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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Friday, June 8, 2018

Another Mystery Garden

I've enjoyed passing this garden in Fife every day for the last 20 years. It's on a road that once ran through the middle of growing fields which are rapidly being replaced by apartment buildings and warehouses.  The sweet and modest old homes along the road keep vanishing but there are a few that remain.  There's always something interesting going on in these beds but I've never seen anyone working outside. 





You can't see it in this picture but behind the rose bushes at the back there is a large plot of tilled soil which I'd imagine is a vegetable garden.  Behind that there are quite a few Monkey Puzzle Trees (Araucaria araucana) in huge pots.  They're a mystery but may be progeny of the Monkey puzzle tree in the garden next door.

The street is very busy, the shoulder is tiny and there are no sidewalks so one has to pull into the driveway to investigate.  I didn't actually enter the garden but took snapshots from the side of the road.



I remember watching this project go in many years ago.  That Alberta spruce was tiny. 

Okay, so to knock on the door to hopefully meet the gardener, I did have to approach the house and may have taken a few pictures from there as well.  On the other side of these hedges is an orderly fence with a lovely gate and a walkway to what once was a neighbor's garden.  When the properties here go on sale, they're usually purchased by developers as the zoning has changed.  The homes are either demolished or just left to fall apart. 

A view just to the right of the back door.  I so wanted to walk in and explore.  On this warm afternoon, the fragrance of roses filled the air.  Impressive was the fact that they were very well grown with no black spot whatsoever, unusual in our climate.

There was no answer when I knocked. 

The neighbor on the other side of the house is obviously a plant person as well. Notice the pots of epiphyllum on the porch spending the summer outdoors. 
One day,  perhaps we'll learn more about these two gardening neighbors who've added joy to my commute for so long but for now, it's a mystery.

Have a great weekend all! 

18 comments:

  1. So classic and traditional. And so depressing to imagine the future of these properties.

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  2. What a lovely pair of gardens. You're getting bold in your old age, knocking on strangers' doors. Maybe next time someone will answer.

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  3. A good mystery story is always a joy! Hopefully, these garden-proud neighbors will never sell to developers.

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  4. I always like a good mystery or two. I am proud of you for not actually walking the paths. I might not have been so controlled.

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  5. I always wonder about the garden I pass by when driving, but I've never had the guts to go up and knock on the door. I hope you get to enjoy their gardens for a long time.

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  6. Lovingly tended. Too bad the owner wasn't in. I hate to think of a garden like this going under a bulldozer. Not my definition of progress!

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  7. Oh, I hope you get a chance to meet the owners/gardeners who lie here. Their gardens are already your old friends.

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    1. I actually found out, after showing this post to a person at work who's lived in the community for a long time that the tan house belonged to someone else who's worked in the district longer than I. I emailed her and found out that the gray house belongs to her brother. Fife/Milton is still a small town in some delightful ways.

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  8. You need to print up a nice letter you can leave...

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    1. I left a letter several years ago but never heard back.

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  9. You have a knack of finding interesting gardens wherever you go,thank you for sharing this one with us.

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  10. Good on you, for knocking on their door, better luck next time. As meticulous and large as the garden is, I'm surprise you never see anyone tending to it. Danger's idea of leaving a letter is a good one.

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    1. They work similar hours to me and I don't go that way on weekends.

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  11. Oh, yes, do keep us posted if you have a chance to tour one or both of them! Lots of love and care have gone into those properties. It would be fun to hear the stories behind them. I've been lamenting the increase in apartments, condos, and small-property housing developments around here, too. So many wildlife havens, too, are being developed to make room for new real estate developments. Very depressing.

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    1. These properties are really sweet. The new developments are depressing.

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  13. Don't give up and knock again or leave a message! Every passionate gardener likes it when people are interested in their garden.

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  14. You've inspired me to knock on the doors of a couple of gardeners I don't know within a mile of my house. But what the heck is a monkey puzzle tree?

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.