About my garden
I live on the south coast in West Sussex, within the relatively benign micro-climate between the South Downs and the English Channel.
Our house was built in the 1930s and the basic garden structure has changed little. In the back garden, the dominant feature is the rectangular pond with its surrounding path. The central beds are predominantly herbaceous with shrubs and trees around the perimeter.
When we bought the house in the early 1990s, the garden had been unloved for some years. Plantations of buddleia dominated the centre beds and dense swards of 'ornamental' grass choked most of what remained. Some decades previously, the garden had been intelligently and attractively planted, but the combination of the neglect we inherited, our prolonged absences overseas and our basic lack of horticultural knowledge, meant it all got out of control. It had its own charm, but gardening is all about working with Nature, not complete submission.
The soil was - and still is, of course - heavy clay with significant areas of rubble. During prolonged dry periods, the ground becomes as hard as concrete and is impossible to work. I have incorporated huge amounts of compost into each area that I have taken control of. But it is never enough.
Over the years, I have increased my understanding of the different environments which co-exist within my garden and have tried to adjust my planting accordingly. Nevertheless, most of my plants are bought on impulse and end up wherever I can find a space. So, despite my best intentions, my garden evolves haphazardly, not through clever design.
My Garden Today: Early Summer
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