Sarah’s garden

When we moved to our house in 2001, the fact that it had only a small triangular north-facing plot to the rear didn’t bother us too much. It only gets full sun (weather conditions permitting) for 6 weeks of the year. For this reason, and the fact that we are on a slope draining away excess rainfall from the agricultural surrounds, the previous house owner replaced the boggy grass with a 3-tiered patio. Functional, but unattractive!

I started going to City & Guilds gardening classes through Craven College that autumn and planned how to maximise a planting area. A landscaper came April 2002 to build my design. The one thing I would change is that I ordered reclaimed railway sleepers believing they would offer a good sustainable material to reuse. The landscaper didn’t warn me about the annual seeping of tar in hot weather – I just didn’t know they would do that although it makes sense. It’s killed quite a few plants around the edge and it also prevents me from sitting on the wood in the summer, or using it for weeding and replanting.

I’ve recently started collating my gardening photos and it’s interesting to see just how much the planting changes yearly. It’s a tiny plot, and given the shade and conditions, plants don’t often survive long, or need moving on when they get too big.

We lifted the flags and dug out the hardcore, with the help of a very kind friend!

The area for planting that gets the most sun

The reclaimed sleepers going in

The finished raised bed and wildlife pond

2 months later - the foliage taking over

June 2003 - a year later - more defined structure

Summer 2004 - the alpines already died off at the front, so replaced with impatiens, and the hebe taking over

May 2005 - the height starting to come with the lilac, crab apple, and kerria woven into the buddlia

May 2009 - having put a pathway in to access the back, with the bergenia really well established at the front

May 2010 - a notable difference in growth after a long, hard winter