As you probably know, we rent our flat, which is why everything is in pots. But I felt the urge to do something meaningful with the front garden. We have a big drive, grass in front of each house and flower beds either side of the steps to the front door on our side of the building and between our lounge and bedroom window. Last year no one touched it, until around July I suddenly realised we had sweet peas that could probably do with a helping hand. Some were too tangled up to do anything with them, and I cut them down. Others I was able to cane up.
This year I thought I'd sow some seeds. It's a lovely old building and I hoped that some butterfly-friendly cottage garden flowers would help assuage my guilt at having absolutely nothing for the little insects to feed on in the back garden. I weeded, hoed, watered and sowed. And the moment I got seedlings up? Yup, you guessed it, the groundsmen came along and hoed them all out.
The groundsmen haven't gone anywhere near the beds until this year. Why now? I am quite sure the property managers wouldn't give a monkeys as to whether there are lovely flowers out in the front, so there's absolutely no point in getting in touch with them and asking them to call off the groundsmen.
So what to do now? I am loath to spend money on more seeds, especially if they're going to be rooted up and killed off (I reckon of the 2000 seeds I sowed I'll only have 100 or so survive, even if I can hold off the hoeing!), but it's the least expensive thing to do. I thought it would be a cheap and cheerful way of brightening up the place - the plants were only annuals after all. I'm tempted to invest in a few perennials I wouldn't mind growing myself, bastardising them for cuttings and then putting stronger plants in the border, but that's going to take me a long time and won't help this summer.
I could divide the alpines and put a few in. They're in full flower at the moment, which might dissuade the groundsmen. I could put netting down, not to stop birds or squirrels, but to at least make them stop and think before they hoe. I certainly have plans involving a load of cheap winter bulbs, which I am sure Tesco will oblige with in due course.
I got some poppy seeds in a magazine last night - they'll never get rid of them. But what more can I do without spending more than £5? If I get hold of more seeds, on the basis that the groundsmen were round yesterday, will the seedlings have enough time to take hold (especially if I put netting down) before they come back to mow the lawn and make the front garden look barren and lifeless?
This year I thought I'd sow some seeds. It's a lovely old building and I hoped that some butterfly-friendly cottage garden flowers would help assuage my guilt at having absolutely nothing for the little insects to feed on in the back garden. I weeded, hoed, watered and sowed. And the moment I got seedlings up? Yup, you guessed it, the groundsmen came along and hoed them all out.
The groundsmen haven't gone anywhere near the beds until this year. Why now? I am quite sure the property managers wouldn't give a monkeys as to whether there are lovely flowers out in the front, so there's absolutely no point in getting in touch with them and asking them to call off the groundsmen.
So what to do now? I am loath to spend money on more seeds, especially if they're going to be rooted up and killed off (I reckon of the 2000 seeds I sowed I'll only have 100 or so survive, even if I can hold off the hoeing!), but it's the least expensive thing to do. I thought it would be a cheap and cheerful way of brightening up the place - the plants were only annuals after all. I'm tempted to invest in a few perennials I wouldn't mind growing myself, bastardising them for cuttings and then putting stronger plants in the border, but that's going to take me a long time and won't help this summer.
I could divide the alpines and put a few in. They're in full flower at the moment, which might dissuade the groundsmen. I could put netting down, not to stop birds or squirrels, but to at least make them stop and think before they hoe. I certainly have plans involving a load of cheap winter bulbs, which I am sure Tesco will oblige with in due course.
I got some poppy seeds in a magazine last night - they'll never get rid of them. But what more can I do without spending more than £5? If I get hold of more seeds, on the basis that the groundsmen were round yesterday, will the seedlings have enough time to take hold (especially if I put netting down) before they come back to mow the lawn and make the front garden look barren and lifeless?
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