New Garden and A Challenging Year

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Now that we (in the Northern Hemisphere) are all hunkering down, cosying up and dreaming of Spring bulbs, I thought I’d take a look back on my first growing season here in our new home.

We moved in during February to find a garden of sodden clay and builder’s rubble. It rained constantly all autumn and right through to late spring, so the landscapers really had a challenge when they started work in April.

But by mid May, working to my own design, they had created the bare bones of our new garden. Scott then had to dig 40 bags of compost in to help break up the clay. This is a challenge that continues all the time. I continually try to break up the heavy claggy soil as I weed and plant.

I always knew it would be like this, and that is why the garden is designed for a lot of pot culture. New builds never have good soil, and to an extent you have to work with what you are left. Sticky acidic clay. We did install a bit of drainage, but landscaping is very expensive and we tried to keep it simple. The planting is mindful of the East facing aspect. One half in sun the other in shade for half of the year. During the Summer we have a sunny morning and a shadier evening. But on warm sunny days we have a sun trap which was lovely.

Thankfully the broader of the two planting beds is the sunny one, so it was planted with Roses, Salvias, Erigeron etc, and the shady side with Brunnera, Ferns, and shade tolerant shrubs.

Then we added a couple of big mirrors to the north facing brick wall and some low voltage lighting.

After that, it was mostly pure enjoyment and pottering. Things have been added and a few things died in the heavy wet soil, but most of it has grown wonderfully well.

And all in spite of one of the worst growing seasons I can remember all across the UK (outdoor tomatoes never really ripened and we had about 6 courgettes from 3 plants). It was a dreadful year for crops, and I think I will be sticking to ornamentals from now on. I’ll keep the strawberries and see how they do next year.

Now we have reached the time of cutting back and tidying up. This was such a hard working time of year when I had a 2/3 acre plot! Now it’s a couple of hours and done! I’m still planting, there are two new roses going in this week and next. I just added six more Erigeron karvinskianus along one edge, and I have some more treasures on order.

The tulips are all potted, along with Dwarf Iris for Spring. No daffodils here, there are a couple of hundred planted at the front of the house. I don’t want the foliage in the courtyard. I can always buy a few pots later if I feel the need. But I’m hoping for masses of blossoms on the Cherries, plum, apples and Almond tree and maybe we will have a fig next year if the weather is more congenial.

It will all get better of course. And we have a lot to look forward to in this place. Nevertheless, I have struggled with worry and anxiety about the state of the country and the world more this year than ever before. At times of trial I try my best to follow this advice from the book of Philippians chapter 4 verse 8… “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things”. This, and my garden, and prayers of gratitude will keep me from falling into the slough of despond….hopefully.

I’m making plans for Christmas now. Callum is coming home for a week from Canada and will meet his Niece (at last) over the festivities. Everyone will be here on the big day. There are currently 4 family Birthdays during the festive season as well, all of them Men, so there’s a lot of thinking to be done! Then I suppose I’ll be letting go of my Son yet again (back to Canada) and getting over that before we can begin to look forward to the Snowdrops. But I know that you will all be here friends, and we will keep supporting each other no matter what the weather and the political shenanigans. I am grateful for you all. Best wishes, K

• 31 Oct, 2024
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