Tuesday 31 March 2009

Our Garden; A History Part One

Introduction


A poor indication of how our garden once was


We moved into our home just over two and half years ago. The garden at this point didn't really rate very high on our priorities. Even though I was on maternity leave I was unable to make use of the garden, as the summer was so scorchingly hot. Being in the late stages of pregnancy (my due date was just two weeks after we moved in) just sitting in the sun made me puff up like a hot air balloon.

During those first few months after Garden Girl was born there was barely time to sneeze, let alone get out in the garden. Winter kicked in, Garden Girl grew and the focus remained on the house. The nursery, decorated in lime green by the previous owners, needed to be toned down if Garden Girl was to get any sleep when she moved from our room. The living room also needed work and all the while the garden was getting more and more overgrown.

The potential jungle was kept in check only by Garden Dad's parents who pulled out the underworked lawn mower every time they visited. But gradually we refocused and started to think about what we could do out there. We took some initial small steps to get going but picked up the pace late last year after deciding to grow our own veg. So the bullet pointed version of events goes something like this:

  • Cut back bushes to make them tidy only for them to grow back again
  • Grow tomatoes successfully and to the delight of Garden Girl
  • Begin to think about an edible garden
  • Garden Dad decides that all plants in the garden must be edible
  • Remove everything from the flower bed closest to the house and replant with some herbs
  • Gradually build up herb collection
  • Cut back bushes to almost nothing only for them to grow back again
  • Get frustrated
  • Make serious plans for vegetable garden
  • Cut back bushes and remove roots, chop down huge trees
  • Listen to Garden Dad and friend talk endlessly about the huge trees they chopped down
  • Dig up tree roots
  • Put up new fence and give birth to Garden Boy
  • Smash up paving stones and rubble filled concrete sandpit at bottom of garden
  • Pile rubble next to shed and wonder what to do with it
  • Dig over bottom of garden, removing more rubble to add to the mountain by the shed
  • Build raised beds and take a break over christmas
  • Hire a skip for rubble, give away shed and build greenhouse
  • Start planting

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