The Hope of a Spring Garden

Never have I needed the hope of a spring garden as now. It’s only Wednesday and it’s already been a strange and disturbing week.

Yesterday, the Royal Horticultural Society cancelled all of its shows for the next few months – the first time the Chelsea Flower Show hasn’t happened since the Second World War – and more restrictions on the normality we take for granted seem to be coming in daily. Much of my working life has been disrupted, postponed or stopped.

Yet, outside in the garden, nature is continuing as usual with something new to see every day and buds full of promise.

Gardening is going to be a refuge for many of us over the coming months and a much-need bolster to flagging spirits.

I’m already seeing it as an opportunity to tackle those dodgy areas that usually get ignored through lack of time.

There will be more seeds sown and a concerted effort on the weeds. Growing fruit and veg, always better than anything shop-bought, will be even more important.

If you’ve never tried growing veg, now may be the time to try. Choose something straightforward to begin or order plug plants.

So much of our economy is facing a challenging time not least of all small nurseries, many of which will be badly hit by the loss of the RHS shows and other plant fairs. If you were planning to visit a show and have saved the ticket price, or if you can afford to add something to your garden to lift your spirits, do search out one of those nurseries either online, or by home delivery, as many of them are now offering. You can find details of independent nurseries across the country here.

In the meantime, every time the news gets too much, I’m planning to head outside into the spring garden. Here are a few more things that are raising my spirits at the moment.

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