|
The beautiful Lincolnshire wolds slope down towards the sea and east coast where the landscape is much flatter and fenland.
Theddlethorpe is on the north east coast of Lincolnshire just above Mablethorpe and below Grimsby on the river Humber.
Small hamlets and villages such as Theddlethorpe are like oasies of both homes and trees in the open fenland. There is great community spirit and rural activity typical of English rural country villages and life.
Nearby saltfleet haven provides moorings in from the moody north sea - sailors are dependant upon tides and weather.
These were my basic ideas and plans for the new gardens. After my return to England and disasterous losses with auctioning all of my past 20 years artwork in London and ending up with only £500 ( the frames alone on a few of them together cost me that ) of over £25,000 at normal catalogue prices, my wish to paint and create has been somewhat diminished. But it seems that the 15% I suggested to donating to Haiti has, at last, ended up at £420.00 - so almost as much as I got in the end!? Setting up these gardens is the most creative way I wish to use my time at present. The large pond already exists, as does a small orchard, and simply requires cleaning out. I place these photos here for my friends and those of you who may enjoy such and sharing the creation and growth of this project.
I have purchased a bungalow which eases my mobility problems, but does have space and a large garden of one acre. This means that I have to design it for ease of maintainance - so have planned raised beds and the flower beds that will be mainly perenials with brick paths, plus fish ponds and orchards. All of which will be easily navigable with a tractor mower to keep physical work to a minimum. As you see by these photos - I am having nearly all of the work carried out immediately, mainly by use of machinery and skilled labour - plus help from family. I have also booked a large second hand greenhouse which will have raised beds, to aid my back and access, where I can spend those long grey winter days, if not in France, at least in an artificially warmer climate and an environment possible to both paint in and develop an interesting garden condusive to such early and late seasons.
The flatter landscape makes for lovely sunsets.
Smaller flower gardens, raised beds for vegaetables take shape, the ornamental fish ponds are completed and the main fishing pond is filling. I carved the house sign from a slice off the huge tree stump we had removed.
The BBQ is completed and in use, the pond has been stocked with 30 rainbow trout, the main flower beads are now planted up and a second larger vegetable patch completed and planted. The greenhouse foundations are complete and back wall for the fern bank and pool cemented in. Plus many more trees have been planted to create a small pine wood, fruit trees, ornamental and a strawberry tree, and 9 hazels.
Foundations for the tropical greenhouse are now complete, some work has been done on the fern waterfall and a lot more soil and manure are required for the floor and raised beds!
The new "shed" gallery is now up and has what was left of my work and my favourites, some due to go inlto the main house later.
Strawberries, cream, tea and scones at the local church and atrip out of saltfleet haven nearby.
Sunset off the coast here just down the road, the raised beds are made for greenhouse and second hand double glazed windows added to old stables to make a new studio overlooking big pond, a squirrel visits early morning ( we also have badgers that I hope to photograph one night ) the water lilies start to flower in our new ponds and a local cottage garden opens to visitors.
Some beautiful sunrises and sunsets here, unlike Le Paradou, as no mountains!
The gardens are really becoming established now and we are eating some of the produce. The greenhouse foundations, raised beds, are done and soil and manure in, plus gravel paths surrounding all within.
15th July and a windy day at the beach looking for some photos to paint, with my new Nikon D90. Above bumble bees, cinnibar moth caterpillar, meadow brown butterflies
The horse and rider gave me a composition I may paint. Lots of thistles and ragwort with the grasses give the bees an excellent habitat.
At the corner of one field this lone poppy plant, with unusual colour, stood out. I have one of the seedheads and am hoping to grow from it next year.As the tide never come sright up the beach here it gives a great opportunity to play with surface and skies in the shots.
The gardens are doing well in recent rain, a chicken decided to follow Rosie into the kitchen, the Cat is now taking over the computer managers chair so is "Cit" Computer information technology, very tasty wild gooseberries from by the sea.
Going back to past haunts, I did the oil of churchyard above when 18 and lived nearby.
Late summer arrives and harvests start. The garden is producing young peas and beetroot, more butteflies have appeared and a rabbit came to nibble the new tender grass around the pond.
|
