
The painted wood outlines the form of the ‘staircase’ and connects it to other painted wooden elements on the China Terrace. These include the columns at the entry and window frames on one side of the hotel. The window frames also use copper tubing, as do the chairs around the dining room table.
I modified the yin yang, replacing worn-out plants with Artemisia ‘Silver Mound’ and adding a painted tree trunk in the circle on one side.
The painted tree branch is like the black dot in the white side of a yin yang symbol. It also adds height.
I completed a major piece of sculpture, a project I didn’t mention in my plans for 2015 for fear of jinxing it, but something I knew I wanted to do.
This photo of Tree Rings now accompanies my Artist’s Statement on the Site and Insight website. I know the text is small here, so I hope you’ll take a look on the website itself.
The big project for the year didn’t happen as I had planned. It definitely wasn’t what I announced it would be — a series of stone-filled gabion baskets to strengthen the straight lines in the Lower Garden — but it was a version of that idea. Instead of using the gabion baskets in the Lower Garden, I used them in the parking area, where they replaced a tumbling down stone wall. The change transformed the area, from this…
This view shows the driveway and the parking area in front of the house. The house itself is out of the frame to the right. At the end of the crumbling wall is the cascade; renovating it is a project for 2016
to this.
A newly-built wall uses stones in gabion baskets, to create a more architecturally interesting look.
I was delighted with the new look when work finished in early summer, and I remain delighted. Every time I look at this wall, I smile inside.
Reading what I planned for 2015 and looking at what I actually did, I am quite pleased with myself. I am particularly pleased when I consider the amount of travelling I did this year and the many wonderful gardens I visited. Mind you, I’m not so pleased when I read what I planned to do in 2014, that I didn’t manage to do that year or the next.
But such is life. And who knows, maybe in 2016 I will.
What about you? What are your garden goals for 2016? And if you set goals for this year, did you accomplish what you set out to do?
You are going to need a good snow storm to slow you down for a week or two and plan 2016……2015 was a busy year!
No signs of snow, unfortunately. The first green Christmas looks to be on its way. Merry Christmas to you, Robert.
And a Merry Christmas to you, Pat!
I have been wanting to mulch all the new beds I’ve created since I moved here. With the help of my son, I got 7/8 of the way there, but apparently I need more than one dump truck load of wood chips. Still, it was marvelous progress. In general I felt like I got more gardening done than I have in a long time. It was a delightful gardening season.
That is a lot of mulching. I remember a dump truck of mulch arriving at my son’s house in Australia just before they put it up for sale. We spent two incredibly hot days spreading it — and we were four sweaty adults. So congratulations to you for spreading it with only one person to help. And I agree, Kathy, it was a good gardening season. Let’s hope 2016 is even better.
Pat–You made excellent progress in the garden this year and I love your changes, especially the wall in the parking area which is so clean and firm. I’m continually amazed by your creativity and vision. My goal for 2015 was to try something new related to gardening each month. I lasted until April and then my schedule got the best of me, but I do feel like I branched out in new directions this year. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
Thanks, Marian, I am equally happy with the new wall, for the same reasons. I like your idea of trying something new each month… but I can’t imagine what that would be in Jan, Feb and March when the garden is deep under snow. How do you think you branched out?
Pat, your gabion retaining wall is beautifully crafted and powerful looking. I love it. I’m not so much a goal maker as a list maker, but maybe it comes to the same thing. Last year I had a long list, since my garden would be on tour for the first time. This year I have no list whatsoever, and it’s a relief! Pam/Digging: http://www.penick.net/digging
I set goals, make lists, make new lists, set more goals — and occasionally even do some of what I plan to do! I’m thinking ahead now to 2016. Leading two more garden tours is high on the list, plus too many projects for the garden. I know won’t manage to do them all.
Having your garden on tour is a big deal. I know how much work it entails. Were you happy with the results, Pam?
I was, Pat. It was a hell of a lot of work to prep for — our summers, which are long and brutally hot, are not my favorite time for garden work, but I was out there every week to prep for the fall tour — but it was lovely to meet people on tour day and of course very nice to hear compliments. I might consider doing it again one day, but I now know I’ll never be one to host an annual tour. And I admire even more those who DO make that effort to share their gardens with the public.
I’m with you on summer heat, and my summer heat can’t begin to compare with yours. Meeting people who visit Glen Villa is usually a treat but not always — some questions let you know what people really are thinking!
Happy New Year, Pam.
This was a “not ambitious” year? Looks pretty impressive to me.
You are one to talk, Jean, after laying all those stones, designing new beds and generally exhausting yourself with the fun of it! I’m simply pleased that I did more or less what I set out to do. Who knows what next year will bring?