My House and Garden
Inheriting this place was a complete surprise. Honestly I had no idea it was coming. Mum never talked about her parents. I always thought she was upset about it all - I mean losing them the way she did. And I thought all their assets were lost decades ago.
If you could call a place in this condition an asset!
When I first arrived here it was a terrible mess. I drove past it twice before I even realized the house was there at all, hidden as it was behind all those trees and bushes. Leaky roof, crumbling plaster, layers of dust - but I’m sure it will be worth it. Even under the peeling paint this house has all the charm of a more romantic era. It must have been a wonderful place for a holiday back in its former life as a guesthouse. I do remember it a bit from back then, particularly one leadlight window near the front door. It is a dryad with her tree in the art nouveau style. I also clearly remember the patterned ceilings and wide verandas around the side and back. One of these has been closed off into a lovely sunroom. And there are five fireplaces!
But what about the garden? Completely feral! There is so much to
do!
There are hidden rockeries, an overgrown creek, (beware of the snakes!) and a small lake with a rickety bridge leading to the orchard. Perhaps only the beautiful old trees remember how it used to look when everything was in order, but now it is a fascinating voyage of discovery and I love it for all its hidden secrets.
One of the strangest features of this garden is the abundance of fairy statues. Grandma apparently used to collect them and I am continually finding new ones. It’s not just the lanterns - they were the easiest to uncover because they were in strategic positions (apart from the lantern of course). I have since found elves and gnomes in an astonishing range of styles and characters, one dragon, two little unicorns and a Pan figure without a head. Even the letterbox is a toadstool!
The old lantern on the hill has real magical qualities - a doorway to the land where the fairy foals come from. I don’t know how or why it works. As for the foals themselves, they are like beings from another dimension - visible and real and yet with an ethereal quality that sets them apart from other mere animals and insects. It’s not just the obvious fact of what they are, but rather who they are.
I am still mystified at being the owner of all this.
Why did Grandma leave it all to me - and not until I turned forty? And what happened to her anyway? She was wealthy and glamorous, an extrovert and an eccentric. And then she disappeared. I’ve done my research. I’ve looked up all the old files... she left with no traces and no clues.
