She tends a 300 sq m garden, enjoying the blooming and fading of flowers and the changing of the four seasons with her family

Feitian is a seasoned flower enthusiast with a 300 sq m garden,

As a flower lover, she hopes to be surrounded by vibrant colors,

And even more so, she hopes to share a beautiful garden life with family and friends.

For her,

Life's greatest abundance is the fulfillment of the soul.

Falling in love with the garden,

From then on, quietly watching the years go by.

After the garden took shape,

Feitian had more time to appreciate it,

Watching flowers bloom and fade, feeling the changing of the four seasons,

She has become, as it were, the master of time,

Ruling over everything in these 300 sq m,

No longer lost in worldly affairs,

Her heart is clearer and calmer.

Garden location: Wuxi, Jiangsu

Garden area: 300 sq m

Garden owner: Feitian

Enriching life, falling into the gardening rabbit hole

Many people ask, "You spend so much time in the garden now, is it worth it?" Actually, as long as you love it from the heart, there is no such thing as worth it or not.

Three years ago, I did not have many thoughts about growing flowers. By chance, I saw Eden Rose (Pierre de Ronsard), and it was love at first sight. Its delicate pink beauty sparked my interest in flowers. I still remember the coldest day in mid-January 2016, when I brought my first rose seedling home. At that time, I just wanted to find a hobby to enrich my life, never expecting to gradually become obsessed and fall down the rabbit hole.

At the time, due to circumstances, I did not have my own garden and could not freely tend to plants at home, so I tinkered with flowers and plants at my workplace. Back then, I grew roses, and over time there were more than fifty of them, along with hundreds of pots of hydrangeas and lilies, and I even bought maple trees, banana trees... With such crazy planting, let alone my friends being shocked, even I could hardly believe it.

A new house, launching the garden dream

At the end of 2016, having a house with a garden naturally gave rise to the idea of building a garden. Action followed words. I enthusiastically began all kinds of learning, browsing forums, making flower friends, listening to courses, and researching all kinds of articles on garden construction. From then on, the garden creation officially proceeded step by step.

The original garden was large but not refined, the hardscaping and paving were too tacky, the walls were low, and overall I was not quite satisfied, but I did not want to completely demolish it, so I chose to renovate on the original basis.

For the garden entrance, we chose hot-dip galvanized entry doors, along with a row of connected arches, to welcome visitors. Not only that, we also enclosed the low walls with anti-corrosion wood lattice. To create a cozy atmosphere, we built an anti-corrosion wood grape trellis and a swing, and put a roof above the swing so that star jasmine could climb up it, creating the mood of a garden full of blooms.

Under the grape trellis, we placed a set of tables and chairs, so the family could rest and drink tea while quietly enjoying garden time. Through some changes, the garden instantly gained style.

Building the garden, family and friends all pitched in

The process of building the garden could be described as a whole-family mobilization, full of twists and turns. To finish the garden as quickly as possible, family and friends all pitched in.

In the backyard, on two flower beds with insufficient sunlight, we planted dwarf mondo grass, moss phlox, climbing roses, hydrangeas, and hostas; in the front yard, the east side has zelkova, wintersweet, and banana trees, while the west side has a cobblestone path, with flowers and plants on the outer edge and vegetables on the inner side. The west flower bed near the window has grapes, kumquat trees, blueberries, and hydrangeas.

At first, the central area of the garden was planted with all kinds of plants and looked a bit messy. Now they have all been pulled out and replaced with lawn, leaving only the fig and Blue Storm.

Because the house is near a river, one can fish in leisure time. In the garden, we created a fishing platform by laying anti-corrosion wood boards.

Besides the fishing platform, there is also a small pond in the garden, planted with lotus, bowl lotus, and iris. Standing by the pond, the scenery is serene and I am full of joy. It is also my favorite area.

This year, the Eden Rose on the walls and arches did very well, blooming abundantly with graceful form. Flower friends made appointments to come, just to catch a glimpse of its beauty. I hope next year it can climb to the top.

Obsessed with the garden, fussing over flowers and plants

Throughout all of 2017, I was obsessed with the garden, fussing over flowers and plants and adjusting functional areas. My family also helped dig ponds, bury wires, lay water pipes, and plant and transplant... Although busy, the whole family was happy and at ease. With everyone's participation, we also came to cherish the leisurely time in the garden even more.

In the winter of 2017, on a sudden impulse, I wanted to build a greenhouse. So I bought materials and built it, but later the greenhouse construction process was not very smooth. Actually, leaning by the door and enjoying the snow in winter is another kind of experience!

I am willing to stay in the garden

After two years of effort, the time spent working in the garden has now decreased, and the time spent enjoying the flowers has increased. Every day is beautiful. Even watching the grass grow or the leaves fall, I am still willing to stay in the garden.

A garden of morning and evening scenes,

A courtyard rich with all four seasons!

In spring, roses bloom, beautiful;

In summer, lotuses bloom, elegant;

In autumn, fruits and vegetables are abundant, joyful;

In winter, proud snow drifts, admirable!

Watching flowers bloom and fade, feeling cold come and heat go, the four seasons change. The garden brings me fulfillment of the soul. Tending flowers and plants lets me forget my worries, keeps my mind peaceful, and gives me more courage to face the worldly world.

-- Feitian