To unearth that second access point was a god send ! This sends shivers over my shoulders as the devastation is so poignant . It’s a beautiful plan unfolding. We have completely landscaped all of ours and lived in mud with the kids and dogs for many years and there is something so emotional about it all . The pain of it but the joy to come . Nothing quite as challenging as this mountain side though I must say ! I am totally amazed you took this on darling and tbh , proud that I follow your journeys. I am so amazed . Those terraces ! The soil move ! The weight ! The rain .. the engineering so you didn’t end up with the garden in your kitchen ! We had a first floor garden in our first house and that was a challenge out back ..but this ! Bravo 👏 💚
🤣🤣 Thank you for knowing that Nic. In part two, we do indeed have a river of mud. Can’t wait to tell you all about it! It was such a testing time, wondering by whether we had made the right decision with such devastation all around us. The neighbours didn’t make it easy either. Sometimes you have just have to push through regardless.
What an amazing garden you created! I loved seeing it on Instagram! Like you, when we moved here to our 16th century cottage, very little was saved! Apart from a strawberry tree and a beautiful old magnolia, it all went! We are due (fingers crossed and a following wind) to complete next month. On to a new build patch! Now that will be a challenge!
Thank you darling! The last two times I moved it all fell apart at the last minute and I ended up in different homes than I’d planned - the universe often seems to have other plans for me! 😂
Wow! What a huge amount of work JP! The planning of that must have been meticulous to a tee! I am looking at our garden and thinking of what I can to do add height as you suggested. Looking forward to the next installments. 😀
The best way to think about it in my opinion is to see your garden as a group of rooms, an extension of your home. Rooms have walls and interesting decor adorning them. So, create dividing screens using hedging, trellis with climbers etc. use a specimen shrub or tree to guide you to the next area. Perhaps use an archway covered in roses. Definitely plant borders in 3D triangles too so that there are different levels of height within a border.
Thanks for your advice JP. I am thinking of a small tree and like the birch you used. They cope well with the colder weather here too. We are in Angus by the sea so dealing with flooding at the moment but we are lucky that our house is ok. The sun is out now though! Have a good day. 👍
Oh my word JP, the before garden is incredibly daunting, it's a steep jungle surrounded by Leylandii, I would have ran a mile and not look back. Your vision and garden design is amazing, dispite all odds, including the disbelief of the neighbours, of your destruction, you created a wonderful, magical garden in the midsts of the Surrey hills, that probably left the neighbours gaping in awe!!
I feel as if I’m reliving your ordeal all over again! How did you and Mr C work and live through all that upheaval. You are both amazing. Thank goodness you took those before and after pictures. Xx
I can just imagine the mud and chaos trying to get in and out to the house each day. Thank goodness for the 2nd access that you found. You must have been feeling like the lottery winner that day!
Another fantastic post JP. The colors are beautiful. Sounds like it was a challenging process to get there but you've created something that will bring enjoyment for years.
A rollercoaster of a read and it's only the first installment! Thank you for this. Mountain hikes, zip wires and the threat of impalement! The Mission Impossible theme tune was in the background as I read (and chuckled), what drama!
I love this, JP! I know the powers that be love a formal qualification and there's no doubt that it brings entry into an elite club of similarly clever artists but there's no course that could ever teach Vision - Innate talent has away of showing itself because it can't help itself.
So glad you said you're not a morning person, neither am I and I always think I'd be much more successful if I were! Yayyy to proving otherwise!! And, if there's anyone who can convince the world that rice paddy field gardens are the new black, it's you. Can't wait for Part 2!
Franny your kind words are wonderful. Thank you. As I’m writing I think of people like you that will read it and I make myself giggle. My aim is to be informative, but entertaining at the same time, so it’s good to know it’s working. I’m not sure I’ll ever be a morning person!
Jo I’m sure you know precisely what was involved here having designed and won at Chelsea. Thank you for taking the time to read my posts. It means the world to me.
You both created such an incredible outside space JP and there’s something very satisfying when you do all the work yourself.
It’s really hard work redoing a garden, especially the scale yours was on, although the final results are incredible and nothing beats sitting back and looking at the fruits of your labour, especially with a chilled glass of something in hand.
I’m getting more than confused as to how to reply to you!! Of course I remember, have such fond memories of our six weekly meet ups. How I miss you being around the corner. Surrey is just not the same. XxM
Good morning, another example of your vision grit and determination writ big in the garden of another man’s house now! Quite how you gave it up I don’t know except to say your creative energy needs the challenge clearly. This kind of Darwinian endeavour is what singles masters out from the rest of us. Loved todays journey my friend💚
Susan your words are so very kind. Thank you. Right now, I do still wonder why we aren’t still there, but our journey will lead us to the right place at some point. Hopefully soon!
I’ve just shown this to my husband JP - we too live on a steep hill of chalk (we live in Surrey, down the road from Crossways Nurseries). We can’t get diggers into the back and have tree preservation order on the diagonal! But.... we can do some of what you have shown and so...... he has headed for the strong coffee! . I’m a week behind so onto chapter 2now xx thank you xx
To unearth that second access point was a god send ! This sends shivers over my shoulders as the devastation is so poignant . It’s a beautiful plan unfolding. We have completely landscaped all of ours and lived in mud with the kids and dogs for many years and there is something so emotional about it all . The pain of it but the joy to come . Nothing quite as challenging as this mountain side though I must say ! I am totally amazed you took this on darling and tbh , proud that I follow your journeys. I am so amazed . Those terraces ! The soil move ! The weight ! The rain .. the engineering so you didn’t end up with the garden in your kitchen ! We had a first floor garden in our first house and that was a challenge out back ..but this ! Bravo 👏 💚
🤣🤣 Thank you for knowing that Nic. In part two, we do indeed have a river of mud. Can’t wait to tell you all about it! It was such a testing time, wondering by whether we had made the right decision with such devastation all around us. The neighbours didn’t make it easy either. Sometimes you have just have to push through regardless.
What an amazing garden you created! I loved seeing it on Instagram! Like you, when we moved here to our 16th century cottage, very little was saved! Apart from a strawberry tree and a beautiful old magnolia, it all went! We are due (fingers crossed and a following wind) to complete next month. On to a new build patch! Now that will be a challenge!
I can’t wait to see what you do Penny and I’ve got every single thing crossed for you! X
Thank you darling! The last two times I moved it all fell apart at the last minute and I ended up in different homes than I’d planned - the universe often seems to have other plans for me! 😂
I really hope this time that the universe just wants what you want.
Wow! What a huge amount of work JP! The planning of that must have been meticulous to a tee! I am looking at our garden and thinking of what I can to do add height as you suggested. Looking forward to the next installments. 😀
The best way to think about it in my opinion is to see your garden as a group of rooms, an extension of your home. Rooms have walls and interesting decor adorning them. So, create dividing screens using hedging, trellis with climbers etc. use a specimen shrub or tree to guide you to the next area. Perhaps use an archway covered in roses. Definitely plant borders in 3D triangles too so that there are different levels of height within a border.
Thanks for your advice JP. I am thinking of a small tree and like the birch you used. They cope well with the colder weather here too. We are in Angus by the sea so dealing with flooding at the moment but we are lucky that our house is ok. The sun is out now though! Have a good day. 👍
That sounds like a great idea. Glad you’re ok Rebecca. It’s been torrential hasn’t it!
Oh my word JP, the before garden is incredibly daunting, it's a steep jungle surrounded by Leylandii, I would have ran a mile and not look back. Your vision and garden design is amazing, dispite all odds, including the disbelief of the neighbours, of your destruction, you created a wonderful, magical garden in the midsts of the Surrey hills, that probably left the neighbours gaping in awe!!
It took them a while to come round Marcelle, but we won them over in the end! You’ve just got to go with your convictions and get the job done.
I feel as if I’m reliving your ordeal all over again! How did you and Mr C work and live through all that upheaval. You are both amazing. Thank goodness you took those before and after pictures. Xx
So glad I did Marion. Well before my debut on Insta too. Do you remember climbing up there to the temporary salon? 🤣
I can just imagine the mud and chaos trying to get in and out to the house each day. Thank goodness for the 2nd access that you found. You must have been feeling like the lottery winner that day!
It was a godsend!
Another fantastic post JP. The colors are beautiful. Sounds like it was a challenging process to get there but you've created something that will bring enjoyment for years.
Thank you so much. It was my favourite garden. I do miss it.
I don't know how you do it! I might be jaded as everything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong with my renovation.
Oh no!
Yes but bad things will come to an end.
A rollercoaster of a read and it's only the first installment! Thank you for this. Mountain hikes, zip wires and the threat of impalement! The Mission Impossible theme tune was in the background as I read (and chuckled), what drama!
I love this, JP! I know the powers that be love a formal qualification and there's no doubt that it brings entry into an elite club of similarly clever artists but there's no course that could ever teach Vision - Innate talent has away of showing itself because it can't help itself.
So glad you said you're not a morning person, neither am I and I always think I'd be much more successful if I were! Yayyy to proving otherwise!! And, if there's anyone who can convince the world that rice paddy field gardens are the new black, it's you. Can't wait for Part 2!
Happy Sunday, best,
Frannyx
Franny your kind words are wonderful. Thank you. As I’m writing I think of people like you that will read it and I make myself giggle. My aim is to be informative, but entertaining at the same time, so it’s good to know it’s working. I’m not sure I’ll ever be a morning person!
It's definitely working, JP!x
💝💝💝
What a feat of engineering! Thank you ever so much JP for your kind words about my Substack / the feeling’s mutual!!!
Jo I’m sure you know precisely what was involved here having designed and won at Chelsea. Thank you for taking the time to read my posts. It means the world to me.
You both created such an incredible outside space JP and there’s something very satisfying when you do all the work yourself.
It’s really hard work redoing a garden, especially the scale yours was on, although the final results are incredible and nothing beats sitting back and looking at the fruits of your labour, especially with a chilled glass of something in hand.
The chilled glass of something being the most important part Sonya!
I’m getting more than confused as to how to reply to you!! Of course I remember, have such fond memories of our six weekly meet ups. How I miss you being around the corner. Surrey is just not the same. XxM
You replied perfectly Marion. X
Good morning, another example of your vision grit and determination writ big in the garden of another man’s house now! Quite how you gave it up I don’t know except to say your creative energy needs the challenge clearly. This kind of Darwinian endeavour is what singles masters out from the rest of us. Loved todays journey my friend💚
Susan your words are so very kind. Thank you. Right now, I do still wonder why we aren’t still there, but our journey will lead us to the right place at some point. Hopefully soon!
I’ve just shown this to my husband JP - we too live on a steep hill of chalk (we live in Surrey, down the road from Crossways Nurseries). We can’t get diggers into the back and have tree preservation order on the diagonal! But.... we can do some of what you have shown and so...... he has headed for the strong coffee! . I’m a week behind so onto chapter 2now xx thank you xx