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Blog 661 - Starting a New Garden Life

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Lesley Cox:
December 4th 2012

Blog 661

Many months ago Roger and I decided we had to move from our 2 acres. They were too much for us, part of what our Govt refers to as “the rapidly aging population” as if to blame us for living longer than pensionable age. Both of us have health issues however and gradually the place is becoming wilder and less garden-like. It went on the market in late July and was sold by late August with a completion date of February 22nd 2013. This long period suited our buyers and us too as I had a garden and nursery to move as well as house. In fact, the house is the least of it. Roger’s collection of cars won’t be moving but is being sold bit by bit but he still has a shed full of machinery, tools and dreams that probably won’t ever come to fruition – like the boat that is being built.

We believed we had found the perfect place for us, 45 mins north of the city of Dunedin, with half an acre of well-maintained garden and two cottages rather than a single house. Both were in excellent (“House and Garden”) order and we started a negotiation process with the owners who were anxious to sell. They gave us their bottom line and what they really wanted and we were happily moving toward this when they dropped a bomb. It was a private sale and therein lay the problem because an agent would have had a conditional contract signed at the beginning. The bomb was a letter from their solicitor, relayed through ours that the seller refused to negotiate further and wanted no further contact with us.

We were devastated! What had we done wrong? We learned a few days later, and through a group of gardeners who had visited the garden, that someone seeing the “For Sale” sign had walked in off the street, looked around and offered a huge sum, way in excess of what we had been told. Fair enough, but they should have asked us if we could match or better that price and when we said we couldn’t, they could have sold without leaving us feeling as if we had been stabbed in the back. “People not to be trusted” said our own solicitor.

I had fallen in love with the place and was heart-broken and didn’t believe those friends and family who assured us the final place, when we found it would be much better. Well we have found that place now and the sale is unconditional with the same completion date. It is not better but it is not worse either, just different with some other advantages.

It is 45 mins south of the city, the climate is different, a little cooler but the garden is very sheltered, and I may have to drive through snow occasionally in the winter to get to my Saturday job in the city, leaving home at 4.15am. The road (NZ’s version of the M1) is flat all the way (the other had two major hill climbs, also snow risks) and the house and garden are situated in open and attractive farm land. The address, hence this Blog title, is 661 Waihola Highway in Otago, just 5 mins south of the lake of that name.

At present the garden is largely a rose garden with many perennials and some very good trees. There are a lot of conifers and some of these will be removed but when we were last there a week ago, I also noticed maples, liquidambers, birches, a beech, a Nyssa, a large Amelanchier canadensis and other trees and shrubs which will give good autumn colour. There is not, so far as I can see, either an alpine or an iris, my favourite genus, on the whole place. This will change of course. What is now a large and quite new rose garden will become one of two rock gardens and a smaller rose garden will become another, with, I hope, a pool linking them.

Our sellers asked, almost timidly, if we would mind if they dug and took a few things with them, especially a few roses. I was delighted with this prospect and said to take everything they wanted. They have potted up some roses but, to my horror, phoned to say they had bought some more to replace those they’d lifted. Yes, I like roses but I should think there are several hundred on the place from old and massive climbers down to tiny patio roses in pots. A few will stay but the vast majority, if liftable, will be given to friends who would like them. (Oddly, on a recent garden visit with my alpine group, I saw 3 roses, all climbers which I liked so much I’m now actively looking for them, to buy!)

Enough for now. All this is to come but there is still a major work in progress at our present address. Something of that very soon.

Luc Gilgemyn:
What a great prospect, Lesley !
This is a blog I will be following with great interest !  :D

Tim Ingram:
Lesley - the house looks to sit very comfortably in the garden! I could imagine a small scale Peter Korn type sand bed in the lawn, but what sort of plants will you aim to grow there? Good wishes for your move.

Brian Ellis:
A project I am sure you will enjoy Lesley.  I hope all goes well with this one.

angie:
Lesley your new home looks lovely. I could see myself sitting at that table and chairs enjoying the evening sun.
Looking forward to see and hear about your changes in the future.

Angie  :)

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