The Vegetable Garden – a home made birthday gift

This week we are looking at what I think is one of the best gifts for plant lovers. “What would you like for your birthday darling?” asked Mr M earlier this year. As quick as a flash I shot back my reply “a vegetable garden and raised flower beds please, oh and a wildflower cutting patch outside Belle’s too if I can… if it’s not too tricky… please…thank you…” The answer to the birthday present question did used to be shoes, a new outfit, or perfume perhaps. There’s only so many shoes a girl needs though and you can never have enough vivid beetroot and jewel coloured cornflowers can you? So now I had his attention, it was time to act. Out came the scale ruler and graph paper for him and the endless beautiful seed magazines collected since Christmas, for me. “Shall I put the kettle on?” I suggested “and you can start drawing if you like….”

Those of you who know me well, know I am a bit of a dreamer at heart. I often wonder why life is not a little more like the wonderful stories of Enid Blyton or a scene from Anne of Green Gables, even at my age. Some of my favourite days involve no car journeys and a float around the garden in a skirt, trowel in hand preferably with the warmth of sunshine on my back. Mr M and I have spent a considerable amount of time in our garden over the past few weeks (without any sunshine on our backs) and I have much to share with you today.

First though, a little history to illustrate our future garden goals. I am no stranger to a vegetable garden. Having once turfed and created a pristine lawn in our previous home, I persuaded Mr M to dig it all up in favour of several fruit and vegetable patches which over the years became busy and extremely productive. Many a friend was bored senseless by the story of how every ingredient on their plate came to be before they were allowed to eat it. These are perfect gifts for plant lovers!

Then came six sweet hens. I recall reading prior to their arrival, what a great help in the vegetable garden they would be. My book said they would enjoy the grubs, caterpillars and other insects which the veggies wouldn’t like. The book neglected to say the hens would also avidly eat the lettuce, spinach and other small vegetables you may chose to grow and your lawn would infact, never be the same again. Day one of the hens arrival was like a scene from Little House on the Prairie with me scattering corn for the girls from an old wicker basket. Day two was a very different scene with me screeching at my feathered friends to leave my tiny plants alone and Mr M charging around with off cuts of wood, creating the quickest picket fence you ever did see.

You may recal our back garden in this home, began its evolution with Belle shortly after our first Christmas here.  We also carried out some landscaping and added fruit trees and a new lawn which you can read about here if you like.

In our grand plan, we are aiming for a ‘view’ from the front door right through the house, to the fence at the end of the garden and beyond: I’m calling this potential view our ‘wow factor’ since I am sure it will be once we have extended our home. In order to preserve the possibility of this view, we are aiming not to inadvertently fill it with flowers, trees or structures. We were lucky enough to inherit a concrete base close by a boundary fence and we were unsure what to use it for, fearing a shed or some sort, may hamper the eventual view. As luck would have it, the concrete base was a good size for two raised beds and near an outside tap for essential watering.

Several days before my birthday Mr M rang from work. “Where are you?” he asked. “In the kitchen, baking” I replied “why?” I am sure he thinks day time tv has a place in my day to day life (another little secret you must not share) and this interruption to my busy day was unwelcome. “Look out of the window, your birthday present has arrived” he said rather smugly.

There followed much squealing and photo taking. The chirpy delivery man eyed me suspiciously, puzzled as to why the arrival of sixteen sleepers should call for such excitement.

The following weekend Master M was home for a quick visit for my birthday (another lovely treat) and he and his Dad set about creating the vegetable garden whilst I had a dewy-eyed moment watching father and son work side by side.

Then came the top soil together with another visit from the beast from the east and I wondered if perhaps we should abandon the whole vegetable garden dream I had going for a while.

I am of course made of stronger stuff and so I began sowing seeds. A therapeutic pass time if ever there was one. Each year it is such a pleasure to become acquainted once again with vintage pots and buckets hidden away in sheds and dark corners waiting to be filled for summer. My head has just been buzzing with summer gift ideas for plant lovers.

I’m a little behind schedule since the sun has been reluctant to visit however in my limited experience, I find mother nature usually catches up. They say we are in for a couple of warm weeks of sunshine now so I’m feeling rather pleased the vegetable garden is ready and waiting to grow. I’ll keep you updated. Next week I have another exciting spot in the garden to show you. Until then, enjoy the sunshine and thank you for being here x

Check out my other posts for some more great gifts for plant lovers…