Well, guess who came to visit?
Yep, it’s Marianne. Thinking about making trouble.
We had lunch, a good gossip, and then a quick garden tour. And we went to see my latest brilliant idea:
What’s the point of wonky posts, I hear you ask?
Hm, well, – I have begun to think about how dodgy it is walking round a garden with steep slopes and steps. We thought a lot about this particularly steep bit through our coppice. We hated the idea of adding railings, which would be expensive, hard to install and a bit institutional. Then, inspiration struck – posts! You just need to be able to grab them to steady yourself on the up or down. Brilliant. And then I also loved the idea of painting them. To me it brightens up and sharpens the surrounding greenery.
So Charles and Angus got to work. They are a bit wonky but very solidly installed.
And then came Marianne.
A bit unsure about the wonkiness. Well, that’s reasonable, but we’re stuck with it and our underlying boulders.
She went on contemplating. Had a go.
Decided she could live with the wonkiness. But not the tops!
She don’t care that Charles got those specially to protect the posts from rotting or splitting.
They’ve got to go.
So they did.
That’s fine – they’ll rot at the bottom before the tops, and splitting is a wood glue job. So Charles graciously accepted her verdict.
And then later also accepted her verdict about the bronze fennel in his own part of the garden. We were treated to a brilliant exposition about the merits the plant offers in this particular garden which is full of greys and purples. I love its generous seedling so I was delighted when this was also accepted by Charles.
The fennel stays.
You can hardly see it at this stage in its life, but Marianne knew what it would be offering.
Actually, this is one of the great joys of having a knowledgeable and discerning visitor who is happy to speak her mind.
We’ve always wanted it and believed it helps us improve the garden. See here.
These were good, helpful interventions. Thank you, Marianne. Come again!
But we never worked out how to make these (weedy) steps easier……
Any ideas?
Hmmmm Marianne is planning to visit my garden this summer. Perhaps a few gin and tonics before we start?
Well, that’s inevitable!
It’s always helpful to have a fellow gardener, whom you admire, visit and provide gentle feedback. Love your “wonky poles”, a very creative solution to provide stability for wandering visitors without being intrusive. They are a lovely sculptural addition to your landscape.
Thank you – I do find them useful so hope others will too.
I like the poles, but must admit the powdery pastel colors are jarring in that natural setting (to my eye). I’d paint them a deep olive or taupe. I also love bronze fennel. Last year was my first time trying one plant. It survived my CT USA Zone 6 winter. I bought another to plant nearby, and I hope to see host critters on them. So feathery and lovely!
Interesting – do we try to look natural in woodland? But not in the garden? What looks most natural? Are we trying to hide something? Big topic – there must be a Rant post in this?
I picture you standing at the bottom of the stone steps, beverage of choice in hand just staring, thinking and discarding possible solutions. Then Charles joins in and you both stand and stare and give it up for the time being and enjoy your drinks sitting down.
And I have no solution to offer.
Yep. Maybe many times!
I welcome a helping hand on steep slopes. The wonky poles would come in handy.
They do. May need more elsewhere….
Love the hand poles!
And even better without the caps!
Yeah, she was right.
I look forward to meeting you and Charles, seeing Veddw In person and trying out the poles (wonky or not).
Lovely!
That will be good – and wonky or not, they are solid and will do the job for you.
Geez you make me sound like a tyrant! And you surreptitiously snapping pics that whole time….naughty girl. Well — I’m coming again in less than five days with a bus load of opinionated, energized gardeners. You won’t know what hit you. Tell Charles to wear his fish shirt again and I’ll make sure I fawn over it this time. xoM
I expect you’ll have the whole bus load geared up for umm… helpful comments…..
Fish shirt it will have to be.
actually empty posts are an environmental issue in parts of the US because small animals and birds get trapped in them. Tucson Audubon has had some recent coverage of this issue. might be worthy checking out.
I don’t understand how birds or animals can get trapped in a pole????
Wonky pokes need wonky colors, or else visitors wonder if they’re broken.
That’s right!! Have to wonk the colours!
I like the posts, and am assuming they’re solid, not open tubes- would be much stronger and solid to grab on that way. It would be interesting to play with the angled-ness, some leaning in,out, forward. I’m undecided about the colors, though. But plain gray is not the move, I think that coloring was the right thing. Maybe they aren’t bold enough.
As to your steps, I think they’re too small. Maybe its just the photo, but from that picture they feel insignificant, squeezed. I think you need to do two things- make them a little wider and also stretch them out so the middle ones become landings/stopping points big enough for a bench (whether you put one there or not. Maybe some kind of paving/stone or pattern in the middle?) The stairs get shallower. Not sure what the view is from there, having never visited (been close, but I didn’t know about you then) but maybe there’s something to gaze out at? If not, what would an arbor do over your stretched out stairs with a bench? Anyway, not a pro, just playing with ideas.
Thanks for this re the steps – I think you mistake our budget and capabilities though. And the size of the space. And yes, the view over them is very important. You know – Charles built them ……..
O, and yes, the tubes are solid.
I’m going to go a bit into the future. Some day in Marianne’s future I predict she will think back on your wonky posts installation and think it clever. I’m in Marianne’s part of the world and visit a local county run garden called Meadowlark. They have some pretty steep paths that could benefit from either a handrail or some of your creative wonky posts.
Some posts would be an excellent lesson for her. Unless they had tops on…..
That was fun. I like your post idea. I love bronze fennel anywhere it wants to be and so do our swallowtail butterflies. Regarding steps–consider having them done over in a way that enables you to get up them years from now just in case you or Charles need a walker. Long tred & low rise is the trick. I did this when I had to replace the concrete front steps of our house in Kentucky-actually measured myself with my Mom’s walker to get the tred right. I am so glad I did that-even now it helps make getting groceries in the front door so much easier.
Wow, we will be challenged if, and no doubt when, we need that help – but we can at least walk round instead of using the steps.
That is the case everywhere in the garden – originally for the ride on. Ah – now that might be more fun than a walker?
I love the stairs. Make them easier to what? I didn’t understand the question. If it’s weeding, use a strimmer. Plant something round at both top corners, they could use some separation from the ground plane. But they really are very pretty.
We love them too – Charles built them. But visitors find them hard to navigate. Glad you approve since they’re staying!
Love the stone stairs! Maybe some wonky or not wonky posts up the stone stairway. You just need enough to give wonky or wobbly guests a bit of balance. Stone posts would be lovely, but even rebar would work and could be painted with rustoleum in colors to suit your taste.
Could work – but how to fix them???