I had a little part of my nan's garden (by the side gate & the bins!). I always remember there were bricks set at an angle that were used as an edging,that I uncovered. A small version of Heligan perhaps. I planted stuff that I was allowed to take & sowed seeds etc. Years later I got married & we moved into a new build bungalow with nothing but top soil just dumped on top of the builder's rubble.That was 1979, the year Geoff Hamilton started on Gardeners' World.We watched avidly every Friday & followed his advice.That was me hooked from then on!
Whoops! Have only been on here a very short while so didn't know there was already a similar thread.
Will go and sit on the naughty step!!!!!
My Grand parents were keen on gardening= only it was the same colour scheme year after year after year. At the front of the beds was blue lobelia and white alyssum, behind that was the red salvia (to this day I cannot bear that plant) and behind that were orange and yellow African marigolds. Now if nature throws up an odd combination of textures and colours I can cope with that but when it is regimented in that particular way it is another thing altogether.
Grandpa had two greenhouses for tomatoes. I was allowed in one but there was a special one that I only visited once or twice. It seemed hot and steamy and the air smelled of tomatoes and this must have been his special greenhouse. After all these years that smell reminds me of that particular greenhouse (as does the smell of real creosote - he used to make garden fences and had a big "bath" of the stuff to soak them in.)
My interest in gardening came from our neighbour, as my parents only ever had a lawn surrounded by hedging. Our next door neighbour, a country man, used to grow flowers and veg. in his garden. I was fascinated how his garden was so colourful and ever changing, and the fact that he grew veg., for me a city dweller all my life, was astounding. I have only ever attempted strawberries and tomatos, with little success, flowers are my 'thing', especially scented ones.
my dad was my inspiration for gardening, when I was a child many years ago we lived out in a little village, no shops and only one bus a week into the nearest town so my dad grew all our veg.
Oh the pleasure of walking along the rows of peas looking for the pods that where ready and eating the peas straight from the pods, even now I try to grow as much as I can so I can eat produce that is in season.
Better than sweets any day.
Thanks dad for giving me the passion to garden, I never stop learning and hope I can keep gardening even with my painful knees.
Great thread and thanks for the link to the old one PF.
My parents "kept the garden tidy" but had no real interest until they got older and worked less. My mum always saw it as a chore and still does but my dad would have been more interested if he hadn't worked 18 hours a day.
When he retired the seedlings started coming and grew to Tsunami proportions. The little plastic greenhouses started breeding in the garden. I bought him a subscription to a gardening magazine and they often gave away free seeds!!!!!! Their garden's not that big. HeHe!
He's gone now but everybody I know has nasturtiums and lupins in their garden. (or should that be loopins...that's what the little seed box in the garage said).
Posts
I had a little part of my nan's garden (by the side gate & the bins!). I always remember there were bricks set at an angle that were used as an edging,that I uncovered. A small version of Heligan perhaps. I planted stuff that I was allowed to take & sowed seeds etc. Years later I got married & we moved into a new build bungalow with nothing but top soil just dumped on top of the builder's rubble.That was 1979, the year Geoff Hamilton started on Gardeners' World.We watched avidly every Friday & followed his advice.That was me hooked from then on!
Whoops! Have only been on here a very short while so didn't know there was already a similar thread.
Will go and sit on the naughty step!!!!!
My Grand parents were keen on gardening= only it was the same colour scheme year after year after year. At the front of the beds was blue lobelia and white alyssum, behind that was the red salvia (to this day I cannot bear that plant) and behind that were orange and yellow African marigolds. Now if nature throws up an odd combination of textures and colours I can cope with that but when it is regimented in that particular way it is another thing altogether.
Grandpa had two greenhouses for tomatoes. I was allowed in one but there was a special one that I only visited once or twice. It seemed hot and steamy and the air smelled of tomatoes and this must have been his special greenhouse. After all these years that smell reminds me of that particular greenhouse (as does the smell of real creosote - he used to make garden fences and had a big "bath" of the stuff to soak them in.)
My interest in gardening came from our neighbour, as my parents only ever had a lawn surrounded by hedging. Our next door neighbour, a country man, used to grow flowers and veg. in his garden. I was fascinated how his garden was so colourful and ever changing, and the fact that he grew veg., for me a city dweller all my life, was astounding. I have only ever attempted strawberries and tomatos, with little success, flowers are my 'thing', especially scented ones.
my dad was my inspiration for gardening, when I was a child many years ago we lived out in a little village, no shops and only one bus a week into the nearest town so my dad grew all our veg.
Oh the pleasure of walking along the rows of peas looking for the pods that where ready and eating the peas straight from the pods, even now I try to grow as much as I can so I can eat produce that is in season.
Better than sweets any day.
Thanks dad for giving me the passion to garden, I never stop learning and hope I can keep gardening even with my painful knees.
Great thread and thanks for the link to the old one PF.
My parents "kept the garden tidy" but had no real interest until they got older and worked less. My mum always saw it as a chore and still does but my dad would have been more interested if he hadn't worked 18 hours a day.
When he retired the seedlings started coming and grew to Tsunami proportions. The little plastic greenhouses started breeding in the garden. I bought him a subscription to a gardening magazine and they often gave away free seeds!!!!!! Their garden's not that big.
HeHe!
He's gone now but everybody I know has nasturtiums and lupins in their garden. (or should that be loopins...that's what the little seed box in the garage said).
Grandads Tomatoes in the Greenhouse!! Then it was the Crysanthemums for the local show.......covered with paper bags
And then there was his Roses!!