Make your garden more interesting with seating areas, make your space about the journey through your garden

The latest article for the Romford Recorder was released last week and you can read it below. I deal with most of what has been happening on the plot in the article other than mentioning the ongoing battle with weeds! I wondered if the very cold snap we had in winter would have killed many weed seeds but going by my plot that has not been the case; honestly I think I have more weeds than ever. I can only assume this is down to the very dull and wet spring we have had followed by the relatively nice conditions of late encouraging growth. 

One job I have undertaken recently not mentioned in the newspaper editorial is to take up the old garden path that I had, put down by my Father many moons ago, and create a new Barbecue Patio halfway down the garden. I have re-used the most of the slabs taken up from the path to create the Barbecue Patio so the only cost was for sand and cement and a fair amount of hard graft! The turf lifted to allow the patio to be laid was used to fill in the rather large gap left running through the middle of the lawn by lifting the path, with grass seed sown on the patches I did not have enough turf to cover. So far so good and a few days after the work was completed the re-laid turf appears to have taken (I have kept it very well watered) and the first signs of grass are visible on the bare patches where the grass seed was sown (also kept well watered). It already looks better to my eye, will look great hopefully once all the seed has germinated, and has created a 'stop-off' point in the garden going from the Conservatory Bar Patio to the end of the garden and the Olive Patio. All these Patios makes my plot sound like a Country Estate, which it certainly is not. But, by breaking the garden up into distinct areas, Conservatory Bar Patio, some lawn, Barbecue Patio, some lawn, Vegetable Garden and finally the Olive Patio it does appear at least to make the garden look bigger and take you on a journey rather than just a standard rectangular piece of land which when you look at it your eye is immediately drawn to the end. As the Beans and Tomato plants on the Vegetable Patch grow they actually slightly obscure the view of the Olive Patio from the house making that a favourite spot of many visitors to my garden as it feels almost secluded. 

I would advise anyone starting out with a new patch or looking to revitalise their garden to consider doing something similar, don't fall into the trap of a piece of lawn with flower beds around the perimeter. Create a journey from your back door to the end of your plot. Why not put flower beds or a seating area halfway down your plot, plant a shrub or small tree in a central position or slightly off centre to create interest and make visitors want to walk around it to see what is hidden behind. Create your Patio or Seating Area on the diagonal rather than horizontal to the house to add interest or perhaps make it circular. Why not partition it off with Hedging or Railway Sleepers or maybe add a Pergola over the seating area with some Trellis up two or three of the sides to add a little privacy. You could grow climbers up the Trellis if your garden is overlooked to really hide yourself away from prying eyes. Add a wildlife friendly are to your garden. Just about every garden at the Chelsea Flower Show this year was looking at ways our gardens can be more wildlife friendly and done well a space can look beautiful as well as be beneficial to pollinators with the added bonus that a wildlife friendly patch usually takes a lot less looking after than perfect rows of Roses! 

Cheers 🍺

Romford Recorder June 2023

We are into the first days of June and at last, it feels as though Spring has sprung! March, April and a fair part of May have been dull and damp and the garden has taken that bit longer to awaken from its winter slumber than usual. Finally, the weather has broken and, all being well, Summer is just around the corner. The lateness of spring this year is most noticeable on the vegetable patch with Runner Beans only just poking their heads above the ground; the seedlings I planted out over earlier in the year having been ravaged by wind rain and a late frost meaning it was back to the drawing board and start again with them. The Peas are coming along nicely but somewhat backward whilst I didn’t dare plant out the Butternut Squash seedlings until the weekend just gone. The Tomatoes planted in the outside bed are doing well whilst those in the Greenhouse are at least twice their size and the first flowers are already on the Big Rainbow and Pink Brandywine varieties. The three varieties of Potato, Charlotte, Pentland Javelin and Desiree panted in the 30-litre sized pots all now have foliage spilling over the top of the containers and appear to be growing well. They would have enjoyed all the rain we had a while back though they will need regular watering now. I am also growing Paris Market Atlas Carrots, round small carrots that require little depth to grow, in three large ornamental urns this year. The first sowing has germinated, and the second urn has just had seeds sown into it. The third will be sown in late June which will hopefully lead to a continuous supply of the sweet little orange jewels.  

If we do get a ‘flaming June’ be sure to keep everything well-watered on your plot, especially pots and hanging baskets. I feed everything at least once a week with a liquid feed as well whilst watering, I have ‘Feeding Thursday’, so I don’t forget. Vegetables such as the aforementioned Big Rainbow and Pink Brandywine Tomatoes can grow huge (at least that’s the plan) so they get fed twice a week. If you have large or tall perennials don’t forget to give them a little support where needed now to stop them falling over and remember to deadhead to encourage further flowers.