Once upon a time we bought a house in Sweden. A very special building, a school build around 1897. Nowadays it's looking like the picture above. The house is nearly totally painted outside. Around the building, it's a green oasis now. Very well maintained, the gras is looking like a lawn and there are lot of flowers areas. We brought a lot of plants form my garden in the Netherlands and a got a lot of special plants form my late father. Also we found a lot of plants from former days, when the old lady was gardening (from the sixties till 2006). They had some difficulties because they were overgrown but managed after being in the nursery.
But we bought it like you see it on the picture below. We started with cutting a lot of trees. There were too much, sometimes not planned but just growing. Creating a lot of shade and moss. And the place you see before the house, they planned to have that awful avlopp. Just in front of your doorstep because there was no other option within the rules. We really hated it but made the best out of it. Only the Midsummer Roses are still there!
Above you see the picture made in 2015. The ground around was totally overgrown, you could mow the grass around the house where once was a path. Two Thuja's were growing too close to the house. We cut both the trees and recreated borders around the house. We took away the wild grass and reconstructed the gravel path around the house. We painted the a lot of red and white, also the iron pilasters and balconies. Right now we are recreating the grass in front. Actually, we are trying to make a wild dry meadow.
The barn (totally in the left) was taken away already in 2016. The barn at the right, build around 1897. was painted and repaired again. Inside you can still can see the traces from former days. Once is was the home for the horse of the teacher who lived here in Sjöbygget but also needed to teach in Dörärp. Maybe there was even a sort of housekeeper for the school who had his "office" in the barn. The sculptures are still there, in good shape. Created by the old lady in the sixties.
Above you see a picture for 2015. We think the old lady got a lot of Christmas trees for free. She planted them everywhere in the garden and started shaping them. Maybe to keep them small. But in the years when the house became a holdidayhome they started growing very fast. In the years we have been living here they just speeded up. That's why we cut down 4 of 5. Below you can see the one who's still remaining. Already 4-5 meters high.
The biggest difference is the painting but there is more. We renewed the total wall at this side and painted all the stairs in a lighter color. In front here was growing a climbing plant "Blue rain" for some years but never flowering. We replaced it to a more sunny place. And the good news is, it flowered this year for the first time since 10 years.
The lake side didn't change so much. It is still a very quit place. It's always there. A very nice small lake where you can fish, swim, walk along or take a swim.
Same for the udden in Flyxen. The half isle where you can enjoy the private view, or your swim in summer time. There is a stone picknick table and a grilling place you even can enjoy while ice fishing in winter time.
Do you want to read more about the school and the garden some years ago? Try the articles I already wrote about this special place.