Moving On – a different view

We are pretty decisive people, usually agree and fortunately are of the view that if we make a decision regardless of how it turns out, that is the choice we have made.

For many years the whole concept of moving on was out of the question. Our garden was our sanctuary. We had planned, planted, developed and watched it change and grow. It had been hard physical work which we had enjoyed. Creatively it had been very fulfilling and we felt we had achieved the kind of space we’d imagined from the outset in 1987. We believed we had done what we set out to do, achieved everything on our original list, and more, and had loved every moment.

For us, we had always understood that the sanctuary garden was ours for a very short span of time. Ultimately it turned out to be 27 years. Far longer than we had anticipated from the outset. The house (or parts of it) dated from about 1750. There had been many occupants, each with their own stories and circumstances, plans and dreams. And so on into the future. We were a tiny part of the history of the place.

We were aware, and always had been, that a garden is not, should not be, set in time. We had changed the space radically from how it had been when we moved in. It would change again and again in time. New residents would have fresh ideas as we’d had in 1987.

Even if we’d been wealthy we wouldn’t have wanted to place the garden in a time warp, and we were grateful that we hadn’t the resources to even consider this option. I always think that it is so awful to try to preserve a garden; to keep it the same – for posterity. Gardens should change. Nature changes, time, ideas, and circumstances change. Change is inevitable and it is a positive concept to embrace.

At some point in 2012 we started to feel it was time to move on. There were a few practical reasons: we weren’t getting any younger, it was a huge space and maintenance was demanding in terms of time and effort. If we outstayed our usefulness we would gradually but inevitably watch the garden deteriorate in front of our eyes.

But mainly our feelings about moving on were not these negative considerations. It was a clear and definite positive decision for ourselves. It was about choices, new opportunities and the chance to do different things in a new environment. To have a different life.