Most humbly, I have to give myself and my partner Bop, a great pat on the back for the creation of the sculpted hedge of the grey leaved Santolina at the very front of my garden. For me, it is garden design and art at its best and undoubtedly what I am most proud of. I simply love it, as do many others.
Today it runs a good ten meters in length and a metre and a half in depth and lies adjacent to a busy town 3 lane highway.
The hedge has evolved and changed throughout the years. Slowly it has crept forward towards the road, tripling in its depth. There have been tragic losses due to debilitating long droughts accompanied with severe endless water restrictions and of late major water works excavations by council, which dug mercilessly and ripped out about half of the hedge.
Originally, I decided to create a single line of santolinas and planted 12 tube stock sized santolina specimens, and waited until they matured then clipped them into simple row of twelve successive high rising puffed up loaves of bread. Each year the hedge grew and expanded, and I was very chuffed and proud with it all. It was visually unique with minimum work to maintain.
Then my partner in life, Bop, a Thai born national, changed all that. One afternoon, long ago, I arrived home after work and my carefully crafted, yet simply shaped santolina hedge of a dozen loaves, had been completely transformed. It had been replaced, within a single day, with a new, stunning grand work of art. After my initial shock I quickly realised what Bop had created. It was his own original, modern interpretation of the delicately carved, centuries old, classic Thai woodwork wall sculptures. Here was art and sculpture at its best.
It was pure magic. Some, the lucky or the gifted, can create such magic, as if it was the everyday. Bop did that. For him it was not hit or miss, or a flight of the imagination, for he knew, from the get go, it was always going to be a fantastic success.
Like all great sculptures, the hedge possessed it all. The refinement of long clean, finely clipped, extended lines, the deep and determined, scissored sharp shapes and the intricately carefully carved, chiseled shallow cuts and curves. It was all there as if the angels had created it. A whole long, seamless sweep of an organic piece of living sculpture.
The success of any great outdoor sculpture is how its lines, shapes and curves, through light and shadows are continuously transformed as the sun moves across the sky each day. It was simply sublime.
Then the second extraordinary thing happened. This sculpted, tightly clipped hedge became a true tourist attraction. The cars of tourists and locals parked daily, to admire and complement and to take innumerable photos. Even a few declared it was on their to do to list when they annually drove past on their way to further other destinations. locals
The ever frequent question asked by local passerbys and tourists was that since this tightly clipped hedge was so complex, intricate and precise in detail, that there most certainly must be a hidden message or meaning behind it, ‘but what does it all say, what does it all mean?’ In reply I would in true jest, but very convincingly answer, that it was based on an ancient Thai written script that states, ‘true love is a true gift never to be lost’. Most were mighty happy with this. I saw no harm in it, any positive message about life and love is a blessing and should be shared forever far and wide.
Initially while writing this, blog, I could not recall where I got the inspiration for this extended planting design. And then it all came back to me. Many years ago, I remember pruning back old ratty and neglected santolinas in a garden I tended one day a week for a decade or so. At the time, with the lady of the house, being of quite strong religious beliefs, and with a convoy of nuns about to descend upon the house and garden for the weekend, I decided, using a large existing unkept expanse of santolinas, to create for the occasion, a broad sculpture. It was all inspired by the bible story of the loaves and the fishes. When completed I thought it all looked rather super and splendid. Thankfully the owner was especially pleased, and all the nuns thought it was all a bit of great fun. I asked with humble humour if the nuns could bless my little biblical artistic folly. I vividly recall their collective responses of sweet smiles and serene nods. I have no idea if they did or not. But at least these daughters of God appreciated and enjoyed it.
Sadly, Bop my partner of 15 years, passed away in a fatal car accident. He is forever remembered for his gentle and forever happy soul, artistically truly gifted, though his talents and abilities never fully realized. But this sculptured hedge is a memory and testament to his life. I feel completely privileged and eternally grateful to have the opportunity to have shared my life with him, no matter how brief.
Happy gardening and have fun,
Ned McDowell