In The Beginning.....

It all started like this:

Looking over the Gardens at Waters East today, it is hard to believe that only a few short years ago, this property was an active farm field.  Corn and alfalfa covered the acreage.  It was totally empty.  Devoid of trees and bushes, it was a pretty plain piece of land.  An empty canvas waiting to be painted.

Here are some pictures showing those very early days.  Land was graded.  House foundation excavating started.  Fifty ton of Niagara Escarpment rocks was brought to the property.  Marking sticks with ribbons showing positions for the future plantings of trees and bushes were set in place.  Setting views and sight lines.  Laying out paths.

It took most of that first summer to do the “ground work” and design planning.  These are the core things necessary for a well thought out garden area.  From those early days and months up to today;  lots of continuing planning and effort have brought the Gardens at Waters East to the stage today where there is now plenty of interest and visual appeal to the gardens.

Looking over the many past photo postings that have been listed on this Blog, it is easy to see just how developed Gardens at Waters East had become in a short nine years.  In stead of reposting photos from past Blogs, you are encouraged to take some time go back to prior postings and compare those past photos to what is seen in the following.  There is a big difference from the very first days of the GAWA project.

The following photos will tell you the story “of the beginnings”.

 empty and open farm land

beginning on a foggy day

the private drive to Gardens at Waters East

putting in fence posts and designing paths

adding Niagara Escarpment stone & old ship rib

flags to mark position of bushes to be planted

as seen from Asian Patio

original planning map for the Gardens at Waters East

much more developed and added to over time

today more than 1/2 mile of paths

Reference Note:  For a complete list of the ten (10) Principles of Design used here and throughout Gardens at Waters East, check out the archive postings for November 14 – 24, 2010.

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