Some of you have noticed my allusions to moving soon. Before I leave my garden, I want to give you a sort of a tour. These are mostly close-ups, except I added some of the front of the house... and copied some over from Crimsyn's thread that gave the overview.

before and after

ALOHA! Be back in a week! Meanwhile, get some quality hammock time over the 4th...

• Amazing,Canada Girl, 04:29 AM, 07-03-02
• RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,SherpaDave, 04:36 AM, 07-03-02
• RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,SurvivinDawg, 08:52 AM, 07-03-02
  • RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,PackMan, 09:23 AM, 07-03-02
• RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,Swami, 09:33 AM, 07-03-02
  • RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,nailbone, 11:37 AM, 07-03-02
• RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,Strider, 09:47 AM, 07-03-02
• RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,aymelek, 09:56 AM, 07-03-02
• Wow!,moonbaby, 10:22 AM, 07-03-02
• Beautiful,AyaK, 10:50 AM, 07-03-02
  • RE: Beautiful,Outfrontgirl, 01:54 PM, 07-03-02
• RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,MakeItStop, 10:52 AM, 07-03-02
• RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,true, 10:57 AM, 07-03-02
• RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,Silvergirl1, 11:52 AM, 07-03-02
• RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,Ronnet, 12:00 PM, 07-03-02
• RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,Outfrontgirl, 12:40 PM, 07-03-02
  • Bodhisattva and Kuan Yin,AyaK, 03:56 PM, 07-03-02
• RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,L82LIFE, 12:46 PM, 07-03-02
• RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,Frau Hexe, 05:49 PM, 07-03-02
• RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,Drive My Car, 07:53 PM, 07-03-02
• WOW!!!!,LadyT, 08:02 PM, 07-03-02
• RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,George Tirebiter, 10:14 PM, 07-04-02
• RE: Saying Goodbye to my Garden,MandyM, 10:31 PM, 07-04-02
• I think we've found the location for Survivor 6,Kokoro, 10:58 PM, 07-06-02

So incredibly beautiful. You must be so proud. It also must be sad to leave it, but you'll be giving the people moving in a wonderful gift. I would absolutly love to move into a house with a garden like that. It's almost magical.

Save me a spot on that hammock, I'm coming over!

Truly, that is art. Wanna come up to Bremerton and redo our yard?

Click the link! We were Yahoo's Site of the Day! Whoo!
Criminals From the Neck Up

Very nice, but I'm glad I don't live there... I could NEVER keep all of that up! I barely can keep my grass cut and my hedges trimmed!

"Pappy didn't get voted off, he got stoned!" -- dabo

*** Contradictions don't exist. If you are faced with a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong. -- Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

I barely can
>keep my grass cut and
>my hedges trimmed!

Don't all Georgia Dawgs take a class on how to keep their hedges trimmed!

PackMan

"When the only tool you own is a hammer, all problems begin to resemble a nail." - Abraham Maslow

Beautiful garden, OFG! Gardening on a hillside can be tricky, but it looks like you have pulled it off beautifully. And moving to Hawaii, you can't even take cuttings or clippings from your favorite plants to start over, can you? Good news is--you're going to one of the great garden spots of the Earth. What fun you can have building a new garden!

Who is portrayed in the boddhisatva (sp?) -like figure in the photo with flagstones & a white iris front & center? Looks rather Chinese, but my monitor is not good enough to pick out enough details.

Btw, my oldest sister lives in Honolulu. She was a Jr. High teacher in Cleveland who went to Hawaii "for a few weeks" one summer--and never came back. She wrote home, quit her job and said "Send my stuff. I've found Paradise and I'm not leaving!" LOL, that was more than 30 years ago.

My hubbie is about 10 years from early retirement. Guess where I want to live then?

Swami

>Who is portrayed in the boddhisatva
>(sp?) -like figure in the
>photo with flagstones & a
>white iris front & center?
> Looks rather Chinese, but
>my monitor is not good
>enough to pick out enough
>details.
>
That's my fave!! I don't have much yard to work with, but if I can make a small corner look like that, I'll be very happy!!

- This Space For Rent

The road goes on forever and the party never ends - Robert Earl Keen

Love it! From the maturity of the plants, it looks like you have been there a while? I also see that we like to use a lot of the same plants. I couldn't imagine leaving my garden; not so much because of the plants themselves, but because of all the work that has gone into it. Fun work, but lots of time nonetheless.

Do you know who is moving in? I would definitely make taking care of the plants a condition of the sale. I know that if we ever move, we'll ask potential buyers for evidence of their garden care skills!

Very nice work.

Oh my, OFG! This is absolutely gorgeous! Paradise in your backyard! How could you leave it? If I lived there, I'd hardly ever go indoors again! It truly belongs in Better Homes & Gardens, if it hasn't been already. Simply beautiful.

Thanks OFG, my jaw is hanging open in astonishment at the before and after-what an amazing feat, and what talent! Enjoy your trip!

As the proud possessor of a black thumb when it comes to anything smaller than huge shrubs, I'm envious. I aspire to have a garden like this someday in the future ... when I can afford to hire a gardener.

>As the proud possessor of a black thumb when it comes
>to anything smaller than huge shrubs,

So, AyaK, I guess you would be the handy man to have on the quest when someone orders: "Fetch me a shrubbery!"?

I see that you have decided to let your inner DAW out too. Your garden is absolutely beautiful. Love, love all the pics. I do know how hard it is to leave your garden. But I'm thinking that maybe you have your eye on the next one. I know that I do. That keeps me going. And I'm sure you are hoping that the new owners will take care of the garden. I know that I can't help thinking how the new owners of my garden are doing. Are they weeding, watering, mulching? I hope so!

Have a great trip to Hawaii. And I hope you find the perfect spot for your next garden.

And now, I think I'll take a turn in that hammock. And then, I think I'll check out the pond.

OFG, your yard is amazing, I'm sure you're having a difficult time leaving it. I know I would. Good luck with your move.

true

LAST EDITED ON 07-03-02 AT 11:53 AM (EST)

Gorgeous pics, OFG! You've given me some ideas for my next home.

Come on in, the water's fine!

OFG - I so love your garden! But I'm also looking forward to the pictures of your next garden in Hawaii. Your garden talents are awesome.

I so appreciate all your kind words!

The "Chinese" statue is Kuan Yen, a goddess much revered in Japan (doubtless Chinese in origin), or at least *I* think so, but my husband insists "she" is a "travelling boddhisattva" or Buddha before he became enlightened... and he is the Zen student. They sell Kuan Yen's in most garden statuary places; she is a goddess of peace and fertility I think...

Can you believe I had a Butterfly Buddha in my front yard on the walk up to the door and someone stole it? Talk about bad karma.

Hawaii does not allow ANY clippings or plants to be imported, which is truly sad for me, but good to protect their fragile ecosystem from more invasive plants. I can't even take the orchid I bought in Hawaii--could be plant diseases I suppose.

Also in this part of Hawaii there is no native soil--just lava... so lots of work ahead of me. But yes, MANY beautiful plants to be grown there--just few that I am familiar with. I know, embrace the new learning opportunities!

*sniff*
Love, see you soon,
OFG

By now I should have long been gone, but here I am still hanging on,
as if I didn't know which way to run--Jackson Browne

LAST EDITED ON 07-03-02 AT 04:01 PM (EST)

OK, what Steely Dan fan could pass up this chance to post lyrics?

BODHISATTVA (Fagan/Becker)

Bodhisattva
Would you take me by the hand
Bodhisattva
Would you take me by the hand
Can you show me
The shine of your Japan
The sparkle of your China
Can you show me
Bodhisattva

Bodhisattva
I'm gonna sell my house in town
Bodhisattva
I'm gonna sell my house in town
And I'll be there
To shine in your Japan
To sparkle in your China
Yes I'll be there
Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva...
Look out

OK, now that I got my rock'n'roll fix out of the way...

You can learn about Kuan Yin here ... or maybe you'd rather read this less-coherent description of Quan Yin. In Japan, she/he/it is called Kannon. Personally, I think this site is probably the best place to start, though.

Have you now learned more about this statue than you ever wanted to know? Sorry.

What a beautiful garden you made, OFG. It looks like something out of a fairy tale. It must be very tough to say goodbye, it looks like you put a great deal of time, energy and love into this project.

I guess it would take something as grand as Hawaii to lure you away from your garden paradise.

I was there! I was there! I spent a whole afternoon there in fact, and let me just say that even in early February, OFG's garden is delightful, beautiful, and absolutely breathtaking.
I feel lucky to have been able to peak at all the little nooks and hidden areas. How very sad that it must stay

"I know I can't be the only whatever I am in the room." -Ani Difranco

Oh what a beautiful Sanctuary.
I know the move is a good one for you, yet can't help feeling that it must be heartbreaking to leave behind this place you built with such love.

What a gift you have left for all those who see it.
Thank you for sharing it with us.

Buggy- feels the need to run to Home Depot for some plants

What an amazing job you did OFG! It is so beautiful. I can't even think of the adjectives to describe how beautiful your garden is. I am amazed at all the work you did. What a serene place it must be.

*imagining myself swinging in the hammock*

Lady T-mean Uber b!tch

Ahhh, the good times we had here. . . You ARE moving the time portal, aren't you?

Sad to let it go, I know--but I also know the care you took in finding new owners, so I think you can consider it one of your major contributions to making the world a better place.

Besides, I happen to know the place you're likely to wind up in (either one is GREAT, and there's plenty of room for VISITORS!) and it won't be long before you have an even better refuge on the island. I can vouch for the way everything grows like WEEDS in the tropics!

Luckily, I had sense to adopt you as a sister, so I can revel in the joy of your talents and accomplishments--otherwise, this garden thing could really be something to cause me the painful itch of. . . ENVY! As it is, I'm just anxious to see what miracles you create on your little corner of paradise.

Hope you're having a GREAT time in the islands this week!

ALOHA!

GT

Art is making something out of nothing and selling it. -Frank Zappa

WOW! Thank you for posting these pics, OFG......absolutely breathtaking and amazing! As a novice gardener (just started some stuff around the perimeter of my house this year), I have something wonderful to aspire to! You created a true haven out of blandness (thank you so much for posting before and after...really hits home how much work you put in to this). I can't wait to see what you do with your new home! Good luck with the move and with your future gardening endeavors!!!!

MM "We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time." - Vince Lombardi

Wow - that is the most beautiful garden I've ever seen....and I can't believe the before and after pics! How many years did it take to decide to pack up and leave this?

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Now let us never speak of S3 again.