I came to live in Eagleton 31 years ago although I've lived on the Isle of Lewis for half a century. When I came I bought a house 7 miles outside Stornoway and the commute to my job in Stornoway was very quick because the road was good and there was no traffic.
Just over 30 years ago I moved to my current house on the Eye Peninsula just above The Minch (the sea between the Island chain and the mainland of the Scottish Highlands). The main part of the house was built in 1927 with various alterations made since then enlarging and modernising it. I have been exceptionally happy living here and I hope that I will be able to continue living here until the end comes (which, of course, it inevitably will!).
When I came, the 'garden' (the house stands in just over ¼ acre) was virtually non-existent. The front was like a building site and the back grass area was dominated by four huge pampas grasses. The latter had to be removed with a mechanical digger. The front took years of hard labour with a wheelbarrow, removing rubble and replacing it with lorry loads of topsoil which had to be barrowed manually onto the garden.
Given that in the early days there was no labour allowed on the Sabbath and I worked full-time, my days were very long. Fortunately in those days I was also very fit. (I'm still fit, thank heaven, but my body has been in use for 80 years and isn't quite as amenable or capable as it used to be).
The garden is pretty much as I want it now but when I was thinking of some alterations a week or two ago I had a sudden realisation that my proposals would take quite a few years to be at their best. So I decided on a more 'immediate' approach to alterations from now on so that I can, hopefully, enjoy them.
I'll show you some current photos in another post.
The owners before you weren't gardeners then.
ReplyDeleteIt must be very rewarding to have built the garden you want from nothing.
Kylie, the various owners had extended the house and the garden was really a building site (apart from the original croft area which had gone wild.
DeleteMy goodness. You really started from scratch back then!
ReplyDeleteJayCee it was, in some ways very good having a clear pallette with which to work.
DeleteOh dear. You certainly had a lot of work ahead of you when you started out! :o
ReplyDeleteMonica, the work was hard manual work which was probably very good for me in my otherwise sedentary work existence.
DeleteIt must have been quite daunting to face all that work, and you are to be commended for your perseverance in getting in done, especially since Sunday work was not permitted. A fit, young body would have been essential! Dedication, too.
ReplyDeleteDavid, the 24 hours of mid-summer light also helped!
DeleteHard work reaps its own rewards.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Janice.
DeleteThat was a lot of work! Can't wait to see the "after" photos. Is that large square building your garage behind your house?
ReplyDeleteThe large square building is my garage and workshop. My house is to my right and behind me as I took the photo.
DeleteGosh you have a decent property, bet it has amazing views over the ocean. I'm very envious.
ReplyDeleteAmy the views over the ocean to the mainland are amazing. They've probably featured in the occasional photo on my blog but I'll look a few good ones out and do a post.
DeleteVery interesting. I look forward to seeing more.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Andrew.
DeleteIt was a junk pile when you moved in. You have to have a plan in your head as what you want the place to look like. You had a good plan.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Red.
DeleteCreating a garden (in France) has been one of my most enjoyable activities. When I first bought our little house, I bought it for the location and it's age., but it stood (what was left of it) in an unused field. Rebuilding and creating the garden has taken over 40 years, and I still haven't finished.
ReplyDeleteCro, I have to say that when you're not in France I do miss the posts from a country in which I spent so much time. I often wonder what the lieu-dit where the house was looks like now - it's probably not changed a jot.
DeleteHaving a vision of what you wanted it to be, and then turning it into reality must feel very satisfyng. X
ReplyDeleteIt was, Jules, and 30 years later I'm still enjoying it - and tweaking bits here and there.
DeleteI know this might not be the very first thought when folks see your photos, but this is what popped into my head: "what a view!".
ReplyDeleteKay, I'm very fortunate that relatively few people in the world have such wonderful views.
DeleteEvery time you post a picture of your property, I am amazed at the view. I cannot imagine waking up to that sight every morning. I have always wanted to live by the ocean in winter. Isn't that a strange thing? But I've only seen the sea in the summer time when everything is blue. I went once with my daughter in law in October. It was cold and windy. The sky was gray and the water was like molten lead, mirroring the sky. But there were dolphins and I'd never seen them in the wild before, and it was quite thrilling. All this to say, some day in the winter, take a picture of the sea for a land locked yank.
ReplyDeleteDebby, I have always lived fairly near the sea and for the last half century have been able to see it from my houses.
DeleteHaving a plan was a good idea, Graham, and we did much the same when we moved into our home in VA many years ago. We started out with a very large garden area which eventually was reduced to what we actually needed. Looking forward to seeing more of your work.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Beatrice. I'll see if I can find an interesting view which I can post.
DeleteAlthough I have seen a good number of pictures of your garden over the years, I am still looking forward to seeing your "current" bunch Graham. You are The Isle of Lewis's substitute for Alan Titchmarsh.
ReplyDeleteYP, when I came here 50 years ago there were virtually no gardens outside Stornoway. Now they are quite plentiful. I'll try a few more posts soon.
DeleteI am not lazy as such, but I can not imagine taking on such monumental, demanding tasks after a full day's work, or even on a regular weekend when I really need some rest (and am often more busy than I'd like to be).
ReplyDeleteYou have created a beautiful home for yourself, Graham, and I guess it is even more "yours" because you did so much of it with your own hands.
Thank you, Meike. I'm not sure why I seem to have missed your comment at the time.
DeleteWell done. You are good still being able to garden. I gave up at 75. Love to see how it looks now.
ReplyDeleteDiane, I still garden but I do have a gardener one day a week in the summer to help with the more arduous tasks.
DeleteA canvas waiting to be used.
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed that, Linda.
DeleteIf you can improve on the already beautiful garden you have created, I can't wait to see it! Please include the glorious view in your update pics. I'll never forget it but my memory may could always use a refresh.
ReplyDeletePauline, I don't think there is much in the way of improvements to be made. Most of the work now is maintenance and planting new flowers and so on.
DeleteYour story about the garden is truly inspiring—a testament to patience, hard work, and the slow but steady rewards of nurturing the land over time. There is something deeply satisfying about shaping a place with your own hands, especially when the history of the home itself stretches back nearly a century.
ReplyDeleteYour thoughtful approach to making changes now, so you can enjoy them without delay, shows a wise balance between ambition and appreciating the present. Gardens, like life, flourish best when we tend them steadily and with care. It sounds like you have created a lasting sanctuary that reflects both your spirit and your respect for tradition.
Wow. Thank you Melody Jacob. You really are a superb wordsmith.
DeleteFascinating to see how your garden started out, I shall follow the latest progress with interest.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your interest. I have a feeling that you have visited before.
DeleteI love seeing the old photos and hearing origin stories... gardens are a journey of the soul, as well as the body! It's good to get the big heavy work done in the early days, so that you can do the light pruning and planting (and sitting and enjoying) as you get older. Looking forward to more pics!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments W-O-W. I shall hopefully do some more garden posts if we get some more sun to show it off at its best.
Delete