AS SEEN ON BBC GARDENERS WORLD 2020

The first garden we have had, after my allotment, was our cottage front garden. When we first arrived it had a beautiful structure, heavy flagstones, steps up to the front door and iron railings, which separated us from the foothpath.

the cottage itself looks like a dolls house and has such charming features. The garden was ideal in that it was raised up and south facing. But the downside was that it was smaller than a postage stamp and all stone, not really a garden at all as there were no plants apart from the Rosemary growing down the wall at the front.

I wanted to create an abundant cottage garden, which would serve the purpose of growing cut flowers, but also being a garden. One that would encourage pollinators and birds, one that would soften the front of our home, one that would enable me to learn and develop my skills in growing, and when looking out from the cottage windows would give us privacy and give us green views, rather than directly out onto the road.

Overtime we have collected galvanised pots and containers. Everything I grow, starts its life off on my window sill from seed. Colour is important to me as well as variety of flowers, some chosen for scent some chosen for their abilty to climb, some for their pollinator friendly features. We started with Narcissi in creams, butter yellows and peaches, then Tulips in punchy boiled sweet tones. And as summer came we chose Sweetpeas, which would fill the air with their heady scent and tangle up willow tee pees, Roses to climb the front of the beautiful flecked stone wall, Scabious for the bees, calendula for their boldness, phlox for their dainty flowers in caramel tones, hollyhocks for their charm and cosmos because they sing out cheerfulness.

We moved to our cottage just before lockdown, from a cottage across the road, it was hard at first as we had downsized heftily, and we were nervous we might not cram in, all of our furniture. But we succeeded. Lockdown was a word we had never heard or spoken at the time and we had a wedding in June, which we had been dreaming of and longing for.

We would soon be “locked down” here and realise our wedding plans would be scuppered. ALl of the seedlings I had great hopes for, as being our wedding flowers, were now going to be a trial run. It took the pressure off and allowed me to experiment, Growing in pots means that you can move plants to where they are happiest, if a plant needs to be next to another to compliment its colours, it was easy to do. If an annual went over i could remove the pot and replace with a fresh one i had been keeping behind the scenes.

This way of gardening was completely new to me and a fluid way of growing. I loved it. I could create seasonal displays, with ease. SOon the plugs of plants in the containers which had gaps, filled and overspilled the pots, to a point where you could no longer see them.

THey would soon tangle over the windows and brush past your feet as you walked the path up the steps to our home. I loved that the stone was no longer visible, not even the pots, just a mass of colour, froth and flowers. Nothing could bring me more joy. It did wonders for my mental health and inspired me to draw, i started to sketch little posies of my flowers. I cut flowers daily and left them on neighbours doorsteps. Then something wonderful happened, The garden gave passers by the opportunity to stop and share their delight in my flowers or discuss horticulture with me. One lady always wanted to stop me and ask for my sweet pea growing tips as hers couldn’t begin to match mine (her words not mine).

At a time when the world was in pieces, and communities lacking in human contact, including myself, I managed to find mine through the doorstep cutting garden. It gave me the mind to keep busy and distracted. if i had just heard a terrible news update, i would find myself soon lost in the company of my garden. Sweet peas always needed dead heading, and the containers always needed watering morning and night. the first thing i did when i woke up every day was open the curtains, smile at my flowers and make a tea and take it onto my front step, i would listen to the birds announcing the start of a new day. I would find so much joy in just being, watching and observing. The scabious were finally flowering, or the nasturtium were tumbling over that wall.

this was a ritual which i do believe opened my eyes to container gardening and the way it leave you feeling so fulfilled.

Please click on the images below to see more of our garden