Saturday 4 April 2009

The Garden





Last year I inherited a garden from a friend. The house and garden had been rented over a number of years. My friend moved back into the house and on my first visit, I asked what was happening to the garden as it was very overgrown and in need of some TLC. My friend said if I wanted the garden I could have it and so a story began. The garden has two greenhouses, both very neglected and the beds and borders were full of shrubs and flowers that had become very overgrown and tangled with weeds. I am sure it was a lovely garden at one time. I spent the first month just clearing the green houses and pulling weeds from whereever I stood. I turned over a piece of garden behind the greenhouse, which was so full of bine weed I thought nothing would ever grow. I planted potatoes which I knew would work the ground. I planted a row of peas just to see what would happen and a wigwam of runner beans. at the side of the greehouse was a small strip of land in which I planted carrots, beetroot, radishes and lettuces. In the greenhouses I planted tomatoes and cucumber. That was last year - and I had great success, despite the bine-weed growing everywhere.
Last month I again started in earnest, cleaning up the greenhouses, washing all the pots and planting seeds. I turned over the soil, removed the last of the bine-weed and generally got ready for the season.
I mowed the lawns, tidied the borders and watched the birds build their nests. I am so glad I have a garden. I have alreadyt planted potatoes, peas, parsnips, carrots, onions, beetroots, radishes. The greenhouse is full of seeds: tomatoes, sweetcorn, lettuce, marigolds, basil, squash, courgette, cucumber. I read advice from www.allotment.org.uk
So watch this space to see what happens in my garden this year.

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