Well, here we are. It’s the end of the summer of 2009 and the house is built, most of the garden is in and so are we. After the arduous task of building our dream home and garden we are now busy about tidying up the details. Still much to do, but not far off the original vision.
When putting together a garden space, having unique elements that ooze character and charm are essential for building the desired outcome. Many of the things I’ve referenced from my travels, either virtually through books and magazines, or physically visiting other places, have had a significant influence in the constructing of our new garden at Forestwood. We have designed our property to provide many quiet spots in an effort to create sanctuary.
Yes, I know – “Where have you been?” Here’s my excuse. The past summer has been a marathon of trades, construction and moving into our new edifice. I imagined that we’d be moving into a lovely finished space where the most challenging issue would be, “should the couch go here, or over there?” But alas, it might be Christmas before we are relieved with such small decisions. Re gardening, this summer I have planted more plants, pulled more weeds and trimmed more box wood than all 13 years on William Street. It’s as though 6 years of building a garden has been condensed into a few intense months. I think we’ve made good progress getting things started, so now it’s up to the course of nature to grow and mature my efforts.
Well, summer is over and while the journal has been on vacation, I certainly haven’t been. The battle for completion at Forestwood continues, meeting with TV Networks, doing some interim filming and visioning the next steps for Fussy. Make sure you check out our Fall tips and catch up on the latest updates.
I recently returned from a wonderful working vacation in Gasparilla. I love to see the island in late Spring before things get too hot. It’s really the best time to see the blooms and gardens before they fatigue in the intense summer heat of Florida. You won’t find many plastic Flamingos on the island – here it’s the real thing – live Egrets or Cranes strutting private lawns.
This is play time in a garden, especially in the more northern hemisphere. It would be unfair not to mention it’s hard work too, but like most things in life, hard work is required to continue producing rewarding results. So here are my tips for this summer season.