This is a base map of our garden. It has no scale, so I had to go back to the original tatty version to figure out actual measurements.
I've included some plants that I may have thought were permanent at the time, but which are no longer there - rose, magnolia, strawberries, a large conifer tree.
There's no date, but I can tell it was some time in 2011 because at the end of that year we removed the conifer and the path in the top right, and created a little terrace instead.
I planted a living willow fence all around the garden, thinking it would make a good screen around the seating area between us and the pavement, and that I'd be able to harvest it for making baskets.
After nearly three years, I'm not entirely convinced this was a good idea.
I've decided that this will be the first of my land-based diploma projects. I've lived here for seven years now, and had plenty of time to observe. I have photographs going back through all of those years, and through plenty of experimenting I have a good idea of what works and what doesn't.
I love the seating area, and I have a good composting system and two water butts, which is plenty for this small garden. I've grown some decent salad, and occasional crops of courgette, broad beans, and radish. Sometimes there's soft fruit, but often there isn't. I've never grown a realiable crop of anything other than garlic and herbs. I don't know whether that's the space, the soil, or my lack of skill.
Right now, the willow hedge feels like a curse, and I'm contemplating ripping the whole thing out. What to replace it with though?
This week I've been offered the use of someone else's garden. It's about a mile away, much larger than mine, and has a polytunnel and a shed. There's no conditions, nobody else involved, and I'm thinking it will make both a second land-based diploma project, and a good space to grow larger crops (squash, potatoes) which I don't have space for here. It's essentially a free allotment, with no rules attached.
I have just one worry about the new space. If I can't keep on top of my own tiny garden, how will I manage another one?? I guess I'll find out.
In the meantime, I think it's time to update that base map...