Monday, January 2, 2012

Once upon a fairytale garden

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So it is a new year, and for many people 2012 is looking pretty bleak indeed. That is why I am re-posting this old post I did last year. This story can help remind us that even from the ashes of devastation and despair, life and prosperity will once again flourish.

Wishing everyone a very happy new year, and I hope 2012 brings you all good health, wealth, and happiness.  


Once upon a time in the hills of the great dividing range of Victoria on the edge of a town called Marysville there was a magical garden. In this magical garden mermaids rested on the sun baked rocks on the edge of cool stream’s while fairy’s and pixies danced in-between the trees as wise old men sat at the base of wise old trees.

Unfortunately for Bruno Torfs and the rest of us this is where the fairy tail ended as on the 7th of February 2009 a bushfire raged through the township, decimating everything in its path without mercy and sadly claimed the lives of many people. Bruno was extremely lucky to survive and the rest of the family are safe and well.
Bruno's home and art gallery were unfortunately completely destroyed in the blaze. The main attraction, the sculpture garden, was also damaged, but around sixty percent of the sculptures have survived.
The pictures of the aftermath show a very eerie looking place. The ghostly looking remains of sculptures look almost shell-shocked and traumatised, as from a seen from a town devastated by war.
Bruno has chosen to stay in Marysville to rebuild his home and restore the gardens. His passion to share his love of art and the story of life with the world has not been damaged by the fires, in fact you would almost say it has been forged anew by the flames that nearly took it all away.
But as with all good fairytales, this story two has a happy ending.
Bruno has been working tirelessly to restore the sculptures and the gardens to their former glory and after months of hard work he declared the gardens reopen on the 29th of November 2009.

Bruno's words: "The bushfires deeply touched us all in many ways. It allowed me to see that people had a heart for each other, that when things really got dark, the best in us comes out. We have lost a lot, but life also provides us opportunities to gain a new vision, lots of new friends and a blank canvas to play. In the meantime, nature is already regenerating itself. The green is slowly returning and the rivers are flowing, finding new ways".


All photos are from Bruno Torfs website

35 comments:

  1. What an amazing story about rebirth and hope. Thanks for posting this.

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  2. Congratulations on reaching Patron level on Blotanical.

    What a terrible thing to lose home and workshop and much of the garden, but it looks as if Mr. Torfs followed through with great determination. Good post. I also enjoyed the willow post. Wattle is one of my fav things to do to discourage pets' helping in the wrong spots in the garden.

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  3. Wow! what determination and perseverence. That had to be horrible to lose all that and see it so devestated. goood for him to have the strength to see it back to normal. Some people are so strong and amazing. Those photos were just as you described. eerie. but it's beauty has returned and is all the more appreciated.

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  4. I nearly cried when I saw the photos of the statues after the storm. I'm so glad to see the garden restored. Kudos to the vision and effort involved!

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  5. How sad to have lost so much work. These sculptures are something else, I love the girl lying by the waters edge. It's lovely to see the garden open again.

    Great blog, I've only just spotted you, I'll be coming back again for more.

    RO :o)

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  6. The "after" photos are eerie indeed. It'll be interesting to see the art and the gardens return to how they looked before the fires. One of the better-known artists in our county lost part of his studio in our big 2008 wildfires, but artists being artists the unstoppable urge to create and re-create can help them recover from big losses like this.

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  7. what eery yet inspiring photos! ...I have added your blog as a link on my blog - www.serenityinthegarden.blogspot.com
    Love everything that you write and do!

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  8. Very unique garden and we miss like those. You have captured it very nicely. This is my first visit to your blog and the shots of snow drops below are awesome.

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  9. What an enchanting and eerie place. It would be quite something to stumble across it at dusk. I am glad that it has been reopened, a phoenix arising from its ashes.

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  10. This is truly a remarkable post! So well done!! I am blown away by the work of this artist but equally by the photographs taken after the fire. You are so right that it looks like a war zone... tragic ... and though it may not be, it congers up those emotions... the sculptures are so real like in the ash covered landscape. Incredibly powerful photography! The gardens before and after are magical and endearing. I do wish the gardener/sculptor all the best of luck!

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  11. I love garden statuary, but I have to say if I came across one of these in some lonely woods somewhere I would be bowled over and thinking the wood sprites were going to pop out any moment. I am so glad you have persevered in returning the place to its glory.

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  12. Amazing and inspirational story-thanks for this

    Robert Webber

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  13. I remember this story..and thought it was so heartbreaking..I LOVE his work! It is so wonderful to see it here...thankyou for showing it..it truly is MAGIC. It is amazing how talented someone can be..and to create with nautre..is fantastic! I just love your blog..it is so refreshing to have an inside look at the kind of work you do! You are fabulous!

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  14. In both forms it is an incredible place. Would love that in our garden centre

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  15. Cool post! Check out http://www.thebunnybarrier.com sometime! Thanks!!!

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  16. Interesting stuff. Eerie, yet beautiful. Lots of talent there, very sad story but glad it's reopening.

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  17. Nature sometimes gives us challenges which are a perfect test of our character. Bruno is a true artist indeed, proving that he simply can replace and restore his craft simply because he has the skill to do it. It's a better way of looking at it.

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  18. This is an inspiring story and amazing as well, as so many of the sculptures survived such a disaster. So wonderful that he brought it all back and opened the garden again.

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  19. Wow, what a story. The sculptures are so well done, and then to read of the devastation and then the rebuilding and reopening. Whew, thanks for sharing this.

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  20. I am almost speechless to how wonderful this place was ... is and will be with such passion and dedication this artist has .. I so wish we had something as beautiful close at hand to visit .. you could totally lose the real world and sink your soul into this fantastic mystical place : )
    Joy

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  21. The after photos are amazing. A lot of love went into the refurbishing of this delightful fairy garden. I love your blog. Following you now. Thanks for visiting.

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  22. That's just incredible... I would love to be that talented!-- Randy

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  23. A beautiful story of rebirth. Lovely artwork, I would love to visit this garden.

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  24. Amazing story behind such stunning photos even those of the fire-ravaged gardens. Good to know that the human spirit and creativity are hard to be broken and have triumphed. What must have been a tremendous landscaping task and sculpture restoration with Torf's life and garden attest to that.

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  25. Thank you for an inspirational post! I missed it the first time around, so I am glad you re-posted it. I think the saying ' What doesn't kill us makes us stronger' is true. Adversity often brings out the best( or the worse) in people. I am glad this beautiful fairy tale garden lives again.

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  26. I love his work..so happy it will be restored!Great photos...blissful!

    Wishing you a magical 2012!
    Victoria

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  27. What an amazing story. It must have been so heartbreaking to see all of that beauty and hard work destroyed. How gorgeous and magical all of his statues are. I would love to see them. I am glad he has started restoring it to what it once was. A daunting task. Thank you for this posting I had not seen his work before.

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  28. Thank you for such a beautiful story - like everyone else who posted I am truly inspired and grateful for the opportunity to meet such a stunningly unique and charming garden and the artist who persevered.

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  29. Wow, what a fantastic place. So glad restoration is underway.

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  30. This is a remarkable and encouraging post. I thank God for Bruno and his vision and hope I am able to witness the beauty of this place in person one day.

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  31. Oh my, these peices are beautiful! Thanks for sharign such creative artwork!

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  32. Great post.Thanks for sharing such a useful information with us.

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    Replies
    1. I am hoping to visit Bruno's wonderful garden this week. Haven't been to Marysville since the fires and I think it's time to return. I live close to Strathewen and St Andrews and it is wonderful to see people and the environment healing. Bruno's art is indeed magical.

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    2. Hi Susan, if you make it to Bruno's garden, please post some photos somewhere and send me a link. Would love to see how it is coming along :)

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