Granny loves a bit of gardening and though I say it myself Hubby and I have between us created our own mini-paradise.
Twenty-five years ago, we set down the framework that we see around the house today. A planting of evergreens that gives basic structure and winter interest. Infilling shrubs of varying height and texture give us a tapestry of different hues of green and gold. Patches of spring bulbs or perennials do their colourful bit through the seasons and there is barely a patch of soil to be seen. Great, this means virtually no weeding!
For added interest, we have topiary. Not spectacular as in the estates of many grand houses but each piece, a former seedling I had gathered, transplanted, nurtured and shaped. We have more than twenty of them, some still in pots. I just love their sharp-edged formal shapes dotted amongst the looser planting. All are now quite mature and until recently the tallest was three Leylandii balls atop each other for height interest but about three years back I decapitated the top one so that I was not tempted to wobble on the top of a ladder as I trimmed it. Granny is trying to be sensible in old age!
Hubby is lawn specialist and terrace-cleaner-in-chief and has to be watched when he's weeding since he can be a little over-enthusiastic, inadvertently making inroads into self-seeded flower populations if not carefully overseen!
Between us we have created our own place of green magic. A healing space in a hectic world where we can unwind and relax and where we can quite appreciate the therapeutic value of gardens, parks and allotments.
Thank goodness talking to plants is not now seen as madness and that 'green therapy' is seriously being prescribed to help alleviate stress. We know it works wonders for free.
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