Yes another garden! My 49th house move. Not all those places had gardens. I’m really enjoying getting up before dawn and sitting in this new garden and getting to know it. Thankfully there is a great deal to do, so I’m in a kind of personal heaven.
Once upon a time the garden, which I understand goes back to around 1893-1920 when the first area of a new residential suburb for the wealthier and the more upwardly mobile residents and newcomers to Kingsbridge was built. It also needed to accommodate the railway workers at the new Kingsbridge Railway Station.
This house is a small terraced and by today’s standards it seems to me to be very upmarket but maybe not in its time. There used to be an iron foundry nearby and I would love to find out who decided to add very decorative and beautiful railings and gates to all the properties in Westville at the time. I will take photos of some of the remaining ones and delve deeper.
The area has undergone many changes and I’m interested to know who lived here in the intervening years.
At some stage the garden was redesigned and four garden rooms were built plus there is an old workshop at the far end, so five distinct areas to work in.
This area has been divided with railway sleepers to make raised beds, all of which are overgrown and neglected. I’m trying to use whatever I can and to compost as much as possible. I have a few photos and videos I have taken to introduce you to the garden. This is the first part which is paved with moulded pinky grey concrete slabs that are made to resemble square stone blocks.
The warm terracotta brick wall has been covered by a once pretty turquoise blue wooden shed no more than four foot high and five foot wide but now completely rotten and ivy by the ton. This little corner catches the morning sunlight and is ideal for breakfast, reading or snoozing.
The Bay tree had gone wild and I’m cutting back the lower branches to give a sense of architectural depth. Then I can shape the crown which is way out of reach. The shredder has been earning its keep and the results are building up next to the compost heap.
In fact a lot of twiggy branches can be put on one side for support sticks.
Sunday and Monday are technically my days when the shop is closed. All I can think about is the garden of course but I know I do need to curb my enthusiasm or else I’m completely exhausted. Sleep restores me and by 5.30am I’m ready to go again. The gardening is making me stronger every day after the lull of activity in winter.
Because it’s only the beginning of the second week in April, I feel a sense of urgency which I’m trying to ignore. I would rather just relax and take my time. It will be what it is bit by bit. The decking is obviously calling out to be removed as it’s really had its time now. There is a layer of what looks like roofing felt acting as a waterproof membrane on the ground which must be the weed suppressant.
Having discovered that my favourite nearby walk was once a pathway along a medieval strip farming system, I am imagining the garden may also have been cultivated in this manner. It doesn’t take much to get my imagination going. Immediately considering all the different people who have cared for this land since medieval times. A story or stories in the making.
So, as I bring pots of plants in, I am also taking old and rotting wooden palettes out. I think they might once have been part of the compost bins but for now I’m making a heap. And I have managed to make a first rough cutting of the lawn which is mainly dandelions and moss but has to be done and helps the compost heap.
There are trees in the garden on the left that effectively block out all the afternoon sunshine. A problem.
I can see signs of herbaceous borders and fixings for wires for roses. This is always what I have in mind when bringing a garden back to life. I’m very English and traditional when it comes to gardening. It might be a kind of security blanket. It definitely reminds me of my childhood home which was very stable and where my family lived for 70 years.
This is a quick look inside the workshop/potting shed. It gets hardly any light and is cold. However the roof has really started to sag as some of the timbers are rotten, thankfully only the ones that run horizontally across the windows and door frame so can easily be replaced. This makes me think of replacing the roof or part of it with corrugated clear plastic sheeting and effectively creating a sort of greenhouse.
At this stage I have cleared out a lot of stuff and removed all the cobwebs which resembled a horror movie. My hammock waits for the right moment. The potting shed has electric light and a couple of power sockets. I have given the rusty garden tables and chairs a preliminary coat of masonry paint - not that it will stop the rust but lends a little charm at least.
Preparing seed trays though they will all have to come indoors for warmth.
And this is the view a few weeks ago from the paved area in front of the workshop. I have removed masses of ivy. I really do not like ivy. It has all started life in the neighbours garden. That is a rented place and they are planning to cut back all the trees that prevent them from having the sunlight in the mornings! Solution.
P.S - I have had a long break from updating my blog and have always found the operating on it a bit tricky. With a new iPad and time passed I had thought it would all be easier but no, the same inexplicable quirks remain. I think this is one reason why I suddenly stop. I tend to use this as a sort of diary not as a finished piece. For example accessing photos suddenly becomes impossible and a few minutes later it’s not a problem.
