gardens and new friends

Two posts for the price of one today! These are some of the shots taken in the “secret garden” I mentioned, one we would not have discovered if we were taking the Tube, but rather the result of some serendipitous wandering. it’s a small gated garden — the Phoenix Garden — apparently one of the last communal gardens from those begun in the city in the 1980s. We just happened to spot it on a little side street as we made our way towards Leicester Square. What a delightful find. Hard to believe this peace could be found so close to very busy streets. We found several very good ideas here for translating to our own garden — a brilliant berm-ish/retaining-wall creation made of stacked newspapers is one I’m definitely copying. And Pater’s got an idea for a new pond.

She’salready scooped me, but here’s my version of yesterday afternoon’s meeting with IndigoAlison — I sometimes wonder why I keep up this whole blogging enterprise and I have some questions about how well represented we are on these screens, but meeting Alison after getting to know her through her blog after the last year or so was a validation of the process. Interesting, çause we’d just come from the National Portrait Gallery, which has centuries of artists’ attempts to capture the essence of their sitters — in a way, I had assembled my own portrait of Alison from her writing. I’m not sure that meeting her in person got me any closer to really knowing her — we’re much more complex creatures than can be grasped through any one meeting or any 400 posts! But I very much enjoyed her company for the afternoon, as did Pater, and I feel quite sure we’d be friends if we lived closer. What am I talking about? We’re friends already . . . we just don’t see each other often!

7 Comments

  1. indigo16
    2 June 2009 / 8:14 pm

    Well you trumped me on the garden, I have never seen it before but will hunt it down. Glad you enjoyed the pint, sorry this photo is grim of me! but makes you look pocket sized. I think it was great to ‘flesh out’ the blog a little and hope you keep in touch. Roll on Vancouver.

  2. Patricia
    2 June 2009 / 10:21 pm

    You’re spoiling us – two for the price of one! That’s so great that you two could meet. Did you coordinate outfits beforehand? You both look great with your softly-draped tops and colourful jewellery. Patricia

  3. La Belette Rouge
    2 June 2009 / 11:16 pm

    The gardens are lovely but I have to tell you that where my excitement and enthusiasm are and that is in seeing you two together. I am so happy that you were able to meet and enjoy a day of art( art and Indigo go together).It is a beautiful portrait you have made here, Mater.

    I love what you said:We’re friends already . . . we just don’t see each other often!” Really nicely said.

  4. Jules
    3 June 2009 / 1:35 am

    Oh i want to have like that garden too.=) Thanks for sharing.And both of you are so pretty,nice necklace too.=)

    A Writers Den
    The Brown Mestizo

  5. Duchesse
    3 June 2009 / 3:15 pm

    Isn't this great, and you are there at the perfect time to see everything blooming up. I love the guerilla and tiny pocket gardens.

  6. Puttermeister
    3 June 2009 / 4:09 pm

    Such a beautiful secret garden. Thanks for taking us with you!

  7. Mardel
    6 June 2009 / 3:26 pm

    How fabulous that you were able to meet and continue the friendship in a different space.

    The gardens are fabulous. You seem to be there at the perfect time.

Copyright

Unless otherwise stated, all words and photographs in this blog are my own. If you wish to use any of them, please give me credit for my work. And it should go without saying, but apparently needs to be said: Do not publish entire posts as your own. I will take the necessary action to stop such theft. Thanks.