A Tiny Cottage in the Woods

See this cottage? Well, this one is the garden shed ….

Today the owners of a Cowie’s Hill, Durban, property kindly opened it to our Garden Judges Association subsection of Durban and Coast Horticultural Society. Karen and Pat Goss have lived here for some 35 years, but now sadly need to downsize — it is a bit large for two people heading towards retirement — so the site will be developed and have further dwelling units built on the four acres involved. It was a privilege and pleasure to see it as it now is, surrounded by indigenous forest and with indigenous planting.

 

THIS is the cottage!

With good space for entertaining, both outside …

Where you can really splash out ….

Or, perhaps, in …

Even the loft is roomy, and gives a treetop outlook.

Some boardwalks leading to the unknown ….

The unexpected includes a cunningly-concealed summerhouse and tennis court jumping out at one suddenly.

A pond near the main entrance is fed by run-off from the road.

Trees as far as the eye can see.

If only all such lovely gardens could be preserved intact for future generations! However, ‘progress’ constantly intervenes. One of the problems these days is that such properties are not seen as secure enough. The more that criminals remain at large the more that law-abiding people lose their freedom.
This was a lovely excursion, and we are all grateful for the opportunity for the visit. Not only were we able to wander and snoop at will (all the many spacious rooms are more many and more spacious than even that impressive exterior indicates) but we were also treated to tea and coffee on the patio with scones hot from the oven.

 

Really Awful Owler Talepiece
(Featuring observations by Rufus from the Tabika novels — illustrator Lee Young.)

© August 2017 Colonialist