Thursday, July 12, 2012

George's garden






Sometimes inspiration can be found in the most unexpected of places.


Going through my late grandfather's photos I discovered that my great grandfather (seen here with my great grandmother) was quite the gardener.

Though I never met him and apparently he was a quiet man, I like to think about the conversations we might have had.  So although I never got to have a tour around his garden, or a walk through that little green house, at least I have these pictures here that tell their own story.


His backyard was quite the inspiration don't you think?


28 comments:

  1. How wonderful to have those pictures.
    What an inspiring fellow. That garden is fantastic. All the things he could have taught you.
    I love that it's not fancy in any way. But imagine all the dinners that garden produced. I'm inspired to get our new patch in now that we've settled in to our new house.
    Thank you for sharing the pics.
    Stay warm.
    Kitty x

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  2. Wow that is one impressive garden. He must have been fairly self-sufficient with the dense planting and variety.
    x

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  3. Those pictures are just beautiful...moments in time...you are so lucky to have them to treasure.
    The garden is just how I imagine a garden should be on a big block like that...

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  4. Wow! How amazing that there are such great photo's of your grandfather's garden. He looks like he was an excellent gardener :)

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  5. that is one of the most precious things I have read! I started a Thursday garden link in today, my very first... would you be able to link this in? Very fitting and would love to keep following all your garden adventures too! xx Rach

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  6. Wow, what a treasure to have those photos to cherish and dream over! Very inspiring, yes!
    -Jaime

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  7. he looks like maybe he was a market gardener or was that all for the family?

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  8. I love that first photo- I would frame that one- I have never seen a photo of my great grandparents on either side, not sure if it even exists. How wonderful for you to have this piece of history to share with your children. melx

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  9. A sensational garden and inspiring for us all. A very precious possession too, lucky girl.

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  10. They are beautiful images. Very inspiring and like little time capsules.

    They remind me of something out of a novel, or perhaps the sort of images you tend to see slotted in to the coloured page section of a biography about a writer. xx

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  11. I am wondering where this garden was, as it looks as if it could have been in the UK with the cabbages and sprouts growing in the garden, and the row of terraced houses there.

    This is typical of the kind of garden that my grandfather and my dad used to have when I was younger, and my uncle still grows things in long rows like that. Back gardens were turned over to vegetable growing during the war years, and everyone was encouraged to grow their own veg, so it became very popular.

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  12. I love these photos, especially the first one.

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  13. Growing up in Newcastle there were many Italian immigrants, and this is exactly what their back yards looked like. I think that was when I first desired to live off the land. Still not there, but haven't lost hope either.
    What a wonderful meal it would have been at your grandfather's table.
    Hugs
    Jenny

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  14. What a treat for you to find these pictures. I could study them for a while, they are that quaint and inspiring. LOVE. Thanks for sharing them.

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  15. What an amazing garden he had, and so beautiful for you to have this photo to inspire and remind you of your heritage. I love it!

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  16. QUITE the inspiration, indeed! What a great find for you! Thanks for sharing these charming photos which seem to beam with life still.

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  17. Yes, so very inspiring, Tania. Love their garden and home. Has to be England somewhere???? Gorgeous!! What stories there must be about them and their beautiful home and garden. x

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  18. That is an amazing garden in those pictures - reminds me of my Grandma's garden. She raised all the food her family ate - 9 children of her own and the assorted foster children and grandchildren that lived with her throughout her life time. Talk about understanding the importance of hard work and being diligent every day.

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  19. Yes these were taken in the UK, during the 60's I believe. Thanks all for your comments :)

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  20. Such great photos and what a fabulous veggie garden. Just as one may expect from that time, fill up as much space with produce. I love the garden seat where they can admire or assess their hard work.
    Great post.

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  21. thanks Tania! Excited to see 4 linked in for the first one! xx Rach

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  22. Your blog always feels familiar to me, Tania. It looks like English houses with an Italian backyard. What a great garden! Imagine the meals that have been made from that garden. Such great photos.

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  23. What a fantastic garden. I love how they have a bench in there to sit and admire all the hard work and beautiful veges and flowers. What a lovely photo to have. xxoo

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  24. Lovely garden. It looks like he was very passionate about growing his food.

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  25. Oh how nice it would be to have a cuppa and wander the rows with him! I bet he had some awesome compost secrets:) Very lucky find, are you going to frame them...they are very long-gazy-dream type photos.

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  26. I've just stumbled accross your blog and so glad that I did - I'll be following and coming back again. What a beautiful blog you have, thanks for sharing x

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  27. what an amazing garden. My grandparents on both sides were keen gardeners. So many were at a time when you went without if you didn't grow it. All those decades of knowledge missed a generation, when our parents arrived into modernity and supermarkets bursting with all their desires.

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  28. What a wonderful gift to have those old photos...and George's love of gardening :-)

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