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No drifts, no incurves, no outcurves, no tall-something-focal-point-expensive-tree at the left corner, no ubiquitous ridiculous superfluous foundation planting, no monoculture lawn parading as culture, no monthly mow-blow-go, no patch of hot house annuals grown from plugs and trucked to a box store, the 'safe' personality chosen and presented as character, no fertilizer killing earth worms and poisoning groundwater, no allowance for pollinators, just conforming to the highest point of the bell curve, because it's a point inculcated in secondary education as acceptable, when it should be considered a personal failure to reach that point.
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A 'manor' house cannot be a 'subdivision' house. Sometimes, a client is indeed in a subdivision, yet know they need to set their home free from the shackles of subdivision landscaping. Great pleasure, releasing a manor house from its bindings of subdivision bell curve 'success'.
Pic, above, here.
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Garden, above, quite personal. I want to know the story. Notice the roller at the front door? I get the feeling Somerset Maugham, and a few others are coming for cocktails & dinner this evening, above.
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The world in general doesn't know what to make of originality; it is startled out of its comfortable habits of thought, and its first reaction is one of anger. W. Somerset Maugham
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When you choose your friends, don't be short-changed by choosing personality over character. W. Somerset Maugham
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Like all weak men he laid an exaggerated stress on not changing one's mind.
Somerset Maugham
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The artist produces for the liberation of his soul. It is his nature to create as it is the nature of water to run down the hill. W. Somerset Maugham
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Every production of an artist should be the expression of an adventure of his soul. W. Somerset Maugham
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It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do. Moliere
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The insufferable arrogance of human beings to think that Nature was made solely for their benefit, as if it was conceivable that the sun had been set afire merely to ripen men's apples and head their cabbages. Cyrano de Bergerac
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Sometimes in someone's gestures you can notice how a parent is somehow inhabiting that person without there being any awareness of that. Sometimes you can look at your hand and see your father. Sam Shepard
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Personality is everything that's false in a human: everything that's been added on to him and contrived. Sam Shepard
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All quotes, above, here.
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Garden & Be Well, XOT
2 comments:
This house sure has character, not a contrived personality. Old stone houses are pretty much born with it, aren't they? Kind of hard to ruin them, but I guess people manage to do it, even when they spend a lot of money on landscaping, maybe especially then?
I love the old houses you show, Tara. All the mysterious stories waiting to be revealed!
I just looked at several more subdivision homes to possibly buy today...a few stunned with design, a few shocked with bad. Some of this reminds me of garden bloggers, good or gatekeeper / tit-for-tat ones. I feel closer to my refuge that I'll be able to make my own and turn on others, once again.
Somerset Maugham's quotes are my favorite...esp. originality, choosing friends, soul, liberation.
Off to sip my beer on the patio this Saturday, as my charcoals get hot, the sun sinks lower and the chill comes on, even if I don't have Maugham's story going on about now! Thanks again...
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