Following on from last week’s post, this second blog, picks up mine and Grandma’s ‘gardening graft’ from Autumn ’20 through to late Winter ’21, with a quiet Christmas and another lockdown thrown into the mix.

Notes from Grandma’s Gardening Diary Part 2

At the beginning of October ’20, George attacked the next bed adjacent to the first one. This time we have a theme. George was inspired to plant a Prairie Garden, after a visit to RHS Harlow Carr.

I’m excited – something different, and so we were now collecting an assortment of grasses and plants associated with this style. George and I love a trip to a garden centre, buying plants is something we’re both good at!

George began to extend and re-shape this patch and created a semi-circle bed against the fence, with a path in front and a D shaped bed in front of that. We need to edge this bed and chose log roll as we thought it would be easier to manage. We thought wrong! It was pretty tricky and took two pairs of hands and lots of ‘huffing & puffing’ to get it sort of ‘OK’. At one point I was ‘armed & dangerous’ with some power tools!

The weather wasn’t very kind and by now George was tired and wet, and cold, so we called it a day, and hoped that a fresh head & body would make a difference next time. Watching an episode of Midsummer Murders – his latest obsession – and a mug of hot chocolate soon made him feel better!

We decided that it was better to buy top soil as and when we needed it, and found that by buying 3 bags you got one free….and it was enough weight in the boot of my old jalopy. Of course, we go for the soil and end up adding a plant or two to bring home!! All good fun!

Surrounding my garden are lots of pretty tall trees, which of course don’t allow much light through, so, the next plan was to chop as many branches off as possible. George again got stuck in. armed only with a small pruning saw there was no stopping him and he worked his way through some pretty thick wood. Eventually, my neighbour came to the rescue and lent us his fully working extra long loppers and a proper saw. In no time the ground was covered in branches, with no trees harmed, we have light!

Speaking of neighbours, one-by-one they have all popped by, whether it’s to lend tools, offer advice, gift plants or stroke our gardening companion, Buddy. They all, of course comment on George’s efforts!

We cleared the branches eventually and George planted bulbs ready for next year and as they say we put the garden to bed for the winter. I absolutely cannot wait for the arrival of spring, so we can get cracking on it once again. Working with George in the garden, brings me so much pleasure, it keeps me fit, gives me something else to focus on and it’s so much better than being shut up indoors!

In the third blog from Grandma, we pick the gardening back up in April ’21, it’s the big reveal to my Dad and we invite guests for a tea party in August, how very posh!