RIP King of the Toy Soldier Garden – John Ruddle’s passing led me to look again at my past garden gaming posts:
and explore a little why this approach has its drawbacks in British weather, lack of or tiny gardens or ageing back and knees.
I suggested the raised beds approach as used with older or disabled gardeners, though I have not got around to building any of these to try it out. Just as I spend my time avoiding building a Model Railway.
I noticed this last week on Facebook groups – a wheelchair friendly or seated chair friendly potting station –
a raised flowerbed to some,
to the garden gamer an outpost, an island, a gaming table, a railway loop …
A little like John Ruddle’s lawn seas and rockery mountains and buildings (with added railways)?
The retirement village community railroad in America formed another interesting approach to ageing gamers and modellers – crossposted from my Sidetracked occasional gaming / railway overlap blog (a blog mostly about avoiding building a Model Railway.)
Sadly it looks like Garden Railways magazine USA is no longer available in print version but the digital version is still producing lively articles …
including ones in Gardens involving youngsters and readily available figures and train systems in the garden such as Playmobil in “1:24-ish Playmobil scale.”
https://www.trains.com/grw/how-to/large-scale-layouts/playmobil-in-the-garden-railroad/
https://www.trains.com/grw/how-to/projects/kid-friendly-garden-railroading/
https://www.trains.com/grw/how-to/large-scale-layouts/garden-railroading-in-hawaii/
Garden railroading in Hawaii – the Triple O Railway – Photo by Eric Mueller
https://www.trains.com/grw/how-to/large-scale-layouts/playmobil-in-the-garden-railroad/
I think it is worth subscribing (free) to the trains.com Garden Railways Newsletter.
Another post, another Model Railway adventure avoided for a few more weeks …
Blog post by Mark Man Of TIN, 13 November 2023
Man of TIN blog two 
I was a big fan of the magazine when it was in print. I am glad l can still get some of that joy from the digital newsletter .
Raised beds would work well, a wee example from Dobbies-
https://www.dobbies.com/raised-bed-planter-fsc-100%25/5637629888.p
DIY minded folk could come with something similar. I do like the idea of natural landscaping in it too. A dual hobby indeed. The American layouts show what time , space and money can achieve. I am still minded that Alpine houses would be the way to go in our climate-
http://tradgardland.blogspot.com/2023/10/response-to-mofts-by-sward-divided-post.html
Even a greenhouse would have potential for all year round garden gaming …
By the way l used to subscribe to A.W.N.U.T.S , an American railway modelling magazine. The letters stood for Always Whimsical Never To Scale. The issues were full of Heath Robinson, Emmettesque creations both indoors and outs. I regret getting rid of the magazines in a clear out about twenty five years ago. AWNUTS can be found on Pinterest. Well worth a look.
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Thanks Alan for the links. At the moment such plans remain in the realms of lottery wins and I’m not sure would blend with the shared space or look that is the garden but the miniature garden plants part is appealing.
AWNUTS seems to be a semi legendary publication – Pinterest reveals more of the Happy madness of Rowland Emmett …
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