Tuesday, April 26, 2011

This Week's Blog will Not be Pretty


A great garden is a hell of a lot of work and it takes a hell of a lot of time to achieve a worthy finished result. Its not like an episode of "Backyard Blitz" or any of those other crappy television home makeover shows that pollute the airwaves and it doesn't happen magically in just a few days with a few hot hunks in sexy tight shorts making garden magic look easy. In the process of getting to the point of being "finished" it can be messy and it can be ugly and it takes a long time.   This week the blog will concentrate on an area that is still messy and is still ugly and that still needs a lot of work - The Main Courtyard  between The Big House and The Wine Cellar.

The first step in moving towards a garden that is "finished" is the formulation of a clear plan, setting a direction that could, over time, realistically  achieve the desired outcomes - functionality, beauty and sustainabilty.   Of course a garden is never actually "finished". Gardening is about "the journey not the destination" and all that D&M kind of stuff; but that's another whole debate, so for the purposes of this blog a simple sketch setting out a few simple ideas for the future of our Main Courtyard will have to do.   

Creative input into this design process would be really great so if anyone has ideas on turning this important part of The Drip into the truly wonderful thing that it can become,  then chuck a COMMENT on the blog and help us create something special.  A thought from current favourite guru, the Mexican architect Luis Barragan, might serve to poke us along.  "Beauty is the oracle that speaks to everyone."

2 comments:

  1. There are times we want to add something in our House. It can be due to the influence of the latest trends in the architectural designs or perhaps due to the demand and the needs of each family member. We cannot deny the fact that people are like changes, especially when there is a change for the better. Since home is the most important asset of a person, home renovation was essential expenses for decades. Simple changes in our outside or inside design bring could influence the overall structure and approach of your home design already. Therefore renovation plan carefully with adequate resources must receive favorable result.
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  2. A place where the water tank could go is on the Western Terrace, behind the shadehouse

    this is good

    because it avoids having to pump up to a storage tank during rainy periods which would be problematic;
    it is very easy to install it needing only a quick levelling out or at most a very minor excavation

    it is close enough to the house to check levels regularly etc

    it will fit into the design of that area very nicely if we think it through carefully and do future plantings with it in mind; BUT this means that a decision would need to be made sooner rather than later and then not changed at a later date;


    it is bad

    because it doesn't give a gravity feed back to the house, but this can sorted out by pumping to a smaller tank up in the Rock Fall area; this is very high but not a huge distance to pump to ; the pump can therefore be a less expensive type


    Summing up : there are four reasons this is good, one reason it is bad, but that is easily solved and is cheaper anyway.

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