The Garden – January 2021

Over the last awful year of lockdowns, we began to realise how vulnerable we all are when it comes to food. I have always grown a smallish proportion of our veg requirements and would probably have grown more had the garden we have been more suitable. But this last year we realised we need to grow more and, if possible, to be more self-sufficient. Despite having a big enough garden surrounding our ancient and crumbling rented house, there is little soil below the surface. The entire front garden is a mixture of hardcore and the original cobbles that would have covered what would have then been the farmyard many years ago. Some of the old farm buildings are still standing – just – but the others have fallen down or been dismantled over the years and the bricks, broken glass and detritus are ever just below the surface.

The back, south facing garden has always looked rough – I have struggled to get flower borders installed and the ‘lawn’ (a term used loosely) was the odd blade of grass dotted between every long-rooted perennial weed known to man. Each year I vowed to get rid of one or two of those weeds, starting with thistles and ragwort. There is definitely more grass than there was, but the moles and ants have completely taken over. If I had my way there would be NO grass out the back at all!