Garden

The word garden comes from the old English word 'Geard' meaning a fence or enclosure. The British have always loved their gardens, from the eccentric flambouyance of the cottage garden and formality of the  tudor knot garden to the almost incomprehensible terra-forming of the great 'Capability Brown' and other landscaping engineers! The garden began as a necessity - a place to grow vegetables, fruits and feed protected from the ravages of the the elements and hungry widlife. Growing flowers attracted insects for pollination and helped sustain bees for honey to sweeten our table. Weather and time permitting, sitting out in the garden has always been a welcome reward for our toils, whether on a timber of cast iron bench or under an arbour with the sweet smell of flowers all around. Today we employ raised beds to make it easier to tend our plants and lay gravel and brick paths so that we might enjoy the outdoor space throughout the year.

Once reserved for the homes and gardens of the rich and priviliged - statuary combined an apprecation of the arts with the love our herbacious havens - and perhaps a not-so-sublte show of status and affluence. In the modern garden, statues and scuptures abound. From armillieries pointing to the heavens to woodland creatures created from steel and stone. These uplifting focal points and features punctuate the bossoming summer borders and defy the decay and emptiness of the winter garden in equal measure. Bird baths bring the sweet sound of birdsong to the garden whilst the sundial marks the passing hours and seasons with unwavering precision.

Ancient agricultural and industrial artifacts that once were the backbone of a harsh and unrelenting landscape - now bring a mellow nostalgia to our modern suburban gardens. Old stone troughs, riveted galvanised tanks and stoneware basins are now filled with flowers that fill the air with sweetness and fragrance. Old farm and factory machinery, overgrown with climbing roses and clematis lies sleeping - ready to wake and tell a thousand stories.