Fall back in love with your garden

WHEN I look back to previous July columns I see that they were all about ‘reflection’ and I suppose summer is a time to look at the garden, rather than work too hard.

All the earlier work should now be paying dividendssadly, there is a world of difference between what should be and what actually is.

I blame the Chelsea Flower show for this ‘reflection’ nonsense.

Apart from deadheading, packing away spent tulip bulbs, weeding and watering, July offers the gardener time to look and see if the garden actually works. It’s easy for it to become tired and look shabby, like areas inside the house, and a small makeover is what is needed.

You are allowed to dig some bits up, you know. It has taken me years to get to this understanding. I put up with shrubs I loathed because they filled a space and I couldn’t think what else to do, but it is hard for most of us to be able to picture something different and overlay that vision onto what is already there. It can often be easier to see it in someone else’s garden. We cannot be objective about our own things.

If you have access to a drone, (I don’t, sadly) use it to observe your garden from above. (There must be some use for these things other than just spying on minor celebrities). A bedroom window has to suffice here but it does allow me to get a more distant view and see which areas look like they could do with refreshing. The first time I ever removed a shrub was a revelation. Just creating a space surprised and delighted me. I now allow myself to remove things I have ceased to like and to put in things I really enjoy. You can see from the photographs this month what I intend to get more of, roses and clematis. Big changes can be difficult and too much to achieve but small alterations can give you a new perspective on the garden and make you fall in love with it all over again.