Dear Garden - I am a fraud

Dear Garden

I have to hold my hand up and confess to being a fraud.  I pretend to know what I am doing when in the garden, I pretend that I am planning and making things happen.  I post photos of you from a distance that almost look ok.  I post photos of plants I am very fond of; but my dear garden, just look at the state of you, you know that all that glisters is not gold and that one pretty photo is not the full story.

Are some areas are tangly mess of weeds?  Oh yes they are!  Now I can give you excuses:  it has been too hot to get much work done (true), the ground is rock hard as it is so dry it is hard to prize the weeds out (also true) and I have been really busy at work and (and this is the unforgivable bit really) I have been busy at weekends so have not had the usual amount of time I would have to get out there and get on with things (all true).  I could tell you I am rewilding, but we both know this is not part of the Wild Garden so this is not true.

So my dear garden, things are now at a stage where I really have to rectify things.  First up is the space I spent a lot of money getting cleared last year.  The front lawn etc is all fine though the borders are more weedy than I would like.  The area where the sheds used to be is still not in use and the brambles are having a field day.  You know how the more you let things slip the bigger task becomes and so the more you let things slip - well that!  So last weekend I made a start on sorting this out.  This did involve weedkiller on the brambles - I know, I know, not the best thing to do for the planet; but needs must.  It is impossible for me to dig them out as most of them have roots the other side of the fence.  There are also plenty of them that there will still be loads left for wildlife.  I need this space to be cleared as it will also give me clear headspace.  The clutter of brambles is in direct proportion to the clutter I am trying to clear from my head.

My other big decision is to get Sam the tree man back.  Sam came and dealt with the self-sown sycamore tree last year and also gave the Bramley a good prune.  It was a good prune and he was careful to explain to me what could and could not be achieved.  The tree could not be reduced too much in one go as it would probably cause it damage.  So my first task for him this year is to reduce the Bramley a bit more.  I love this tree and wish it no harm, it just needs to know its space a little better.

The second task I have for Sam is to prune the pleached hedge.  Part of it has got out of shape and whilst I can climb ladders, this is (literally) a stretch too far for me.  So rather than get upset that the hedge is not as it should be, Sam will get it back into shape and then next year I should be able to cope with it again myself........  or not, in which case Sam can come back again.  I have accepted the quote for the work so I will report back when it is completed.

So my dear garden, whilst I do feel a total fraud at the moment I have plans to rectify this.  Can I be forgiven and more importantly, will you forgive me?

Until next time

Your loving gardener x

Take care and be kind.

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