Simplification

 

One of my pleasures in retirement has been my garden, particularly the  greenhouse and vegetable patch. Sadly, because of the excavation work that took place starting in the autumn of 2023 and followed in 2024 by our vacating the house, the whole garden has been very much neglected.

I had to abandon any thought of planting this year when there were so many other chores to contend with inside the house, after we returned at the end of March.  In light of the persistent dry conditions and high temperatures, a fallow plot may well have been fortuitous and, with the hosepipe ban, has certainly saved me hours of carrying watering cans. 

Nevertheless, a reduction in the temperature, cloud cover and some free afternoons over the past week have finally encouraged me to try to regain a semblance of order outside and, ever the organiser, to consider  a game plan for next year. That's not easy when in recent years we have never known whether the earth is going to drown or dry out, making it extremely difficult to choose which plants to nurture.

A vague notion that in order to free up time, I might try to cut down on the amount of vegetable seed that I grow has caused me to consider repurposing a number of beds. In turn this has led me to look at the greenhouse, desperately in need of re-glazing, and wonder whether in fact the ground that it occupies could be better used in another way. In the interests of simplification and reduction, should I be thinking instead of just a cold frame; hardy shrubs in place of bedding plants; miniature fruit trees in patio planters instead of the larger specimens that are now past their prime and can be hard work to prune as well as a magnet for wasps?

A potential depletion in strength and energy as we age suggests that I should be starting to take steps now to acknowledge this and create a space that works for us and frees up time. The jury is still out as to the extent of draconian action needed, but I do know that I don't want to end up with a glass house with no purpose other than to store pots. Has anyone else solved this dilemma, other than by recruiting a gardener to do the heavy work, leaving themselves simply the delights of deadheading and harvesting?