Whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed, depressed or oppressed by life, I garden and I cheer right up. More specifically, I think about gardens. Not about my own garden, which I’m assuming is a mess and therefore quite depressing. No, I think about other peoples’ gardens, especially gardens all neat and tidy and even in winter in full bloom— i.e., gardens for sale!!
That’s right, gardens for sale. A friend sent me these photos from a house in England. It’s actually an award-winning garden nursery business that is up for sale. Let others drool over Mr Darcy’s wet shirt. Just look at these yews and boxwood and clematis and other perennials—thoroughly heartwarming! Makes me want to jump on a plane and go see them, rather than facing jumping worms and spotted lantern flies in my own gardens.
Some dream of living in tiny houses, others condos. I dream of living in a garden in a shed on a cot. Yes a cot, not a cat—well, maybe a cat too, and certainly a dog for company, provided they don’t pee all over my plants. Of course I’ll need hot and cold water, and a greenhouse. Just a greenhouse.
People who design prefab houses are missing a trick. Design me a greenhouse—for transplanting seedlings, natch. Attach a kitchen (refrigerator, freezer, microwave and table), with a bed tucked in somewhere and a private bathroom. I will also need a huge tool shed, a mud room with laundry facilities, and some sort of whirlpool for my sore back.
This is the problem, of course. I started with a tiny house and now have a greenhouse with a two-bed ranch and spa attached. So goes the world. It’s funny how much we think we need. Here are some photos of a garden for sale, with a house somewhere about. The house is included in the price, I’d wager.
Meanwhile, the course I will be attending at UVM, on all sorts of forest pests coming our way, starts Monday. I’m attempting to learn how to identify them and what, if anything, we can do to protect our trees from them. If interested, there still may be room. Contact: [email protected].
All photos Knight Frank.
