I was talking with Welsh John yesterday about how we can all make a difference in this world. However small it might be, every positive action counts. All those little pluses add up to one humdinger. You get the gist.
My neighbour, a bachelor with one of those jobs that however many times he explains is still a mystery to me, has recently had his garden landscaped. It is the thing of horticultural nightmares. As the work proceeded I quizzed him, trying not to judge or sob too loudly. As he explained the three patio areas, the vast expanse of plastic lawn, the fire pit, barbeque area and the night lighting, he must have noticed the tears rolling down my face. “I will be having some planters around the edge” he explained, trying to console me. “Then you must employ me to plant them up for you”, I insisted. At least I could make some kind of attractive privacy screen between our gardens.
This spring the time arrived for action and I duly visited his pristine home to make plans, notepad and sharpened pencil in hand. It soon became apparent that his knowledge of gardening was basic. Or perhaps a little below basic. His interest was on a similar level. When asked what colours he liked, the answer was “green”. OK. He wasn’t really into flowers. OK. Do you like tropical. “Not really” Bamboo? “No” Ferns “Oh, I don’t mind ferns, what are ferns again?”. “Not too tall, or too big, I like to see over the fence.” There goes the screen. My mission was to create a green, low, planting scheme with no flowers. Unlikely.
I ordered a variety of gorgeous foliage plants and snuck in a fair amount of bloomers. Carefully squeezing past the black Porsche to the equally shiny garden, the beauties were duly planted, watered and instructions given for not blasting them out of the ground with the hose on full power. He was happy.
Yesterday, I passed a tomato plant over the fence to him, which he had said he was keen to have a go growing, like his grandfather had done in the past. Whilst chatting and checking on the state of his garden, explaining about dead heading and weeding, he suddenly exclaimed with glee “I’ve got a bee on one of my plants!”. I leapt in the air, fist pumping in a way inappropriate to my age, exclaiming “My plan worked!” . It’s a start. And it made me very, very happy.
These photos are of my garden; tall, colourful, floriferous and full of bees. This would not suit everyone, including my neighbour, but his more ordered planting will similarly offer some sanctuary for wildlife and some nicer views for next door. Every positive action counts.
Off The Edge Gardening 
I know people like that with mysterious jobs. There’s only a certain number of times you can ask someone what there job is. I think it’s because when they tell you, you get so bored that after a bit you forget to listen. I had the same problem with my brother-in-law. Plastic lawn? Isn’t there a law against it? If not, there should be. It’s nice that you are optimistic about this man and his bee and tomato plant but you are starting off from a very low bar here. In my opinion there should be severe penalties for people who buy plastic lawns. I think you should encourage all the local dogs to go and pee on it.
Your garden looks lovely.
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This made me laugh, glad I’m not alone in not understanding what people are on about. We just went for a walk and yet again my blood was boiling with pots of plastic flowers “adorning” the outside of peoples houses. There is no accounting for taste! And thank you 😀
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When I rule the world, plastic flowers will be banned, along with plastic ornaments, fake topiary balls, trampolines, miniature windmills, statues of buddha, symphoricarpus, leycesteria and hypericum. I might allow gnomes as long as they are 19th century and as long as they are not urinating into the pond.
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🤣Can I canvas for a Cotoneaster horizontalis ban please?
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I know you hate it but I can’t understand why, I quite like it. OK then, we’ll ban it, if I can have my three.
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I expected some resistance, so thank you, it is either that or therapy. Not keen on your three either. I’ve dug up an awful lot of snowberry and it has just laughed at me and returned with a vengeance. I cringe whenever I see it. That and Houttuynia cordata, eeek!😁
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Oh yes, horrrible Houtuynia and its weird smell. Let’s ban that too.
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Sorry, I mispelt, ‘their’. Your fault for getting me het up about artificial lawns.
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😂
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Interesting use of the archaic spelling of “bachelor” or perhaps you had soup on your mind?
I like the way you are trying to persuade your neighbour, maybe drop a few seeds over your boundary in the like of Miss Willmott?
Liz’s comment made me laugh 😂
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Isn’t that how you spell it? 😀 Autocorrect failed me. Now should I revise or leave it? I’ll revise. Good idea about Miss Wilmott. And Liz made me laugh too, so funny, so true 😂
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I think you’ll make a gardener out of your neighbour yet. I sensed a spark of hope & hopefully a spark from the fire pit or barbecue will ignite & melt the ‘lawn.’ Don’t give up on the screen dream.
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Best no lawn at all rather than artificial, a lovely zen gravel garden with a fabulously large and expensive Japanese tree of some sort? Then a few lovely Japanese grasses and low growing plants, some with flowers?
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Totally with you there!
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