I went outside with every intention of putting in the few last bedding plants, but then I wandered down to this corner of the vegetable garden to check the lie of the land. Most of it was in reasonable order, but down at the bottom end I practically needed a machete to get around.
As a wildlife habitat, it's great. As a productive vegetable garden, it's a disgrace.
On the left is my embarrassingly overgrown soft fruit bed, while the bed on the right is supposed to contain root veggies. Part of it does, but not so as you'd notice.
How on earth could I let it get into this state?
Well it's understandable really. For obvious reasons, the Autumn tidy-up just didn't happen, then Spring came along and I was simply distracted with everything else that needed to be done. Then we had several weeks of alternating rain and sunshine and the results were inevitable. A burgeoning crop of creeping buttercup!
Two hours and six wheelbarrow loads later, it is looking a little more respectable.
It's a start at least. Now I can dig over the rest of the bed and sow the rest of this Winter's root vegetables.
I'm not going to be winning that best-kept garden award any time soon, but at least I will be able to eat!
Brava, you.
ReplyDeleteThis blog is incredibly tender.
Great job J! I think your garden is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLike me, you have discovered the true meaning of "widow's weeds."
ReplyDeleteI did a bunch today, too, but with much less impressive results (and a small person "helping").
Keep that good work going! What is summer like in Wales? It's so humid here, we don't like summer much unless we can leave -- and we say, "not the heat, but the stupidity."
X
Supa
J - compared to my garden, it is perfect. Well done for tackling it. xx
ReplyDelete@ CC & Debbie: Thank you! It's a shame I didn't take the picture a week ago when the rhododendron was in bloom. That looked fantastic.
ReplyDelete@ Supa: My sister sometimes invites me round ostensibly to do a bit of gardening, but in reality to distract her 'little helpers' so that she can get something done.
Summer in Wales is ... wet. As are Spring, Autumn and Winter (unless it is snowing)! But when the sun does come out, everything is beautifully lush and green and I wouldn't be anywhere else.
I'm not sure I could do humid either.
@ Boo: There are still several other corners that I am ignoring and pretending don't exist!
Your garden looks wonderful to me. So lush and green and just as I would imagine a garden in Wales to be! It's always a great feeling to discover that some of the vegetables have been carrying on regardless and ready to take off and grow once you clear away the weeds. This will be the first year in decades that I have not put in a vegetable garden (in this part of Canada, there really isn't much that overwinters beyond a few perennial herbs). With getting the house ready for sale, apart from mowing the lawn and walking trails, the garden has been rather neglected this year. Oh well!
ReplyDelete@ Bev: I very nearly didn't start the veg garden this year. Back in February (when the first seedlings go into the propagator) it was so hard to motivate myself. But I knew that I would be missing it so much if I didn't.
ReplyDeleteI was going to suggest that you get a couple of pots of herbs for your RV's windowsill, then it occurred to me that they probably don't have windowsills!