19th March

19^th March

I finally got rid of the contents of a large number of bags and containers. Last year's compost in the container pots in which grew the peppers and basil and various other plants all got tipped into section 2 at the allotment where I’ll be growing leeks. So too did 2 bags of almost rotted down compost from the bin, a couple of containers of rotted down wood chips and a fair quantity of leaf mould. The soil now looks a lot richer as the topsoil I’ve been importing seems dry, lumpy and a little clayey,

Back home I sowed 3 trays of leek seeds.

I am watching last Friday’s Gardener’s World via the BBC iplayer. They have started the series with Carol Kleine retracing her gardening roots and visiting her old gardens and friends with their gardens. My eyes popped out of my head when I saw some of their gardens. One man’s in particular was amazing. He built a garden from scratch beginning 6 years ago and now has a perfectly manicured plot which is enormous and contains large water features and mature trees and perfect lawns with borders of fantastic colour. It really made me look at my garden in my minds eye and make a far less than favourable comparison. Here I am journaling my exploits on 2 meagre and humble plots of ground having low expectations and only slightly lower results at home with worse than low results at the allotment last year and it should be this chap who is writing about his achievements. Then I am reminded that I am in no way writing a manual of the memoirs of an accomplished gardener, I am writing because I am a nobody in the world of horticulture (as well as in other worlds!) and I just wanted to chart the miniscule exploits of an average bloke with an average plot and less than average skills, and it all began as a personal record with no delusions of literary competence at all. Either way, I was not put off by seeing these gardens, but blessed to be able to view them and be inspired and filled with awe.