Letter to the Garden November 2022

Dear Garden

We spent most of the summer in drought and now we have had a considerable amount of rain.  As a result you are very soggy my dear garden, which makes actual gardening quite a challenge.  I did manage to mow the lawns the other day, that felt like an achievement.

and it is still rather mild.  This time last year we had a sudden plunge into cold weather including a smattering of snow, but this year the summer plants are still growing alongside the autumn ones.  The annuals that will be terminated by frost are enjoying their last day every day just in case, and as if to prove my point as I am mid-writing this to you, we suddenly have a cold frosty morning that descended into constant rain.  

Look, dear garden, look, the snowdrops are starting to make themselves known.  This is not unusual for this time of year and it will still take some months before they actually flower.  Yet as in all years the sight of spring bulbs gives me hope.  As the leaves continue to fall as if knowing that life is emerging from the ground, pushing upwards to meet them, it is like they are providing a snuggle blanket for the soil to keep it protected and a smidgen insulated.   Of course this layer also protects the snails and slugs and I want to say something worthy like 'who I am to judge which of the garden insects lives or dies'; when of course I do make that decision sometimes.  Dear, dear garden do not panic I am not suddenly going to spray everything that twitches and sprinkle slug pellets around like confetti.  I do however use the odd organic slug pellet every now and again, usually in the greenhouse when the seedlings are just getting going and I do admittedly leave slug-eggs exposed when weeding so that the birds can eat them.  That's the circle of life isn't it?  (starts humming hakuna matata into the laptop.....)  

You do not really stop do you my garden, you might get a little slower, you might focus on the small rather than big impact, but you keep going and inspire me to do the same.  This knowledge helps me get through the winter too.

I need to do more than keep going though, I need to move forward.  The two old sheds, now completely covered in ivy with their roofs collapsing inwards, really need dismantling.  I have been saying this now for a few years (yes, years) and yet it still is not happening.  "I will do it myself" I tell myself "I will hire a skip."  nothing happens.  "I will pay someone to come and do it" still nothing happens.  I need to make a decision and make it happen.

sigh.

I have ordered some new bulbs and I am waiting for them to arrive, this is exciting.  I decided to wait until the sales and just see what there was.  I have now gardened you for so long you don't actually need lots of new bulbs.  I never thought I would ever reach this stage, but it seems I have.  I have just had the 'your package is on its way' email which means that the excitement mounts.  I love planting bulbs for spring - it is, without a doubt, planting hope.

Until next time:

Your loving Gardener xxx

Take care and be kind.

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