Are you happy with your garden?

[Guest]

As most of you know I moved to where I currently live a few years ago and I still have a long way to go to get the garden where I would like it. In fact one of my neighbours has nick-named me jcb norfolkgrey because of all the digging and pulling about. However, when gardens have been mentioned to people around me they never seem to be where they would like them and they are people who have lived there 20-30years

So out of curiosity I thought I would ask you lovely grapes if any of you are actually happy or if it is one of those things where you are destined to always be doing more to

[veggiechicken]

25+ years here and still changing things. Its not that I'm unhappy with it - just like to try different things I'd be bored otherwise!

[noviceveggrower]

We are in rented so this isn't technically 'our' garden. Its in three bits really. Top is gravel, middle is grass and bottom is a massive raised decking with 4 raised beds just in front of it.
But if I could change it I would rip the decking down and put a green house and a shed in its place. Not a small greenhouse one of those 10x6 ones. A shed big enough for OH to have his train set in. Replace the raised beds with two new big raised beds for veg and fruit.
Keep the grass for the kids. Re gravel the gravel area and put tubs down the side so it leads you into the garden. Possible have a gazebo on the gravel or an arch with seating and have something climbing over it.

[meteor]

I think a garden is always evolving especially as you get more experienced and confident and tastes and fashions change. I am always trying alternative techniques and new varieties, types and species and as a result my plot bears no resemblance to what it did even 18 months ago. I don't think I'll ever be completely content with it and I suppose I'll be tinkering, chopping and changing while I'm able to but isn't that half the fun?
I have just finished constructing a leanto greenhouse and have to start the inner layout next. I must post a few pics of it in a new thread to see what grapes think.

[Small pumpkin]

I'm another one that is renting, so don't really own my garden. I'm lucky because the big veggie & fruit garden was already in place but neglected due to last tenets. Small front garden mostly lawn with bed/border along two sides. Again well established but neglected. I was aloud to put up two tunnels in the veg garden. What I would really like to do is rip all the fruit out and put more raised veg beds in. I could get another 3 good sized beds in that space! I've never asked if I can remove the fruit, because it's very obviously the landlord really likes them. The front garden is in the middle of a little bit of a makeover. Landlord has said if any of the the plants get to big I can split them. Which is what I'm doing. Making space in the border for lots more of the things I like. I would say I'm 90% happy with my garden.

[craftymarie]

I'm happy with my garden. It's a million times better than it used to be.

Going back to 2009, it was a lawn with a single shrub. Very plain. Very boring.

Gradually we added bits in starting with an area for the birds - bird tables, bird baths, holly, some longer grass etc. it turned into a bit of a wild area which now has some nice homes and water basins for the frogs as well.

Started adding containers, some flowers, shrubs and the polly this year. Next year will be putting raised beds in which I'm looking forward to.

It isn't big, amazing or pretty but I like it. Love watching the birds as I wash up and have discovered I like growing things. Even better if they are edible best bit is the fact that there's always something different to look at. I like the work in progress aspect.

Growing up, I always dreamed of living in a smart flat with a balcony. A garden was of no interest to me. But that's what I ended up with and it clearly grew on me. Life is funny at times.

[Lisasbolt]

I am getting there, the back is horrible but we foster so make pups it really is not worth the effort.
The front if where most of our usable land is, i still want to put in some more raised beds but for now i will work with what i have and in the ground.
I have a massive PT at the front which i do not make the most of but trying this year, i want to cram it but i need to be patient and leave space for successional planting. I would love a greenhouse but i really do not need it but i still want one It is not a normal thing over here so would really need to look or import one.
We are at some point over the next few months building a big garage shade thing for our new motorhome to go underneath as the sun ruins everything. We have a garage but for some reason they built it with a foot high step so you could never park a car in there unless you built a ramp.

I think i would always potter doing different bits out there.

[Jungle Jane]

I'm happy with my back garden,I like it's position with the sun (my patio door faces west) so the suns all over my patio 11am-7pm. There's enough flat grass area for an adult bouncy castle so I can't change it much yet. My front garden is just grass,bulbs & driveway,quite shaded & I keep changing my mind what to do with it. I buy plants,change my mind & plant them out the back where they're safe from thieves & vandals.

[Verinda]

I love my garden, we've been here nine years and during that time we have planted as many wildlife friendly plants as possible, it has become ever more jungly with tidy bits and lots of birds, I never want to leave here.

[Scarlet]

I've lived here 16years and there's always things that I need to change. Trees need to be chopped down, cut back. Shrubs get overgrown, die in the winter, plants need splitting..then I go off and bring in some new plants, some new features. Every year it's something else, it's not that it really needs doing, or I'm unhappy with it, I could just weed it and cut the lawn but that's no fun.

[Martin H]

I love my back garden. But like Scarlet, there's always something that can be improved or just tweaked a bit. I've a couple of ideas that might come to something this winter...

[Tripmeup]

I'm the same as Scarlet and Martin.... Quite happy with it, but I would not be happy unless I was thinking of new ways of doing and/or growing things... Always pondering improvements and changes that keep me busy

[Aberdeenplotter]

I think everyones gardens change from time to time simply through evolution. A substantial plant may die and leave a space that opens a window for something different or a plant may be gifted which needs a big space so some clearing may be needed or there may just be an impulse to reorganise. My garden at home is laid out for ease of maintenance, I'm doing other folk's gardens day in day out and the last thing I want when I get home is to be a slave to my own.. Having said that, I've been in my plot for three whole seasons now and I'm still changing things around.

[muddled]

I'm happiest redesigning my garden so in order to be happy with it I have to be changing it!

Having said that, I am currently obsessed with making a garden to grow old in. Its not as depressing as it sounds. My nan's garden and that of her next door neighbour were paradise to my childish eyes. As I grew and travelled my tastes and influences changed.
Then I had children and happiness was a safe place for them to play, room for paddling pools and swings, a clear view of them from the kitchen sink and nothing thorny or sharp.
Now they are grown and I find the sunshine too fierce, the clear view I would like softened, sunshine dappled. Happiness now is popping out there for herbs or fresh peas....my jobs as a child in nan's garden.

And so I've come to realise what she knew all that time ago, and I hanker for a garden that will eventually be paradise to my grandchildren's eyes.

[Bal]

Where do I start. We moved in here three years ago and foolishly didn't notice on the plans that most of the front and back gardens were built on concrete which was part of the old dairy. There was only grass in smal raised mounds in the back and front. No flowers trees or shrubs. We have bee desperately raising beds or digging out concrete since we got here. We have now got some lovely raised beds, and an enormous pond ( heeded the soil to fill the raised beds) Still have a long way to go. We are taking a break from landscaping next year and I will concentrate on getting plants in and my veggie beds. Am really excited at getting the stumpery finished. That will be the last job this/ next year.