The lost garden of Marple

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For a long time, this was ‘a lost garden’

I have created many a garden from mostly neglected ones, but this one was a beast!

I live in one of a block of four Flats each of which has its own garden. I am in an upper Flat and so my ‘garden’ is beyond that of my downstairs neighbour. It is a Council property and I came to live here in October 2006 by way of an exchange. I exchanged a Council bungalow in a beauitful small village in the Lake District for this Flat in Marple…….DON’T ASK!
That is another story and a very long one!

Of the four gardens, according to my new neighbours, mine had never actually been cultivated in any way since the property was built in 1956 and to make matters worse, had become a dumping ground for all manner of rubbish on top of the original builders rubble.
Preoccupied with decorating, carpeting and settling in to my new home, the project wasn’t started until the end of February 2007.

Undaunted and challenged, I paid a much younger, man and wife team to clear the space of all grass and rubble so that I could see what was available. What was removed filled a large skip but what was left was a manageable space for me. However, there was a long way to go….
The main work had to be done in batches as my cash flow wasn’t flowing…

Having spent the previous twelve months recovering from a serious back operation and walking with sticks, I wasn’t able to tackle any of the heavy work myself, so making this garden was not going to be cheap because as we all know, man hours cost the most.
In March, the area was rotovated…this appeared to be quite a task for my small team as the ground was solid clay. Job done and hundreds of £’s lighter, I covered the area with black matting myself and waited ‘til my cash was flowing again. In April, my team returned and over a period of about two weeks, laid a lawn, made borders and a gravel path and the rest was down to me…..
I had brought some of my favourite plants from my previous garden without disturbance for the incoming tenant.
Other plants were bought from car boot sales and my neighbours and newly made friends have all contributed. At the end of June I gave a little celebration party in the garden for family, neighbours and friends and it was really uplifting to see so many people in my new garden. I still feel that I have a long way to go and that my garden is a tad ordinary being just a ’square’ but……..I LOVE MY GARDEN!
I never wanted to live in a Flat and the only reason I am doing so is…I have a garden….something I know I cannot live without.

• 12 Jun, 2010
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