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Sunday, January 30, 2011

Country Gardens on the West Coast


The traditional style of a country garden is always bountiful, colourful and planted informally!

This was originally written by Christopher Lloyd in his book "The Cottage Garden" and further promoted by Gillian Rattray in a lovely South African book "In a Country Garden" which is illustrated in watercolours.

I painted two West Coast homes of neighbours last year, both homes which showed a profusion of foliage that is in harmony with the fynbos that surrounds the plots. Many indigenous plants are available at nurseries, so one can easily incorporate them. This is a wise decision as such plants are waterwise and can withstand periods of drought. Examples of such plants are the bright red Watsonia coccinea, white Zantedescia aethiopica (calla or arum lily) and lovely orange Salvia lanceolata.

Gardeners of course, also use artistic licence, so we love to incorporate lavender and daisies into our gardens and other natural looking plants that will blend in and not spread into the fynbos, as you will notice in my paintings!

5 comments:

  1. I so love country gardens; always so beautiful! That light colored house with its side garden is gorgeous, Marie. I am just dying to see the inside of this place!

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  2. Wow... I especially love that top painting, Marie!!
    Gardens just make a house a home, don't they?

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  3. Beautiful homes and gardens..your paintings make me want to take a stroll around the yard and peak in windows. I love the hint of the ocean in the bottom painting.

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  4. What an enchanting area you live in. Love the charming homes and gorgeous seascapes you've been doing!

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  5. Two beautiful homes and two beautiful paintings. Bravo, Marie!

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