—A Place Where Creativity Thrives
The Dream of an Oasis
I’ve always liked to make things with my hands and to create and realize ideas. Learning new skills and new techniques opens new worlds. A good way to try your hand at a new craft is to enroll in a course. Usually, you can learn the basics and maybe even make a unique object over a weekend. You don’t need to be an expert. Curiosity and dedication go a long way. To me, the garden is a place for enjoyment and relaxation, but also a place where my creativity thrives. In a dream garden, the scrubby corner becomes a green oasis. I realized my dream of beautiful white birch bark by making a simple birch sapling screen that brightens the house’s north side. See how it turned out on page 89.
Inspiration from Many Places
Not many garden-people leave unchanged after a visit to lavish private gardens, the species-diverse Kew Gardens, or the mysterious hanging gardens of Ninfa. At places like this, there is always something interesting and useful you can bring to your own garden. To begin with, a garden needs several different elements to become enjoyable and to function properly. The floor may consist of grass or stone. Hedges and trellises form the walls. The roof is created from pergolas and tree crowns. To name a few projects, you will find in this book how to create personal screens, walkways, and plant supports as well as furniture and decorations. Many of the projects are quick and simple, others are more demanding—but the love for the material is what they all have in common. The contrast of stained glass and shiny metal against rough concrete and rusty iron is absolutely lovely. In addition to the base elements, it’s exciting to add eye-catchers that surprise or delight. An eye-catcher is just what it sounds like, something that catches the eye. The book’s beach stone compass rose and stained glass citrus support are some of the eye-catchers in my garden. If you want to see what these look like, go to pages 127 and 231.
The Plants Play the Lead Role
Many of my favorite plants are included in the project’s planting sketches. Some of them have been raised from seeds. Some of them were purchased fully grown. Others have come to me in different ways. The plants with a provenance are my beloved ones. Ingbritt’s bright pink “Moving” geranium or Olle’s red Christmas rose reminds of my former neighbors. The plant that holds the closest place to my heart is my grandfather’s lilies of the valley. Grandpa was my best childhood friend. He skied with me through the forest in the winter and made me willow pipes in the spring. When Grandpa turned fifty in 1945, the neighbors congratulated him with a large basket filled with plants—including blooming lilies of the valley. It was an amazing gift to get on February 27—in the middle of the war and in the middle of the coldest winter. How was it possible? Mom nursed them carefully, and in the spring she planted them in the garden. When I left home, I was given some lilies of the valley to accompany me to the community garden. Today, nearly seventy years after my grandfather’s fiftieth birthday party, the lilies are forming a low green carpet beside the romantic ruins on page 163. I love them and immensely enjoy their small, fragrant flowers.
My hope is that this book will give you both inspiration and pleasure, but will also provide clear step-by-step instructions for all kinds projects to adorn your garden.
Warmest good luck!
“Today, nearly seventy years after my grandfather’s fiftieth birthday party, the lilies are forming a low green carpet by the romantic ruins on page 163.”
