AndAllenGarden

In my early teens my mum, Irene, bought me a brown Harris tweed sport coat – for Sunday best. It was one of the few items of clothing that I truly loved. As I was on my journey to 6’3”, taking account of the quality of Harris tweed, and the fact that there were only 52 Sundays in a year – I outgrew the jacket long before it was past its best. Andy had topped out at 5’9”, the jacket fitted him like a glove and he claimed it for his 500yd walk to the allotment. He wore it til it was way past its best.

His pal Jackie, from Shildon, with whom a lifelong friendship struck up through a mutual love of pigeons, used to visit us two or three times a year – making the 30 mile journey in his Triumph Herald. On one trip he brought me a gift – his allotment coat- a khaki jacket, well worn with a multitude of pockets. Jackie was not in the best of health and had recently given up his pigeons and allotment. At the time I neither appreciated the jacket nor the sentiment behind the gift. This had been one of Jackie’s treasured items, something he wore every day, more a friend than a piece of clothing, and he was not ready to give it up. He did not have a son, and in giving it to me he wanted to both extend its usefulness and pass on the feeling of wellbeing it had generated for him. The jacket is long gone but not the thought.

Now in the 5 weeks that the phase 2 project was underway I wore this fleece everyday – the only variable being the number of layers that were beneath it – it can get mightily cold in GA. It is an M&S creation, circa 1990 and whilst not one of my favorites, I have become quite fond of it. It has a hole in the back, black stain (from staining the raised bed) down the front and bits of soil and mulch in the pockets. It is definitely past its best, may not be an Andy or Jackie “type” jacket but it has a place in the story of the AndAllenGarden.

Two pallets of Bermuda sod arrived before the team, who turned up with a third pallet. Shortly afterwards the missing Nellie Stevens holly materialized to join the other four sentinels. The prospect of a busy day ahead.

To add to the challenge, a quick scoot around the garden pin-pointed the run off flow of water, thanks to the torrential rain the night before. The solution would be to install 2 sumps and 40’ of drainage pipe and a quick rebuild of 3’ of path.The call was made and the kit arrived 2 hours later.Castro did the heavy lifting.

In addition to sod laying….

……. and tidying up – pressure washing the paths and drive; blowing; raking; getting the oddments and rubbish onto the wagon. There was a bit of time for a chat, reflection and look forward to phase 3.

When you look at the diversity of pick up trucks on the road today you know it is a bit of a risk to generalize – but here’s away. There are 3 types of pick up trucks (or drivers). 1) Those that are for show, shiny paintwork, poly carbonate bed cover hiding a pristine bed, perhaps leather seats – impressive machines that never function as they were designed . 2) Those that are looked after but have grubby beds as they are used to haul stuff – like mulch.3) Those that are work horses and perhaps show too much age – maybe the odd rip in the upholstery, a few dings and dents, permanent things in the bed – like the bed is used for storage. All 3 types though exude a degree of authenticity.

Pick up trucks are also a magnet to ex-pat Brits – something macho that the suburban British male is attracted to. The 3 brits I knew in NC all had trucks – Chef had a big white monster; RollsRoyceGuy and Paul the golfer both had beautiful pearlescent blues. All very happy with their chariots.

There is also diversity in mulch.Mulch is one of those things that gardeners do not immediately gravitate towards.What would you rather do with your hard earned cash – buy some great plants or a truck load of pine straw? It is only when you understand the biological purpose of mulch that its value comes home. Weed suppression, moisture retention, soil conditioning ( if your mulch choice is biological), landscape beautification, improved drainage. My favorite is shredded pine bark because it has the added advantage of a magnificent aroma – so aromatic. However, gravel, slate and pebbles all look well in the right setting – critical to xeric plantings- perhaps the best example is Beth Chatto’s iconic gravel garden.

One thing I never expected to see was gravel mulch and RollsRoyceGuy’s (RRG) truck in the same photo – formerly his truck was a category 1 truck. Na’er the two would meet. But now pearlescent blue is firmly in category 2 and is the best evidence yet that RRG is on the slippery slope to becoming a gardener!

Even nicer truck!

Once we made a commitment to buy the house that was to be built on this lot – I took a flask of tea and a picnic chair and just sat. Sat, just taking in the view, thinking about the possibilities.A lovely stand of trees, soon to be made nicer by removal of the debris, dead, dying and invasive foreigners ( not us!). Sitting for a couple of hours made the suggestion to our soon to be neighbor that I wasn’t altogether with it. Coincidentally I was reading “ The shade garden” by Beth Chatto – a lovely read – very inspirational.

The next time I walked the lot, nature was in full swing – lots of interesting little plants on the woodland floor.Thats when the idea became clear.Try and create a hybrid woodland garden – existing woodland, add some understory trees and shrubs ( camellia,azalea,gardenia,serviceberry, dogwood,redbud, edgworthia have been selected) and then see how the woodland floor develops.

A slate chip path has been installed for easy access, planting has been completed today so it is now just a matter of time to see how it works out.Never done this before so it is the riskiest of the garden elements that we included in the design.As part of the installation,the leaf mold layer was removed/ disturbed so a light cover of mulch will be included to try and mimic the conditions that existed last year.

It will be interesting to see how a manufactured woodland garden looks as it matures.

There are many sources of inspiration for us when it comes to how we live our lives. Some of those who inspire us are people we know, and have seen doing wonderful things in real time – others are people we do not know – who we read about or see through various media channels.

Music has always been a big part of my life – helps me relax – a resilience tool in times of pressure – a source of pleasure to see a band live. Since I listened to “Communication Breakdown” at my cousins house way back when, I have been a huge fan of Led Zeppelin. Outwith listening to specific songs I have found the career of Robert Plant inspirational. As well as being phenomenally successful as part of this rock behemoth he has continued to develop and expand his musical reach through song writing, solo career, collaborations and ensembles.Whilst it would have been easy to sit back on the laurels of his early success he has continued to enrich his life (and that of all his fans). This desire to do new things is something, in a much humbler way, I hope to bring to my and my family’s lives.

So when designing a new garden it is easy to fall back on things you like and have done before. In this garden I wanted to be stretched and do something new – something a little bit scary. The woodland walk is that feature. Not only is it new to me – and I will make mistakes- but it is also a large area. It is visible from every part of the house. It has to work in its own right but it also has to work with the other features that sit in front of it. Spatial harmony is called for and this is not my strong point.

Fortunately, CP and myself can call on the eye of our daughter Mads. She has helped in the positioning of a number of garden features. The juxtaposition of the crevice garden to the Japanese garden – positioning key features in the woodland walk – the layout of the Japanese maples as you walk from the crevice garden to the woodland path – positioning of garden “ statuary”. With her eye there is a much better flow through the garden. Her contribution has not been limited to the garden – working with CP – the pair of them decided on the fittings and accessories inside the house – to great effect.

Gardening can be a satisfying solo activity but is much more pleasurable if there is a degree of collaboration- and the end result ( if there is such a thing) will be much better.

The next village to where Andy lived as a child was called ”No Place”. Across the valley from Andy’s pigeon loft was the two street hamlet of ”Quaking Houses”. CP and her family spent many happy years living close to ”Sleepy Valley”. We had good friends in NC who lived on ”Turkey Farm Road” – I loved sending them their Christmas card!

There is something rather pleasant about being associated with quaint place names. Now that we have come to live in Georgia it hasn’t taken too long to become familiar with two more quaint spots.

Dahlonega sounds like it should be in the Australian outback but no, it is just up the road from Atlanta. It is also the home of Mr Natural Superior Soil Products who provided the soil on which AndAllen is founded. Jeremy came across them as suppliers of permatil which lead us to sourcing bespoke medium for the crevice garden.This company was a joy to work with, customer focused and delivered to their promises.Everyone who handled this soil was impressed.

This lead to a few discussions about the use of ”landscapers topsoil” versus CLM (complete landscape mix) and woodland mix from Mr Natural. We decided to go with Mr Natural. Whilst we have yet to grow a plant in the soil, we are extremely satisfied with how it handles. CLM will support the herbaceous plantings and the acidic woodland mix in the Japanese and woodland walk. Buying local also feels pretty good.

Perhaps our quaintest place (name) to visit to date is Lost Mountain.What the derivation of the name is? – don’t know , maybe one day we will find out. What is there though is an independent plant nursery. Buying plants can be as simple or demanding (interesting) as you want. Big box stores, garden center chains, mail order all have their role to play in sourcing plants to make a garden. However, for a couple of hours out, punctuated by coffee or lunch, you cannot beat a visit to an independent plant nursery. You never know what you will find but there is a good chance it will be something unusual/interesting/desirable. Again, it is a great way of spending local.

Week ending 4th February 2022. Approx half way through the project

Starting to get a sense of how it is going to look – CP and myself excited.

We liked wood before we liked trees!

I did ‘O level’ woodwork, learned about dovetails, mortise and tenons and made Irene and Andy a bedside table in mahogany for my final project. Getting it home on the school bus was a bit of a challenge. Jean and Allen were fond of all things wooden especially turned bowls.Our home is pleasantly adorned with furniture and wooden artifacts gifted to us by extended family members – no material value but terrific grain and warmth.

The first trees that left an imprint on me were a small run of Cupressus leylandii that had been planted by my auntie Rhoda (Irene’s sister) and uncle Tom at the bottom of their garden. Memorable, but not in a good way. These thugs had totally outgrown their space and were destined for the chipper.Coincidently,decades later,my pal from university,CK, has just gone through the same experience.

He inherited them when purchasing his house and in his own words, went from magnificence to trepidation every time a gale was forecast. He now has loads of fun ahead as a new border to be planted beckons. I remember reading an article by Sir Roy Strong who recognized the emotional challenge of removing mature trees – but it is part of the cycle and when it is the right thing to do…….and if possible to plant new trees then that is a reasonable trade off.

Despite going to places like the New Forrest, Burnham Beaches, the Lake District national park – we only started to appreciate trees fully when we moved to NC – we were surrounded by them and could begin to understand their seasonal attraction.

I really do not know all that much about trees but did have a few conversations with an arborist – so at least have some basics. Trees are going to be a big part of AndAllen so it will really be a learning experience for us.

In my professional life I held roles in both strategic planning and operational management – both essential aspects to delivering great performance.It goes without saying that these two activities should be seamlessly aligned. A vision of the future is essential to getting the strategy correct and the operational programs should be focussed on delivering the strategy and making the vision a reality. Naturally, all of this must be supported by highly motivated and capable people.

There was a clear vision for AndAllen – developed by CP and myself and incorporating not only all the aspects of gardens that we had previously enjoyed but also new elements that we felt would be satisfying. Strategic thought was applied covering aspects of maintenance,sustainability, water usage, budget and purpose.

To make it a reality though we needed help – partners who would share our vision and help bring AndAllen to life. A number of potential partners were consulted but our soon to be designer,Michael Gregory, on behalf of Gibbs Landscaping made the most compelling case. I felt I had a good appreciation of design and the associated processes – having created 2 gardens before.In Michael, I also recognized the value of another set of professional eyes to challenge and enhance. However, the aspect that was our greatest concern was the installation of such a large project. As Michael described the way Gibbs designed and installed landscapes, he essentially described seamless integration. My lifetime of business experience brought the realization that together we could make AndAllen as CP and I wanted it.

At this point I would estimate that we are halfway through the installation. Matt and his team have done an outstanding job – there have been glitches and adverse weather to contend with but there have been solutions and enhancements too. Communication has been good and impending activities discussed. The quality of the trees that have been delivered has been impressive – hats off to Cam and the procurement process. So far seamless!

Recognizing that a garden is never finished – the first iteration of AndAllen is looking promising.

Andy was 43 years of age before he lived in a house with a garden – allotments and vegetables were the extent of his gardening life until then. The new garden was a weedy mess roughly 60’x20’ but what to put in it? Well, the answer to that was simple – whatever Irene wanted! A lawn grown from seed; roses ; daffodils; wallflowers; tulips ; marigolds ; pansies – all are vivid in my memory.

In his final garden, Allen planned ahead and laid out a large gravel area which under the guidance of Jean, my mother-in-law , has become a really interesting and colorful ”pot” garden.

2 gracious women who have influenced my gardening journey…….. but there are many others. I have already mentioned Anna whose kindness got me into crevice gardening; Sandi organized the garden sharing group that helped me learn about gardening in the deep south; both Cyndy and Sandy spent time showing us their incredible gardens, inspirational in the use of alpines and conifers respectively. And then there is Jen.

Jen is the founder and director of a community garden, ”just let your soul grow” in the NE of England. She organizes and runs gardening programs for families, children, seniors – encouraging the community to grow their own veg, understand the therapeutic value of being in the garden and just enjoying each others’ company. Jen is the role model of the selfless gardener. The garden is also a venue for a seniors’ exercise and bonding community group run by our nephew “Life & More”. Partners in real partnership.

And then there is CP – not only influential in building the garden but good fun to hang out with. Today was plant hunting for the Japanese garden – another small step forward!