New Year, New Start

I'm dreading going back into work on Thursday. There's no real reason, except there have been multiple stresses over the last two terms. Forget that, the last two years! I love and relish every holiday because it's time spent recuperating and being able to be myself.

But I made a decision. Rather than worrying about work, and other concerns that prey on my mind, I'm going to create the garden of my dreams: a haven that will help me offload all worries. I know it will work because being outside, for me, is real healing time. Even if I'm digging a new border (digging is certainly not my favourite job in the garden) I feel better.

The north side of the house which overlooks the "Kitchen Garden". The inverted commas are because all the rubble and rubbish make it as far from a kitchen garden as possible. There is a lot of work to be done here!

So... my plans for 2022...

I have two projects I want to concentrate on, but there will be many more jobs that I'm hoping to complete separately, namely the pond!

But my focus projects are the shrubbery and the kitchen garden. There is a reason behind my thinking. The shrubbery will be full of plants that take at least five years to get to their prime stage. So I want to start sooner rather than later. I have already started digging out the plot - a large curved area at the side of the house, and I have drawn a plan of what I want to go where. I know, in all likelihood, I'll find more plants in the garden centre and have to find room for them, but there's plenty of space around other areas of the garden!

My next project - the Kitchen Garden - is important for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I left behind my allotment when we bought Stempster. To be honest, the allotment was mostly abandoned during the first half of last year. But I am missing growing our own food, and I can't wait to get going with it again. A few months ago, I knew nothing about flowers, but a lot about vegetables and fruit. Now, I'm slowly beginning to learn about the decorative side of gardening, but I can't forget my love of useful veggies!

Another reason for the Kitchen Garden is, quite simply, Brexit. And the environment. The former means that it is sometimes difficult to get produce from the supermarket. The latter means it is not ethical. When we have the Kitchen Garden, the food miles will be just a few yards. Even better than having an allotment!

At the moment, the Kitchen Garden is... well, a wasteground. The previous owner seems to have kept chickens at one time but, other than a few tired looking herbs, it is rubble. The plan is to clear it all and have lots of raised beds around the place. It is against the north side of the house, so I have been doing a bit of research about espaliers that don't mind north walls. Fortunately, the spruce trees act as a good shelter and wind-break so it isn't too cold - it just doesn't get much light.

Here are some photos of the waste ground that is our current kitchen garden:

So they are my plans! Another New Year's Resolution I have is to keep a note of everything I do in the garden, and to do something for it every day. I won't be able to garden much during the weekdays of January, because I'm at work during the daylight hours, but I'll be able to plan next steps. And that counts!

I'd also like to keep this blog, not to share anywhere. Not yet, anyway. But it will serve as a time capsule of our first year at Stempster.

A welcome sight after a January afternoon's gardening!