Before the transformation
The same spot five weeks later
I’m paying my first visit to the Chelsea Flower Show tomorrow. People invariably say: “Rather you than me, it’s like a rugby scrum”, and this is why I have always been put it off.
However, three years after transforming my own garden, with some remote advice from a very talented plantsman, I decided to head south and seek inspiration for new features.
My garden was demolished by my two football mad sons and one day I decided enough was enough, I wanted my garden back, so I set to work.
I remember digging manure and compost into my white, aridpowder-like soil, sadly neglected for the previous 20 years and rock hard, at 6.30pm in my nightie, fleece and wellies. I was so thrilled when I saw the worms begin to turn – I had restored life and enrichment back into the earth.
I particularly like using natural materials, blending different stones of different shapes and colours. My water feature could also do with revamping, I now fancy a cascading waterfall.
I regard my garden now as a tranquil extension to the house, almost like another room, and one that gives me an instant sense of well being and pleasure.
Although I belong to the RHS, I have opted to go to the show with a swell group from Cambridge.
And although I know our gardens need the rain, I’m hoping it will hold off tomorrow.
I now have evidence of you using a water feature! Give me a tenner or I’ll grass you up to the water board!
I am sure Ellee would use recycled rain water and no hosepipe!!
Looking good. At least when you’re at Chelsea you can speak from experience… you’ve been there…
It looks like my waterfall is on hold! Every garden at the Chelsea Show had a water feature come to think of it, I wonder how they got round that.
vote blackmail, go green!
damn I was drunk last night when I typed the above.
[…] This link shows you the transformation I carried out in my garden after it was virtually demolished by my football loving boys. Now it has been restored, I find it so peaceful and uplifting to sit in the shade, but I don’t do it often enough. I would very much like to grow a Meconopsis, but I’ve had no luck yet, though I do have a friend who is brilliant with nurturing them. But then she has won a couple of gold awards at the Chelsea Flower Show. […]