This blog has come into being after meeting some like-minded people on Twitter.  Sometimes our conversations didn’t fit into 140 characters.  Some of those people already had blogs and it was good to see how their garden and allotment projects were progressing.  There is also the great Six on Saturday meme then hosted by The Propagator and now hosted by Jim in Cornwall. Most importantly a new garden was being established and I wanted to record its progress.

A house move some years ago delivered a challenging new space.  First steps were to reclaim the garden from weeds: ground elder, enchanter’s nightshade, herb robert and rose bay willow herb to name a few.  Then the planting could begin.  Annuals were an important feature of the first summer, easy to grow and inexpensive.  Roses were added in the first year and the plants that came from the old garden: geraniums, delphiniums, agapanthus for the terrace and reliable self-seeders such as verbena bonariensis and alchemilla mollis. Over the years new favourites were discovered and the garden came to life.

The flower garden has filled up over the years, the slow process of understanding where the cold spots are, where is dry and shady and the realisation that one border is very wet has led to new plans. 

The veg plot is in a shadier part of the garden and I find the soil takes a while to warm up after winter. I concentrate on the steady reliables of potatoes, onions, carrots, parsnips, courgettes and beans. Until 2023 I grew tomatoes and cucumbers in a greenhouse. Over winter 2022 the greenhouse was damaged by a crazy storm which tore off several branches from a neighbour’s Tulip tree and dumped them on our greenhouse. The frame was twisted and as it was a very old greenhouse the decision to demolish it was taken. For 2023 I am going back to outdoor tomato growing. Elsewhere apples and soft fruits continue to be good croppers. 

The story is mostly told through the Six On Saturday meme, a sharing community of gardening folk. I hope you will enjoy reading about this garden’s progress. Head back to the home page for the latest post.