Look around at the wonderful world of Krabi. This is a place where shimmering blue oceans and Jurassic scenery of towering limestone karsts meet and create magic. It is a place of such outstanding natural beauties that some, once they have discovered it, decide to make it their home and build a new life in it – or, for that matter, create a garden.
She tells us, that this is her first tropical garden, and though she had lived in the tropics before, she had never done any gardening in the tropics. What are the challenges of gardening here in the tropics, here in Krabi, I want to know? "It's the soil," she says, "the soil is the challenge. Though nutrient rich, it is full of rocks that the roots can't get through, and it has layers of clay that can choke or rot your plants. Once you amend the soil, you have a perfect foundation to create a paradise to live in. Everything grows so fast here, it is absolutely amazing, even the trees grow fast; it feels as if you had landed in the middle of the story Jack and the Beanstalk!
When she sets out to design a garden, does she have an overarching concept, a guideline she always follows, I want to know? "Yes, I do," she says, and smiles. "My garden has to perfectly blend with nature. I want it to look as if a few birds flew by and dropped seeds…" She smiles. We sit quietly for a while, and I understand what she means; it is all perfectly harmonious, looks as if it had been there always; a little sanctuary that only needed to be discovered by someone, a kindred spirit. "I wanted it to feel like you were living in nature. I wanted everything: the plants, birds, frogs, butterflies, bees, lizards, and the fish in the ponds", she continues, "but I wanted it to be balanced.
Mat Ruijters, developer of River Residence, remembers meeting Barb and Greg for the first time, "When Barb and Greg first came here, I immediately understood that they knew a lot about gardening and that Barb did not just have extensive knowledge but was also highly creative." I was curious to see the concept she described to me take shape. The result of her work has surpassed all my expectations, and if I ever was in favor of a garden consisting solely of a few trees and lawn, this has changed now. She really has a vision, she is an artist, and everyone here in River Residence is more than happy when she lets her genius spill over into one of our gardens," he grins. Indeed, Mat's own garden is beginning to look as if it has received more than just a little inspiration from her.
"My garden and I have a symbiotic relationship, I live through my garden and my garden lives through me. I awake to singing birds, sleep to croaking frogs, and spend my days exploring the garden for new surprises. Life is an adventure," says Barb.
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