home garden
I began to transform our garden in 2019. Up until then it had simply been a pleasant space to grow some flowers, children to play in an to have a greenhouse. Entering semi retirement gave me the time that I needed for the transformation. I gave myself the period 2019 to 2024 to achieve that with an aim to open it up for a week to share it with others to the benefit of a local charity. I got going in earnest in June 2020
My Home Garden has been pretty much the same since we moved in over 30 years ago. Some additions and subtractions at the edges but generally the same. So why did the feeling come along to make changes?
The biggest factor is a very simple one. Time. Although I am currently very much involved with community projects and a little paid work there are the hours available to an almost work retired person like myself
And in the the classic of Big Bang/epiphany moment that began my thoughtful garden project, it was the " me " in " my garden "
That having more time means I have an allotment, it means that I am able to see much more of other gardens and it means that I am reading and discussing them more
At the heart of my desire to change Home Garden is my small scale intervention to boost the local environment. So much that I grew up with in terms of plants, trees, birds, insects, open spaces and beauty has gone as a result of land management, climate change and remorseless destruction of habitat. Is what I am doing just a spit in the wind? Quite possibly. But I am am attracted to the thoughts that if many do this ( and they are ) it might begin to stack up. The grand plan is that the vast majority of the plantings are to provide habitat, nectar and forage for creatures
Home Garden at the moment does look sparse as I have stripped right back to create a new structure and plan across the plot. Many large shrubs have rigorously cut back or removed. It is physically hard work but I have got 80% of it done.
Over the winter I have been planting rose bushes/climbers (8) , clematis (4), fruit trees (6) and over 400 daffodils, tulips, iris, hyacinths, criniums, bearded iris and crocosima that provide quick Spring colour and attraction. In February I began to sow 30+ varieties of perennials like honesty, salvias, Michaelmas daisies, verbena, cone flowers, achilleas etc.
Large numbers of herbs are just being sown as are some spectacular dot plants like hemp agrimony, Echium pininana and cardoons. Especially exciting is my attempt to have paulownia tomentosa grow from seed to makes very special dot plants
These are exciting times at the Home Garden and for its key worker ....
The biggest factor is a very simple one. Time. Although I am currently very much involved with community projects and a little paid work there are the hours available to an almost work retired person like myself
And in the the classic of Big Bang/epiphany moment that began my thoughtful garden project, it was the " me " in " my garden "
That having more time means I have an allotment, it means that I am able to see much more of other gardens and it means that I am reading and discussing them more
At the heart of my desire to change Home Garden is my small scale intervention to boost the local environment. So much that I grew up with in terms of plants, trees, birds, insects, open spaces and beauty has gone as a result of land management, climate change and remorseless destruction of habitat. Is what I am doing just a spit in the wind? Quite possibly. But I am am attracted to the thoughts that if many do this ( and they are ) it might begin to stack up. The grand plan is that the vast majority of the plantings are to provide habitat, nectar and forage for creatures
Home Garden at the moment does look sparse as I have stripped right back to create a new structure and plan across the plot. Many large shrubs have rigorously cut back or removed. It is physically hard work but I have got 80% of it done.
Over the winter I have been planting rose bushes/climbers (8) , clematis (4), fruit trees (6) and over 400 daffodils, tulips, iris, hyacinths, criniums, bearded iris and crocosima that provide quick Spring colour and attraction. In February I began to sow 30+ varieties of perennials like honesty, salvias, Michaelmas daisies, verbena, cone flowers, achilleas etc.
Large numbers of herbs are just being sown as are some spectacular dot plants like hemp agrimony, Echium pininana and cardoons. Especially exciting is my attempt to have paulownia tomentosa grow from seed to makes very special dot plants
These are exciting times at the Home Garden and for its key worker ....
