Sunday Selections # 220



Welcome back to Sunday Selections!

This once-a- week-meme was originally begun by Kim of Frog Ponds Rock, as a way to showcase some of the many photos we all take, but don't get around to showing on our blogs.

The rules are very simple:-
1. post photos of your choice, old or new, under the Sunday Selections title
2. link back to me, River, somewhere in your post
3. leave me a comment so that I know you've joined in and can come over and see what you've posted.
4. hop on over to The Elephant’s Child to see more of her wonderful photos.
  Andrew often joins in too.

I usually go with a theme for my Sunday Selections and this week I'm taking you back to Mitcham where I discovered "Nellie's Garden", located beside the railway tracks.

I spotted this interesting looking shrubbery, so crossed the road to see what it was all about.


A garden! I saw little paths so of course I followed one...

garden beds separated by paths running in several directions. I had a hard time deciding which way to go.

so I headed in the direction of the blue-with-clouds painted building you see here.

it is covered on all sides with murals

I liked this one with the old steam engine in green and the more modern diesel in red.

A little further into the garden I discovered a large rock with this plaque telling us more about the garden.

"Nellie's Garden
In Memory of Nellie Iris Ellis (1920-1983)
who with her husband Bob,
station master at Mitcham,
developed this garden during the 1960s.
Unveiled during
Women's Suffrage Centenary Celebrations
by the Mayoress of Mitcham
Mrs. Lynette Parnell
November 1994"

Here are a few more images of the garden.

another path in another direction

somewhere to sit and enjoy the peace and quiet in the garden.

clivia thriving in a shady spot under trees.

a large patch of feathery golden something-or-other (*~*)

one more path with others leading off left and right.

I like these gorgeously striped leaves on the tall orange lilies. Thankfully NOT oriental lilies, which I am allergic to.

more of the same leaves. I'm thinking maybe I should plant some of these in my garden. They're large and colourful......



Next week, maybe more of Nellie's Garden, maybe something different.














Comments

  1. What a wonderful find!!

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  2. What a lovely place and a perfect tribute to a gardener.

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  3. What an absolutely lovely place. I think the lilies you liked are cannas. And they would probably do well in your garden.
    Hooray for Nellie - and those who honour her memory.

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  4. This is a beautiful place, and it seems to have been maintained quite some time. Hooray for all those folk!

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  5. How wonderful! Nellie's memory will remain through her wonderful garden. She passed away far too soon..but the memories of her will linger long and her passion will be enjoyed by many.

    I hope the coming week treats you kindly, River. Cuddles to Angel. :)

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  6. Nellie's Garden had an interesting beginning. I can't walk past that feathery golden something-or-other without running my hands through it.

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  7. What a delightful place and thank you so much for sharing it with us. I imagine it would be very peaceful in those gardens and what a history they have too. Obviously it is still very well cared for and hopefully will be there for perpetuity so future generations can enjoy it.
    I agree with EC about the plant that looks like a canna.
    I hope you will share more of this beautiful garden with us in the future.
    Hope you and Angel are having a good weekend and all goes well for you....is it tomorrow you have the test?

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  8. I really like these pictures - what a pretty place. I hope you are well.

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  9. fishducky; it's a peaceful, pretty place.

    Delores; I love finding little places like this that people developed just because they could.

    Elephant's Child; yes, Cannas. I don't know that I'd have space for them though with everything else in there. I planted the bulbs yesterday, carelessly, higgledy-piggledy, what grows grows. (*~*)

    Joanne; imagine visiting Mitcham for the very first time, stepping off the train and finding this loveliness :)

    Lee; I had to check the dates, you're right, Nellie was only 63 when she died. I'm sure I'll have a good week, the weather is cooler, that always helps.

    Andrew; that feathery golden something was a little too far back from the edge for me to reach comfortably, or I would have run my hands across it too.

    Mimsie; it's close to the main road, but the sound is buffered by the trees and shrubs, and on the other side is the railway. I'm fairly sure the council maintains the garden now, I'll check next time I'm there. I think there is a sign saying who does it.
    Tomorrow I see the doctor and find out when and how to arrange the test.

    Carly Findlay; long time no see! I lost your blog a while ago, how have you been? I'm well, there's an issue which I'm sorting out with my doctor, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.
    The little garden is lovely isn't it?

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    Replies
    1. I hope the issue which you're seeing your doctor about is resolved soon. I am well thanks - still blogging, very busy. I am getting married! (My blog is carlyfindlay.blogspot.com)

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  10. It's lovely! And that's a "shrubbery?" That looks like it will take over the world...

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  11. Happy Christine; I'm not sure what that first shrubby thing is, but I'd recently watched Monty Python's Holy Grail movie, so I had shrubbery on my mind.

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  12. Really stunning River, what a beautiful and calming place. I've been missing a LOT lately and have many of your posts to catch up on!
    R
    x

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  13. Rose~from Oz; if you're going to catch up you'll need lunch and dessert, plus coffee. You've been away forever!

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  14. In 1956, Bob Ellis was appointed Stationmaster at Mitcham, he moved in with his wife, Nellie and teenaged son. Nellie was quite unwell and to help her with her agoraphobia, Bob dug over the small garden within the fenced area of the property. Nellie cultivated that, so Bob began digging outside the fences and the garden grew! In it's heyday, it extended from Grange Road to Wattlebury Road crossings on both sides of the railway line. There were large beds of roses, lots of native plants and trees, and one area was planted entirely with heavily perfumed plants (especially for people who were vision impaired). I don't think there was ever a mealtime where someone didn't have to go out and move hoses and sprinklers! The garden did become somewhat neglected as Nellie's health deteriorated, but sometime after her death (just 17 days after her 63rd birthday), volunteers stepped in to save it. Bob continued to live there after he retired until 1995 when he moved to a nursing home. After his death, his ashes were scattered in the garden bed behind the rock/plaque where Nellie's had been scattered nearly 15 years before. Malcolm, their son, and I were married in the garden near that rock/plaque and we still stop by every now and then to just wander around and say g'day to Mum and Dad. It is wonderful to think that so many people enjoy this peaceful retreat from the real world.

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