Isobel Carlson - Trugs, Dibbers, Trowels and Twine: Gardening Tips, Words of Wisdom and Inspiration on the Simplest of Pleasures

TRUGS, DIBBERS, TROWELS AND TWINE

This revised and updated edition copyright Summersdale Publishers Ltd, 2018

First published in 2010

Text by Anna Martin

All rights reserved.

Cover images: leaves, pumpkins, berries, mushroom, grapes, swirls Skorik Ekaterina/Shutterstock.com; trowel, fork mart/Shutterstock.com; watering can, secateurs Macrovector/Shutterstock.com

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Contents

Introduction

The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies.

GERTRUDE JEKYLL

Watching a garden grow and flourish under your care is hard to beat. A garden can mean anything from a few much-loved potted herbs on a tiny balcony on an urban high-rise building, to vast acres of avenues, orchards, ponds and vegetable plots in an idyllic country setting. Whilst we would all love to have a garden worthy of inclusion in The Yellow Book , the reality is that many of us dont have time to regularly maintain our outside space and would rather, given the choice, use the garden for relaxation than as a place for hard work. The pages of this book should help you get the most out of your garden, whether you are green-fingered or not, and show that even minimum effort and a few quick fixes can reap big rewards. As well as a host of tried and trusted tips, you will find some simple recipes to make full use of your home-grown produce, along with quotations and poems to inspire and quirky snippets of garden lore to intrigue. Learn invaluable tricks such as how to keep pests at bay, grow the perfect carrot, pep up wilting tulips, and even make our more friendly insects feel welcome.

The main message here is to enjoy your garden, however big or small: to be creative; to encourage your friends and family outdoors for picnics, snowball fights and scavenger hunts; to feed the chickens, collect and pot the honey, and appreciate what each season has to offer.

Planning Your Garden

If you would be happy all your life, plant a garden.

CHINESE PROVERB

Always adhere to the rule that less is more when planning your garden. The space around the plants is just as important as the plants themselves. A simple combination of lawn, flowerbeds, patios and paths is all you need.

One likes a mosaic pavement to look like a garden, said Euphrosyne, but not a garden like a mosaic pavement.

BENJAMIN DISRAELI, LOTHAIR

Try introducing curves to your design; it adds a sense of motion and flow to the space and gradually reveals different aspects of the garden. A curved border or low-level hedge, for example, adds a point of interest and an impression of space.

Hide your compost heap and wheelie bins from view by erecting a few trellis panels and growing some attractive climbers that will provide bursts of colour throughout the year, such as clematis in spring, honeysuckle and climbing roses in summer, Virginia creeper in autumn and winter jasmine in winter.

GARDEN LORE

One superstition states that it is important to keep boundary fences in good order or disputes will occur between you and your neighbours seems like sensible advice!

Take into account a plants size on reaching maturity and allow it plenty of room to grow so that it doesnt dominate other plants. Have smaller, flowering plants in front and larger grasses and bushes behind.

To make a small garden appear bigger, plant bright, attention-grabbing colours at the front of the border and cooler ones at the back.

If you have a narrow garden, you can divide it up with hedging or trellising and have separate enclosed spaces such as a formal area, a lawn, a vegetable patch and a place for your compost heap and shed. The separate rooms can be linked by a long, curved path.

Should it not be remembered that in setting a garden we are painting a picture?

BEATRIX JONES FARRAND

When looking around other gardens for inspiration, take note of the textures of plants; are the leaves or flowers feathery or spiky? Is the leaf surface glossy, bumpy, fuzzy or wrinkly? Pick a few favourite textures that will add contrast to your garden.

Remember that nature has a way of filling in the gaps in a garden, so unless you are good at keeping on top of the weeding it is best to fill the gaps yourself with attractive bedding plants.

If your garden is very small, give the impression of space by laying a walkway or path that gets narrower as it recedes into the distance.

There is always room to go upward; try vertical planting by adding a trellis to a wall or fence and train climbing roses, clematis or honeysuckle to grow on it.

Adding a bench or a table and chairs into the garden gives an instant feeling of calm. If possible, position the seating so that you can view the sunset, as this tends to be the time when people potter and relax outside. To make it even more special, plant flowers that release their scent in the early evening near to the seating, such as honeysuckle, jasmine and dames hyacinth.

Installing a water feature, such as a small fountain or pond, can draw attention away from the smallness of the garden surrounding it. It is also an addition that can prove peaceful and relaxing.

Create your own secret garden by building a stone wall, fence or hedging around it. A thick hedge will attract wildlife, offering food and shelter; a well-built stone wall is a natural, enhancing feature which can last a lifetime; and a fence can be easily covered with numerous climbers offering attractive, colourful blooms.

Make a raised bed for your vegetables it not only eliminates the need for paths and walkways, but makes it considerably less strenuous when tending your crops. If your garden is mainly shady, stick to a floral colour scheme of purples, blues and greens. Conversely, hot pinks, reds and yellows work best in a sun-trap garden.

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer to Gods heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.

DOROTHY FRANCES GURNEY, FROM GODS GARDEN

Heavenly Herbs

I know that if odour were visible, as colour is, Id see the summer garden aureoled in rainbow clouds.

ROBERT BRIDGES, THE TESTAMENT OF BEAUTY

Your precious herb plants will thrive when a fistful of grit is added into the hole in which they are planted. The grit helps with drainage and keeps the foliage dry, reducing the risk of rot.

GARDEN LORE

An old wives tale goes that if you slip borage into your lovers drink it will give them the courage to propose marriage.

Give your mint an extra strong flavour by planting chamomile next to it.