A 68-year-old grandpa built the most beautiful private garden for 10,000 yuan, and foreigners came from afar to see it

In a remote mountainous area of Ma'anshan, Anhui,

a dreamlike garden is hidden away - Three Trees Manor.

The owner of the manor, Zhang Taipei, was born in 1950,

As a child, he grew up in his grandfather's small garden,

Every flower and blade of grass from his childhood

was deeply imprinted in his mind,

After working for half a lifetime, he just wanted a garden of his own!

In 2002, Zhang Taipei learned from a friend

that there was an abandoned nursery in the mountains for rent.

He rushed over to take a look,

dilapidated buildings, weeds everywhere, and such a remote location...

(Image @Yitiao)

No one expected

that after looking, Zhang Taipei immediately signed a 50-year lease.

His friends didn't understand: what's so good about this place?

Weeds everywhere, the stench of chicken droppings and sheep dung was unbearable...

(Photo of Three Trees in 2002 @Yitiao)

(Photo of Three Trees in 2018 @Xiari Hefeng v)

Zhang Taipei was delighted - isn't this natural flower fertilizer?

With soil like this, anything you grow will thrive!

In the abandoned yard there were three century-old trees,

so Zhang Taipei named his future garden - Three Trees.

It's likely that by then, in his heart,

he had already pictured what the garden would look like.

Once the contract was signed, Zhang Taipei plunged right into the mountains.

Building a garden is like a "metamorphosis,"

architect, designer, gardener...

Old Zhang handled it all by himself,

and he lost count of how many times he traveled back and forth along the mountain roads.

Money seemed to drain away like a bottomless pit, so Old Zhang saved wherever he could.

Most of the materials in the garden were reused waste

- stones and scrap bricks and tiles collected from all over,

some used to pave paths,

and he even used a mountain spring to build a small waterfall~

The bricks from the demolished old house

were used to build an arched wall for the creeping fig, very unique.

The largest and most floriferous bougainvillea in the garden

had been grown by Old Zhang for a full 16 years,

and there's a little story behind it:

16 years ago, Zhang Taipei went to Yunnan to sketch,

On the outer wall of the staff dormitory where he stayed, there were several bougainvillea vines, their blooms reddening half the sky.

Old Zhang was itching with desire when he saw them,

and immediately rushed to a flower market in Yunnan,

where he bought 4 small seedlings for 30 yuan. On the way home, his colleagues all bought Yunnan specialties - tasty treats and fun souvenirs - only Zhang Taipei was cradling 4 potted plants... tending them all the way back to his hometown in Anhui.

Now these bougainvillea

have really done Old Zhang proud,

not only are they big, but they bloom in astonishing abundance,

and because they grew so fast, they've been moved 3 or 4 times.

Even the smallest one has grown into the shape of fireworks,

Huahua really thinks Old Zhang's 30 yuan was so worth it!

Besides bougainvillea, the hugely popular roses are also a highlight,

Compared to the dazzling array of foreign varieties,

Old Zhang prefers climbing roses and domestic roses: tough and floriferous.

The former chicken droppings, compost, and dead leaves all turned into nutrients,

No wonder once they bloom they "climb the walls and tear off the tiles"~

In the corners of the yard, flowers bloom in a riot of color,

They're all little herbaceous flowers that survive as soon as they're sown, bright and colorful.

You can tell Old Zhang is a meticulous person,

every nook and cranny of the garden is a beautiful sight~

Old Zhang says this garden is just like a person,

it needs regular washing and dressing up, it can't be disheveled,

and you can't just do superficial work either - every part, big and small, must be done,

only then is it truly complete~

(Image @Xiari Hefeng v)

Besides the brilliant flowers,

green leaves are also something Old Zhang loves,

the hostas by the stream, the bamboo grove behind the house

are all original "natives" - they're beautiful without any care!

The bananas were transplanted from a nearby villager,

the creeping fig on the back wall grew naturally,

That's the advantage of being in the mountains~

Old Zhang's garden doesn't just have flowers and plants,

it also has some adorable little animals,

black swans, peacocks, ponies...

These two vain peacocks

specially go strolling on the lawn Old Zhang carefully tends,

Old Zhang's face beams with smiles when he talks about it,

When it snowed in winter, the peacocks were so scared they flew up into the trees and perched there for days,

they wouldn't even come down to eat,

There was no other way,

so Old Zhang had to use a bamboo pole to hold food up into the trees to feed them~

Old Zhang has been busy in the garden for nearly ten years

In 2011, it was featured by the well-known American magazine "Better Homes & Gardens"

and named "China's Most Beautiful Private Garden."

Once it became famous, many people from home and abroad came to see it,

Now Old Zhang was worried...

With people coming and going among the flowers, what if the plants get damaged,

and he'd be heartbroken but couldn't say anything~

But seeing flower lovers standing outside the gate,

Old Zhang couldn't bear it either.

After agonizing over and over,

Old Zhang still decided to open the gate wide

and enjoy the beauty of "Three Trees Manor" together with everyone!

(Image @Photography Jing-Qiao-Qiao)

Speaking of opening up the garden,

many flower growers can't bring themselves to do it,

Zhang, now in his seventies, reflects with emotion:

You can't pursue perfection too much when growing flowers,

flowers bloom and fade, and all of it is beautiful,

and having someone appreciate it is even better~

(Zhang Taipei busy in the garden)

Old Zhang not only let go of the burden in his heart,

but also

added many new features to the garden for visitors:

a flower corridor draped in blossoms,

under such abundant flowers, you never tire of walking through no matter how many times~

(Image @Xiari Hefeng v)

A fountain was installed in the calm little pond,

refreshing and fun.

Walking through Zhang Taipei's Three Trees Manor,

what a wonderful enjoyment it must be,

May everyone in this life

have flowers to grow,

have flowers to admire,

and never give up hope in life no matter when,

so that looking back on life, you can be answered with a profusion of blooms.

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