Learning to garden
My dad was an encyclopedia of knowledge and experience with regard to plants and animals. He grew up growing vegetables with his dad, inside the grounds of a zoo where his dad was Head Zookeeper. My dad was fascinated and delighted by plants and kept that childlike wonder about them his whole life.
When I was a kid, our own garden was very small, but he had an allotment which was his pride and joy. He scratched our names in marrows for us to find as they grew massive on the vine. He grew sunflowers for each of us, to race to be the tallest. He liked special varieties, and the joke was that my mum’s sunflower never won the race, because he’d plant a dwarf variety for her.
I’ve always enjoyed tours around the garden, talking about the flowers, and making new discoveries of what was popping up in the beds. My involvement in actual growing was usually sewing tiny seeds and harvesting the potatoes and the aubergines. I always liked the rewarding jobs, and never did any day-to-day garden management. This summer my dad died and I feel a sense of responsibility to tend to his beloved garden and its inhabitants; I should put some effort into caring for the beautiful oasis I so enjoy doodling in and eating from. It’s also an embarrassment of riches for somebody with so little experience; there are so many tools and equipment at my disposal, as well as a big shed and a big greenhouse to utilise.
But, where to start! I know a lot about the theory. I can tell you what all of the plants are. I know that lace cap hydrangeas require different pruning to regular hydrangeas. I know that climbing lilies have to be dug out at first frost and cannot be left in the ground like regular lilies. Have I ever personally pruned a hydrangea or dug up the climbing lily bulbs? Nope. I lack a lot of hands-on experience. It’s a big garden, and I have a lot to learn!
While my dad was ill, I took over the immediate jobs. The summer watering schedule, adding compost to the potato plants, harvesting the peas and the asparagus, pinching out the tomato plants, learning how to use the lawnmower…
I have downloaded the RHS Grow app, which seems fairly useful; you can add the plants you have to the app and specify that you have a pond, lawn or greenhouse etc and then a list of jobs for the month is tailored for you. I am quite enjoying ticking the tasks off one by one, even if there are an overwhelming number!
I’ve also been trying the remember to tune into Gardener’s World. Carol was my dad’s favourite, so I’m paying special attention to what she has to say.
I’ve always loved the idea of having a herb garden, but herbs have never thrived in my dad’s garden, and so that was enough to put me off; if my dad can’t make it work, how could I? However, my dad’s garden is essentially on bog land. Many herbs do not like being constantly drenched, and so I have decided to grow some in the greenhouse -a Rhino greenhouse we had a riot of a time building together- in some pots. Maybe they can spend their winter there? I’ve started with hardier thyme, oregano, mint, rosemary. It’s an experiment, as I’m sure all my gardening decisions will be. So far, they are doing okay under my care. They are the first not to know better hands than mine, so cross your fingers for them! I also now have some tiny winter flowering violas and primrose, who need to grow a bit before planting out.
I have lots to learn about composting and the wormery. I know little about it, other than to add cardboard and not to throw my citrus in there. My rescue Senegal Sam is an absolute whizz at wood shredding (thankfully away from any seed treats he eats) so that’s going in with my vegetable and plant matter. The Grow app assures me it needs aeration. I suppose time will tell if good compost comes out of it.
The lawn is currently crying out for my attention. The grass is creeping into the flower beds and there is a fair amount of clover taking over. Providing it is dry enough for it, it takes a cool two hours to mow, so just finding the time has made me rather complacent with it. My dad always kept it so neatly.
All things considered, though, I think gardening is a skill I’ll get better at. And it’s not just my responsibility- it’s a family effort to tend to and reap its rewards. It is nice to use my dad’s tools and keep my mind busy. If you’re wondering if I regret not getting more hands-on gardening experience with my dad while I had the chance: I don’t think so. We’re very similar in character and he relished his alone time. He enjoyed our company, but also liked to be by himself. And he was always most proud of his daughters when we took the initiative, trusted our gut and found our own way. He’d like that I’m just giving it a go.
The more I do, the more plans I make, the more obvious the next job becomes. For example, coming into October is the perfect time to check on the pond. I’m going to add some more hideaways for the frogs and I’m tempted to buy a solar powered bubble fountain- which are apparently great for aerating the water and accommodating bathing birds. Perhaps building more frog abodes will help the hostas who are absolutely under siege by slugs. I’m planning to build a hedgehog den or two also. Hedgehogs definitely come into the garden, so it falls to me now to make them feel welcome. There is no official hedgehog highway that I know of on the street, but the gates definitely provide a viable entrance for our spikey friends.
I’ve got some bulbs to plant now for flowers in the spring. Then there’s some autumn pruning to attend to. I’m sure the Grow app will tell me what needs my attention after that.
So I’m an actual gardener now. Not a very competent one, but there’s time.
