Wait until next year

As an enthusiastic but inexperienced gardener I take a keen interest in the front gardens I see on my walk to work. I’ve read that one way of finding out what will grow well in your own garden is to see what is thriving in other gardens nearby. That seems like a sensible notion.

There are plenty of hydrangeas, roses, a few fuchsias,  lavender, rosemary. This is reassuring, as all those are in my garden too. For all I know these plants grow anywhere, but they seem to thrive in the sort of ground we have here, whatever that is. I have this great gardening book that talks you through how to identify your soil, but I haven’t got around to it yet. Too busy weeding. Or, more likely, not weeding.

We don’t have a front garden, we just have a driveway, and that is something of a relief. Front gardens seem to be a lot of work and lot of pressure, for little reward. They need to stay neat and tidy, if only for the sake of keeping the neighbours happy. If you’re working on one everyone can see what you’re doing. Yet you don’t really get to enjoy it. Nobody sits in their front garden, unless they are a bit weird.

On this walk there is a mix of gardens. Some are highly manicured. Others are a little more natural. One  garden has a team of professional gardeners every couple of weeks working on it.

There are other roads nearby where every front garden is immaculate. The lawns are always perfect, yet I’ve never seen anyone mow them. I suspect the owners creep out every night and trim them blade by blade. There can be no other explanation.

I’ve noticed a few gardens in the area using some kind of Astroturf. That’s just cheating.