In our series #GMinyourgarden, we’re peeking over the fence into gardens across the country to explore their places in our lives today. This week, Clara’s Surrey garden:
“We moved to our sixteenth century cottage in Surrey in early spring 2022, this is our fourth summer here. The garden is walled, and had been very well maintained, but everything was so clipped and neat I couldn’t wait to let it breathe.
The first thing we did was create a vegetable garden in raised beds in a corner of the garden hidden behind the back wall. This looks on to a field and I love the slightly wilder feel. I filled it with beans, courgettes, sweet peas and dahlias that first summer and it was a joy! Definitely more flowers than veg!
Last year we tackled a much bigger area – the very unloved 1980’s swimming pool that we had inherited and knew immediately that we didn’t want to keep. We set about filling it which was a huge job and took us months (swipe through for a “before”)! Finally we were left with a big area of hard standing which we have transformed by adding a lovely greenhouse and six raised beds.
I sowed masses of seeds and have created a cutting garden, full of pollinators , with enough flowers to start selling a few – it really brings me so much happiness, especially in the early morning when the light is soft and quiet.
I’m full of plans for bigger borders, more plants, and a rose covered pergola for some much needed shade, but time and budget mean that things happen slowly.
We are currently building a chicken run and I can’t wait to add some feathered friends into the mix!”
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