In Your Garden: Toyah’s Kent garden
STORIES
My garden journey began, as a child, I have always adored the idea of a secret garden, hidden away and brimming with life ever since I can remember. I was raised in a small village, but life took me to London at about 17, I had no garden only a roof and some plant pots.
After 12 years I went back to my roots, village life, and over the last 8 of those years I have been gardening. A little at first but over time the gardening bug has gone from strength to strength. It is a creative outlet and never-ending education. The more you do yourself the more you learn and like most things in life, you learn by your mistakes such as weeding out self sowers – so now I tend to enjoy sowing things from seed to be able to recognise plants in their first stages of growth.
I also stop weeding things I don’t recognise and just wait to see what they become first. I also enjoy growing plants from cuttings and making supports for the plants using coppice branches of our Hazel tree, it makes for some rustic and quirky designs.
The most joyful thing about gardening has not just been about creating a beautiful hide-away for myself and family but also for the little garden creatures, be it a snail or a bird I am fascinated and feel rewarded that they chose to shelter, feed, bath or drink here. They are all welcome, even the slugs and spiders!
I feel blessed to have this garden but if the time comes to move on I can only hope that whoever takes over keeps on gardening in a fashion that continues to support all the creatures that call it home and that wherever I go I am always able to garden, a larger garden would be the dream but I realise that any garden is better than none.
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Follow Toyah: @littlekentgardener