Our garden is an inherited one, we moved here 5 years ago and took over an overgrown but well planted mature garden, we had to wrestle back control and give it shape and meaning, and were constantly amazed at what we found growing among the brambles.
We didn't plant anything ourselves for a couple of years, just cleared it enough to let it breathe and to see what was growing there.
Every season was a new suprise! In spring came the crocus and the daffodills, tulips too, primroses tucked in places that would be hidden by the abundance of Summer.
This morning, I saw the fresh green leaves on what were to become the biggest gifts of the garden to us.The first year I had hacked through a thicket of brambles and nettles at the back of the garden to reveal a row of fruit bushes and a young Ash sapling. I gave them space and watched as the redcurrents, blackcurrents and two types of gooseberries grew and ripened.
We shared the harvest with the fat blackbird and its young and the hungry thrushes. Sweet summer goodness, unexpected, but so appreciated, and the cycle is beginning again.
These photos were taken of a previous years bounty, reminding me of summer on this overcast afternoon at the end of March.
. . I can almost taste them now.
4 comments:
Oh, yum! I'm thinking of jam from those berries. Today I noticed that for the first time in several years I've owned it, my native California Wild Rose is starting to bloom. Big yellow flower! I had it in a planter box too shallow. I moved it to a deep one on my porch where it seems quite happy, and I'm delighted with the bright yellow "bloomin' upper."
How blessed you are to have inherited a mature garden!
Thanks Joyce for dropping by :-)
Yes, jam sounds good! though I have never made any before, they usually get cooked in pies or strudels or just eaten straight from the bush!
A big yellow flower on your California Wild Rose, great, what a lovely sight to start spring.
Wow, that must have been a pleasure finding that you were the steward of these new found treasures. City life is a bit different. There will be a garden in pots on my fourth floor porch. The Marigolds and indian blankets are already sprouting in there window containers, and today I got some seeds. Some cherry tomatoes, some pickling cukes to climb allong the porch railing, and some zinnias and asters and some basil. Just back from a mission to "steal" a box full of dirt from a snow plowing mishap up the street about ten blocks.
Anyway, hopefully in July, my city pporch will be filled with greenery and flowers.
NHGUY-It is amazing what you can grow in a small space, my Mum made a masterpiece of a balcony years back and our veggie growing space is pretty small too.
Thanks very much for dropping by, you are always welcome :-)
I look forward to some photos of your fourth floor porch when everything is in bloom.
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