Bare bones of Winter

15 Jun '08 1:39 am

Boy life changing decisions are raining from the skies around here. I fully understand how you might well do better financially by retiring from teaching. If you were in England, the natural first thing to do would be to begin a B&B and to make your garden availabe on open days. I wonder if there are streams of tourists already going to places nearby that you could hope to redirect? Or perhaps your fellow South Africans could be enticed?

I just taught my last day yesterday - unitl late next August. The last few years were among the toughest I"ve had but this past year was the finest bunch of kids ever and our new principal earns his salary. I'd readily re-up for another year like this past one. Realistically it makes sense for me to stay put about 5 to 8 more years.

Best of luck Jack!

15 Jun '08 8:51 am

When I retired from teaching - very suddenly - people imagined all the wrong reasons. 'Do you hate it that much?' was one question. My answer was 'no - I really love it!' 'Oh, but it must be soooo hard" they'd say. 'Not really' was my honest reply.

I ended up using a Captain Oates type of response. Sometimes you just know that you've finished something. So you leave while still loving the job? Doesn't make sense to other people, but it does to me!

Mark, hope you really enjoy your summer break. Dig that garden and giggle lots! Cheers.

15 Jun '08 12:30 pm

I taught my last class Friday and we're off next week to England. We'll take our time working our way from Sissinghurst and Great Dixter in the East through Salisbury where we'll see what I hear is an incredible private garden as well as Heale garden and Nyman Castle garden. Then its on to Devon where we'll stay a few nights with Mike (Muddiwellies). While there I also want to see Rosemoor, Coleton Fishacre and gardens in Cornwall. Then we go North to Bath for the Peto garden at Ilford Manor and to Stow-on-the-Wold from which we'll see Kiftsgate and Hidcote. Lia is really indulging me by letting me set the itinerary around gardens. There'll be opportunities for seeing art as well. When we get back I'll probably have some pictures to post.

Enjoy your summer/winters everyone!

17 Jun '08 6:06 pm

OH how envious I am. Mark! A long holiday (at least my three week winter break is only 4 days away) AND visits to some of my all-time favourite gardens! You really have listed them! One of my favourites, modern-traditional and still in the making in 1995 was very near Heale House, called Jenkyn Place. I've seen no info on it in the last years so I don't even know if it still exists as such. If you have a free moment and the yen - is that how you spell it - go take a look! And another ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE is Hatfield House to the north of London - for the rest I can safely say that you've picked my A-team!

ENJOY Exclamation

(and here I want a little green emoticon...)

17 Jun '08 6:26 pm

A big overseas jaunt through some fab gardens. I need some of those green emoticons too!

17 Jun '08 6:30 pm

Well I should be getting to bed so I guess you have just gotten up. Actually I don't know how your time zone compares to London. I'm 9 hours earlier than London.

I did a quick google search for Jenkyn Place and came up with a Cistus cultivar by that name and a UK winery. I'll have to ask Nigel about it. Nigel Burkett (nbpics on flickr) gave me really rich and useful advice for choosing gardens and he lives part of the year near there. I'm also looking forward to seeing a private garden there which he says is the finest private garden he has personally seen, period. We're going to meet up with him and go together our second day in Salisbury. He says photographing gardens is something he has only just come to in this first year of his retirement. Hard to imagine.

Lia found a set of all the episodes of "Brittish Gardens", a double VCR set that looks to have been filmed almost 30 years ago. It is interesting to see what ideals have motivated people down through the centuries in regard to garden design. I find I respond more to some than others. Capability Brown was not a highlight. Simplistic landscape where you have to wonder whether what you're looking at was actually influenced by the designer or just represents the land reverting to more natural state is too subtle to hold my interest. Funny because feeling 'plausibly natural' is a characteristic I look for, but out and out imitation of nature misses the point for me too.

Basically given the scale of what most of us have to garden with, perennials and shrubs will have to take the place of trees and pasture now. You are probably a rare exception.

Okay past time for bed and just two more nights after this one before we board a plane. I will try to get some photos. See you,

17 Jun '08 6:40 pm

Mark, have a wonderful time! I need those green emoticons too. I hope there'll be lots of pictures.

17 Jun '08 8:00 pm

Have a great time, Mark - I'm really happy for you (and green-eyed as well!! Very Happy

)! I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures when you return! Have a great time!!

-gordonf

22 Jun '08 8:50 pm

But at least I got through the end of term, which included a trip last weekend for a family gathering 300km away to celebrate my godmother's 85th birthday and a series of farewell's to our Headmaster who is leaving to take up a wonderful international post as CEO of the Round Square Schools organisation of which our school is a member. Quite an achievement for him and quite a compliment to our school!

Now I am on holiday for three weeks, and exhausted!!!

I want to share with you yesterday morning's picture which really captures the languid warmth of a sunny early morning at this time of year. I do love my garden and know I am very blessed...

2 Jul '08 7:25 am

I feel I have missed so much. First, Jack, bravely striking off in new directions and second, Mark, winging off to visit beautiful gardens in England. I hope that the nursery business will be a great success for you Jack. Even though you will probably have to work harder than ever before; it will be at something you love deeply and you will be able to spend so much more time in your gardens. Just remember to look out at the view around you every now and then while focused on the task at hand.

And to Mark, oh how I envy you. I will look forward to some wonderful pictures. I have just been reading a book about traveling and have a bad case of travelitis. No way I can relieve it right now, so I guess I'll just keep my nose to the grindstone here at home.

Bare bones of Winter

First Gordon, now you!

Ah.... teachers...

The other good thing about teaching is summer ..

Have a wonderful trip!

Me too!

Hello Jack

I'm Green with Envy!!

Darn, I didn't get to say goodbye to Mark!

So much has happened