WHAT IS A GARDEN?

Since starting my blog I've been lucky enough to receive many nice comments about our garden. It's been a joy to be able share it with so many of you. Mick and I knew nothing about gardening when we first met; but once we started we got well and truly hooked. Year by year another piece of the once fully concreted garden was dug up. Much sweat, many brandies and cokes, a lot of love, heapsful of manure, countless hours of watching Geoff Hamilton, loads of failures, a multitude of successes and here we are today! I remember the first time we grew geraniums from seed; we put them in the airing cupboard so that they would have the warmth to germinate...we left them in there for ages; they germinated ok and we were so proud of the spindly, yellow 6 inch seedlings we had grown......of course now we realise that they needed more light and that a short sturdy seedling is going to make a far better plant in the long run. The first time I pricked out seedlings I was almost in tears, so worried that I would kill the poor things. It took me hours to do them....now I just pluck 'em out and plop 'em in. We've come a long way since those early days and are still learning all the time.

Of course our style of garden isn't for everyone. Some prefer the neat and tidy regimented garden, some the Japanese look, others just go for containers....there are too many variants to mention. Mick and I are just plantaholics...if we can find a gap we probably have 5 plants that could fill it. We are running out of space now; we have had to start going upwards and even have window troughs outside the upstairs windows. The one thing I do regret is that we don't have more space for vegetables. We have over the years grown many different types; squeezing them in between the flowers, growing them in pots and hanging baskets..........our favourite are runner beans due to the fact that we get such a good yield with just a few plants. Some of my blogvisitors/friends have wonderful allotments..........imagine all that lovely fresh veg!!!!!!!!!

As I have said; all gardens are different. Take our neighbour for instance; his garden is really of quite a different style to ours.

Notice the clever use of every day objects to create a colourful atmosphere. Unfortunately I couldn't manage to zoom in enough to get a clear shot of the old fish tank which he strategically placed a few years ago; it is a haven for the mosquitoes that breed in its stagnant water. At this time of year you will not appreciate how high the grass can grow; dotted with dandelions which blow their seeds gently over the fence to nestle and grow between our own plants.

The pile of shingle is much loved by the local feline population who decorate it with abandon, leaving behind their deposits; on a warm summers day the delicate odour wafts across competing with the heavy musky perfume of our lillies.

A wonderful collection of containers too; unlike ours which are usually full of flowers that cascade down and obscure the container itself....his are left empty to show their natural beauty.

Note too the tyres; recycling at its best....I think he may have got the idea from Bob Flowerdew. Bob stacks his up though and fills them with soil to grow vegetables in....but I'm sure his looked like this once.

Last, but definitely not least, on our communal fence he has a wonderful specimen of Russian Vine; aptly nicknamed the mile-a-minute plant. Most people would only think to use this in a large garden, perhaps to cover an unsightly outbuilding but he has cleverly designed his side of the fence so that the vine can flow over and wrap itself around any plant in our garden that it can reach.

"No two gardens are the same. No two days are the same in one garden."

~Hugh Johnson