Your Garden in June

Posted on 10th June 2013

How very English

At a time when I’m making preparations for my summer holidays and browsing through pictures of tropical locations, I can’t help but compare them with the images of England that I hold in my mind. It wasn’t until I visited America last year, that I realised how very English we are, and how we really do live up to the stereotype we’ve been given. I wouldn’t say I’m a shrinking violet when it comes to confidence, but I really did feel quite reserved.

As a nation, I don’t think we’re very good at expressing ourselves, our thoughts or our emotions, and whilst I’m not advocating yelling at random people in the street because “your dust cart is blocking my parking lot” or applauding in the cinema (both of which I experienced whilst over there last year), I do think that when it comes to gardens we are, in the main, a little unadventurous. In fact, I would go as far as to say that a striped lawn and three borders is as traditional as meat and two veg!

But fear not, it doesn’t have to be this way. Expressing yourself outdoors needn’t mean exposing your inner most secrets, but I do think your outdoor space should reflect your personality. The residents at Bestall Towers are generally neat and tidy (in fact clutter makes my head hurt) so my garden reflects this with its simple straight lines, well ordered borders and immaculate patio, even the grass is plastic to ensure it always looks perfect! So what does my garden say about me? I’m a clean freak, with an obsession for perfection and a need to control my environment … pretty accurate I’d say.

So what does your garden say about you? Does it reflect who you are, or maybe who you were? Maybe it’s time for a change and to let loose that wild side, paint the fence black and plant only orange flowering plants. What ever you do, break from the norm and express yourself. You never know, I might even forgo power washing the lawn this summer…

Jobs to do this month (just for fun!)

Plant up pots and containers with annual bedding plants. Go crazy and plant up a coloured glazed pot with a wild colour combo

Re-shape your lawn and introduce new borders to break from the norm

Feed shrubs if you didn’t earlier in the year

Plant out tender vegetables such as tomatoes and courgettes