I started writing these articles way back in September, 1997. During the past 6 years, I hope I have managed to show how much fun and interest can be had in tending a small garden. As most of you will have gathered by now, my passion has not only been in the plants themselves but also in the garden's wildlife.
I really caught the growing bug by chance. All I wanted to do was to turn an ordinary garden into a wildlife sanctuary. But then I discovered plants!
Thinking back to when I first became interested in gardening, some 25 years ago now, I grew some rather strange plants in those early days. One or two of which I confess are still growing in the garden to this day. Plants like Purple Loosestrife and Devil's Bit Scabious, both very good nectar plants for bees and butterflies. Others like Hemp Agrimony, a very tall thistle like plant with flat flowerheads also rich in nectar grew over 7 to 8 feet tall and proved to be very invasive, so its tenure in the garden was brief. At this time I remember saying to others and myself that I would never have roses in the garden, such sterile flowers in a garden devoted to wildlife would never do.
I soon realised however, that I was depriving myself of much beauty and soon found myself pouring over a catalogue from David Austin showing lots of classic old roses. It was not long after that I was eagerly awaiting the first of many deliveries of plants by post. I also became aware that a very small garden concentrating on mainly native plants looked rather bland, especially in winter. After reading an excellent book on garden wildlife by a suburban gardener in Leicester, I was surprised to learn that a decent wildlife garden could be created using both good-natured native and more exotic plant species together.
Not only that, but this method offered by far the best solution for such a small area. So I could have my cake and eat it, it seemed.
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Graham Leatherbarrow's English Gardening topic, please visit the Discussions page.