A neighbour drops by for the first time and exclaims, “Oh, your garden is like a series of little rooms”! I like that idea; I like it a lot. My garden, like many others, has evolved and grown over time. A small walled garden surrounds my house and when that became full of Cottage Garden flowers, with no room for potatoes I made a Kitchen Garden and then a Meadow Garden.
It is hard to choose a favourite “room”, but if I had to it would always be The Meadow Garden. Rustic in style and with the grass left a little natural to blend into its surroundings, a place for compost and contemplation, this space takes me right to the heart of nature. As I plant out Brussels Sprouts and Cabbages, Buzzards soar high above and fledgling House Martins and Woodpeckers use my rabbit proof fence as a nursery as their Mothers teach them to fly.
In the early evening and after a day of planting and putting up my brassica cage, I take a stroll down there with Otto, the cat. The photos give a tiny glimpse of this special garden and my favourite seat out there, underneath a canopy of blossom.
Can you hear the birds? Otto can.
Dartmoor Flower Shed 
Oh Karen your garden looks lovely and isn’t Otto a lucky cat p x
He is so handsome! He is not worried about blossom though, he prefers birdwatching! x
Your garden sounds like a slice of heaven! Wonderful!!!
Karen, it all looks so appealing – nostalgic and pretty yet practical too. And what a beautiful outlook you have. I love the photo of the blossom and bench!
Thank you. It is in this garden that I want to build the Bug Hotel. It would be perfect there because in the meadow I have planted comfrey for the bees. I am gathering materials for it and already have the base.
Sounds like a great place to site it .. and a nice spot to sit and listen to the bees.
Thank you Jan. I just wish that I could manage to keep each “room” tidy! It is lovely here though, it is where I belong.
Gorgeous, Karen!! Otto is also very beautiful. Dashing, really. He looks very content. I like his cat bird seat. How did you two meet? ~Theadora
Thanks Theadora! Otto was a stray cat who kept crossing my garden. I fed him one day and he has never strayed since. Mind you, he came with many health issues and it has been a long road to see him wandering happily in my garden again after many operations for heart and Thyroid issues.
So glad you got in touch! .
Karen
Sweet story. Sweet Kitty. YES. I think critters find us. I was recently adopted by a little cat with an injured leg. Romeo is now happy, healthy big fellow. Enjoy Otto, your garden, and the week! T.
Cats know exactly where to go…..have a good week too! K
A very special place, a very special cat; brought together and cared for by a very special person.
Thank you so much! It is not hard to love Otto and it has been such a privilege to help him back to a managed health. Someone in his past gave up on him, probably because they knew he was ill. He knows that I will never do that.
Karen.
Your garden is wonderful. Your description pulled me right in. Otto is very handsome and he looks as though he has enjoyed many a fat bird.
Thank you so much Gretchen.Otto may have had a rich and riotous past, but he has been quite quiet on the hunting front since living with me. This has been due to him suffering from Hyperthyroidism and heart disease. He has had many big operations and there were times when I feared he would not spend time in my garden again.
But here he is, strong and handsome!.
Your garden is beautiful and tranquill. It seems so peacefull. I like that you have created rooms and seating places spread around it as well. I like the blue bench. It matches our blue door.
The veiws of the vista are breathe taking. It looks like it is well thought out in your design.
I have been hearing a lot about bug hotels lately and I have seen some in other blogs. You have so many flowering plants, water features in your garden for bugs to enjoy. Everything is organic and healthy. I would think it was already a paradise for everything from frogs, bees, birds, squirrels…. What is the bug hotel’s function exactly?
You sound busy with spring planting. Ossie is looking content with keeping you company.
Happy gardening
Honey
I follow jardindesign.org which is a fabulous gardening blog and it was there that I saw the bug hotel. I know what you mean about there already being lots of places in my garden for insect life to thrive, but maybe when you see the pictures of the hotels, you might see why I like them. The designs are so attractive!
I wish I could say that my garden was carefully thought out, it wasn’t really, but I have made new spaces when I have been able to afford the rabbit proof fencing and the raised beds and somehow it has all linked together. It is where I want to be and somewhere that makes my heart glad, just like you in your paradise and that is all that matters.
Thank you for your lovely comment Honey and for taking the time to write.
Karen.
I checked out the blog that you were talking about. I think that the bug hotells are really attractive, decorative and functional. My garden is still under construction. I have too many projects on my plate as it is right now for this year. We are making one more raised bed and the new green house.Eventually we would like to have chickens and a bee hive but everything has to be done in stages.
I beg to differ that your garden was not well planned out. You can see it in the pictures. You just did it in stages as you needed it and were inspired to expand it. The time and thought you put into it shows in how tranquil and beautiful of a place that you created. You should be proud of what a oasis that you have created. You give me inspiration.
Honey
Honey, you are so kind. Thank you for the compliment. I am so glad that you like the bug hotel idea. It was Jardin who inspired me to make one, so it is really good that I have passed the inspiration on.
I am slowly collecting materials for my hotel and being realistic, it won’t get made just yet.
Do you do Pinterest? I have lots of boards I have created and I am going to start one on bug hotels. It might be a lovely thing for you to do in the dark winter months.
Karen.
No I have not done Pintrest. If you put up links I will check it out. The bug motels look intrique because it is stacking so many different materials while making a design that is esthetically pleasing as well.
Honey
You are so kind Honey. It was Jardin who inspired me, so I am so glad that I have passed the inspiration along to you.
Do you do Pinterest? If not, google it and take a look. I have created loads of boards. It would be a great way to collect ideas you like in one place. Take a look at my boards and see.
I have seen the bug hotels on quite a few blogs lately. That is one of the things I like about blogs is to get inspiration. I don’t want my garden to look like everyones elses. I like most people want our own personalities to shine through in the design. I like to be inspired to make our own unique version of our garden. I am sure you know what I mean. I just have to look at your garden to see that you incorporate you own creativity into the design.
Honey
I love this post. And the pix. Especially your cat. And I wish my garden were a series of little rooms. One of these days…..
Thanks Cynthia. I just wish that the garden rooms were tidy! Oh well, the garden is always wanting to go back to the wild and try as hard as I can….it always beats me.
What a little piece of paradise! I think I could learn a lot from you, about gardening. I love the idea of garden rooms but tend to just plunk things down wherever there’s a space. Not at all creative, I’m afraid! I’m happy for you that you have such spaces to relax and enjoy (even though I know you work hard there, too)! And, I’ve said it before, but Otto is lucky to have found you!
Thank you so much Kerry. You are so creative! Maybe where gardening is concerned the season is just too short for you. My garden is too big and in reality parts are totally out of control. But there is beauty in that too.
Incidentally, I hardly ever sit down on the seats……..it’s crazy, but there just is never enough time.
Karen
What a beautiful cat! And beautiful everything else that surrounds you. ~amy
I must photograph the chaos and out of control areas! Then you will see the real situation! I do try very hard to make it special and it makes me feel better when it is,
The cat is Otto and a long time ago you reblogged one of my posts in which he featured and you called him “The Tuxedo Cat”. I loved that!- Karen.
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great.
I don’t know who you are but definitely you’re going to a famous blogger if
you aren’t already 😉 Cheers!
What LOVELY thing to say! Thank you so much! Please visit again.
Karen.