My garden

View from my back door, June 2010

I love seeing people's gardens and all the fabulous things they grow.  Gardening is something I'd love to get into but have no idea what I'm doing.

When I moved here fourteen years ago my garden had no plants whatsoever.  All the surrounding gardens had mature trees but mine had nothing.  It was full of Japanese knotweed with a bit of scrubby grass and a concrete path.

I've just bought things I liked the look of but never got my head around how long things last or what conditions they need.  I've bought amazing tubs of hydrangeas only to frazzle them in the south facing sun.  I seem to choose flowers that only last for one season which is why I don't have many left.

Just beyond the kitchen door there was a Victorian brick outside loo.  There's one on this floor and one in the basement, upstairs and downstairs outside loos.  It was a waste of space as the loo had long gone and it just became somewhere to dump things.  I keep loungers and my lawnmower in the downstairs one.  Not that I actually see the lawnmower that often.

A few years ago I wanted some Victorian bricks for a wall in the front garden so my friend Russ and The Actor decided to knock the outside loo down.  You'd think they'd knocked down a small block of flats the amount of rubble and bricks and wood it created.  We kept part of the two outside walls and painted them with a bit of leftover paint.  Then they filled in the steps with lots of concrete to create a platform.  We now have a rickety step ladder to get into the rest of the garden as I can't afford to get any new steps made yet.  I don't know what style of steps to choose...

For a laugh I thought I might go for something ridiculously over the top like these.  And then get a few palm trees!  Very Marbella.

Victorian stone steps would be lovely but would cost a fortune

or simple stone ones like this?

A friend can make me cast iron ones like these.  Which do you think?

I've never spent any money on my garden and there's been no planning whatsoever.  I just buy the odd plant when I see it, plonk it in willy nilly and hope for the best.  Luckily for me everything seems to have just got on with it.

My dad came round once and said "Have you bothered to read how much space any of these plants need or how big they grow?"  Of course I hadn't.

The first thing I planted were Queen of the Night tulips which came back every year for five years

I also have some Crocosmia Lucifer yet

And my alliums have almost given up this year but they've had a good run

The whole area around London Fields was once nurseries and seemingly the the ground is still very fertile.  Even small things seem to go absolutely mental.

The three little plants of jasmine I planted on the right grew like wildfire and were starting to get out of hand last summer, the fence has collapsed under the weight.  The bush with the white blossom in the back right hand corner was originally a five inch plant I bought in Sainsbury's.  I didn't realise it was going to get that big!  On the table is an orange tree from Columbia Road I bought for £15 when I was thinking of a Mediterranean theme.  It lasted brilliantly all summer then every single orange and every leaf dropped off it.

I still can't work out what style I want.  I like all sorts of gardens - English country, all Mediterranean, Moroccan...  I have no idea which direction to go in.  I need to tidy it all up first.

I've neglected it since last summer and someone else has made themselves a basket in the long grass

Bear my neighbour's cat sleeps on the overgrown lawn all day.  Note the jasmine now taking over half the garden on the left

Here he is, he's huge

It's all got a bit out of hand.  Look at the state of it!

Inspired by my friend Ms Moon I decided to finally get out there last week

But then it poured with rain and there was thunder and lightning

This is the only pot I have left from last year - pansies just keep going

I have some rosemary and thyme given to me by my friend Josephine Butler

And these to go with them.  Jo said "Who do you think they are?"

I said "I have no idea, give me a clue" She said "Felicity Kendall AND...?"

I went "err... Richard Briers?"

Jo went "No silly, it's Felicity Kendall and Pam Ferris!  Can't you tell?

I spent ages choosing them.  Pam's the right shape and everything!"

And here they are - Pam Ferris and Felicity Kendall as Rosemary and Thyme, a very English afternoon drama about two gardening detectives

As I have a lack of things to show you, here's my jasmine in flower.  It smells amazing

I planted this magnolia grandiflora about five years ago

I love it when it flowers

Then  while I went to Husam's studio the other day The Actor mowed the lawn, I can't believe I got out of it again!

June 2011

I just need to do the rest now.  If only would stop raining.

Here's a picture of my fake flowers I bought in the pound shop in Kingsland Road.  They add a much needed bit of colour.  I hope I can show you some real flowers soon.

Thank you so much to my new followers.  If I haven't visited you yet I will.

Have a lovely evening xxx