20 May 2016

Garden

We are in the middle of spring. How lovely our garden looks at this time of year with so much new greenery, blossom, flowers and happy birds zipping around. Between the globular box plants in their pots, a little path leads up the garden towards our vegetable patch, the compost bins and the green back lane beyond.

When we moved into this house in 1989, the garden was a jungle. I had to set about it with a powerful garden strimmer before applying weed killer to some areas. It was like taming a wild beast. 

How many hours have I spent here - cutting the grass, trimming the hedges, laying paths, planting and picking. It has been a joyous adjunct to my life. Our children played here when they were little. We have had barbecues and bonfires and parties. Here I have seen foxes, hedgehogs, a badger, squirrels, dogs, cats, frogs, toads, snails, slugs, butterflies, a swarm of bees, wasps, spiders, mice, rats, sparrows, jays, rooks, blackbirds, magpies, seagulls, wood pigeons, doves, bluetits, coaltits, great tits, long tailed tits, thrushes, starlings, goldfinches, wrens and a sparrow hawk.

Having a garden is therapeutic. It helps to get the rest of life in better perspective. Soil on your hands and sweat on your brow. Building snowmen. Watching the seasons passing. Watching plants grow. It's like a big outdoor room - a natural extension to our house and after all this time I must say that I would hate to live anywhere that did not have a garden. I feel that my life would be somehow impoverished.

19 comments:

  1. We are in the middle of autumn here but it feels as if we're in spring or in the middle of summer. The grass is growing at a rapid rate. I'm sure if I sat and watched it for a while I would see its growth movement. The morning dew is heavy, making one believe, erroneously, it has rained during the night.

    The trees, shrubs and other plants growing on this property are looking very healthy and lush.

    I picked another bag full of large juicy lemons off my little lemon tree yesterday - the third such picking this season. Only about six more lemons remain on my most generous tree and that will be that until its next fruiting. The tree, which is not a big tree, never ceases to amaze me with its generosity each season.

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    1. Well, we haven't got a lemon tree but we have four apple trees that in late September will give us far more apples than we can handle. Isn't Nature wonderful?

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  2. I share the same views on gardening. If I had to move I would really miss it. Today there are too few people who will have the experience of gardening.

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    1. Too many people find themselves living in apartments or little houses with no outside space and yet our ancestors were all about life outside the home.

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  3. I agree about gardening being therapeutic.

    Ms Soup

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    1. You might be like me Alphie - in need of therapy!

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  4. If it weren't for his garden (the allotment), my Dad would probably be dead. It's his "baby", the thing that keeps him going, providing him with exercise, fresh air and something to do - all that was lacking from his life when he retired, and suffered a stroke half a year later.
    I love gardens and being in them, but I am not a gardener myself. Maybe I'd get into it if the one around my house (with technically 1/3 of it belonging to me) wasn't completely taken over by the families on the top and ground floor.

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    1. I suspect that if you had a garden, it would be very neat and well-tended. I think you would find that you have green fingers.

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  5. Lovely garden YP. Like having your own little piece of heaven on earth isn't it?.

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    1. Yes it is. A sanctuary where you can forget the outer world for a while.

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  6. I can't imagine living life without my garden so I think I understand exactly how you feel.

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    1. Your posts about your garden indicate how much it means to you.

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  7. I have always loved our garden....till we moved into our present home. This time the back garden faces west, the worst aspect you can have because the afternoon sun is fierce and Tony refused to plant trees for shade because they would block out our lovely view. Consequently it is too hot out there for any pleasure in gardening and I leave him to it ! Rarely set foot out there- never in Summer. Pity .

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    1. That's funny. In England people prefer west facing gardens for the afternoon sun. As you know, the sun is rarely fierce here.

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  8. You certainly look to have made it into a delightful spot YP - and that must give you great satisfction. Have got a short burst of Broadband so am trying to go round everyone. BT coming on Monday (or so they say)

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    1. I don't think that BT Broadband will beusing your experience in any of their ads!

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  9. Well, once again Mr. Pudding, you and I are in complete agreement about what makes our hearts sing!!! But, you forgot how much Bo and Peep add to the ambiance of your beautiful garden!

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  10. Lovely garden YP - a credit to you and all your labours. Easy to see that you haven't got dogs - your lawn looks pristine.
    Our present garden is Mediterranean and designed with dogs in mind - shrubs, a few trees, tiled terrace and gravel. On our last house move, husband left the Flymo behind, and vowed he'd never cut another lawn - hence the gravel, which just needs the occasional rake over !

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  11. I couldn't agree more. We love our garden. Yours looks wonderful, and I'm jealous of your hedgehog sightings! London is sadly almost devoid of hedgehogs these days. (Yes, Olga and her kin are partly to blame.)

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Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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