The last few weeks have been a whirlwind! With the hustle and bustle of moving, I’ve had my hands full taking care of all sorts – from mowing freshly-cut grass with an unexpected lawnmower gift to tending newly transplanted plants. This new task was made even more challenging by having little time for gardening amongst such major life changes.
Despite its daunting nature, this garden has hidden potential for success! Its nutrient-rich clay soil holds water like no other – though it’s not easy to break through. Gardening tools may hit a few snags when trying to dig in the hardened dirt during dry season, but with enough patience and persistence, plants will eventually become well established here over time.
Embracing challenge, I set out to adjust a far-from-perfect patio fence enclosure. With determination and a bit of elbow grease, it was soon shifted down the garden toward an “only just still standing” shed. Fortunately for me -and my hard work! – our back yard has great sun exposure from south east to north west that bathes most of this area in beautiful beams all day long.
This neglected garden was in desperate need of some TLC. There were hints that the previous owner had started to take a stab at sprucing up this small patch, but it needed much more than just a few shovels-full of soil and seeds. Nestled alongside my fence line was lush hedging belonging to neighbouring properties – providing an ideal sanctuary for our feathered friends!
The heavy downpour of rain gave me the opportunity to work on my lawn, transforming it from a patchy field into an overflowing vegetable garden. I took this chance and carefully delineated larger growing areas before planting out lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini – everything that had been patiently waiting for their final destination outside of jam-packed windowsills!
In an unsuspecting part of the garden, where a trampoline had done its damage and a discarded washing line lay almost forgotten below ground—I decided to make something new. I carefully constructed two 6ft x 3ft raised beds from Homebase kits (and with much effort!), filled them with creative ingredients like cocoa shells, multipurpose compost, grass clippings and topsoil – plus some unconventional additions for good measure! Now this plot has been transformed into somewhere full of exciting potential for plants to thrive.
Joining the two levels of my garden, I’m ready to potentially enjoy a delicious bounty this season. I’ll be planting Squash Spaghetti Stripetti and some Courgette Black Beauty plants with great anticipation – in hopes that these will settle well into their new surroundings. In an effort to deter any unwanted pests like snails or slugs from ruining the hard work, copper tape is being installed around them for protection!
With the sun shining and birds singing, it’s time to get outside and unleash your inner gardener! There is a lot of work already accomplished in some areas of the garden with gorgeous blooms springing up – now all that’s missing are determined greenskeepers eager to make their mark. So throw on those gloves, grab your tools and come immerse yourself in nature…you never know what amazing creations you might find amongst these flourishing flowers soon!
