It's about a month or so since I purchased these little pots packed with floral potential and brought them home to the Attic. It's always such a thrill for me to do this (on the years when I pull my finger out and make it happen at the appropriate time) and this year was no exception. Oh, the J-O-Y in the choosing, in the imagining of it all! I loved picturing the colour combinations in my mind and anticipating a whole summer full of living, growing colour right outside my back door.
Before I could get stuck into the actual planting, I had some tidying up to do in the yard. For those of you who aren't familiar with my outdoor space, let me tell you it is teeeeeeeeeny. It's a very, very small L-shaped enclosed yard - there is a square of paved space directly outside my kitchen door which measures 2.5 m², that's part of it in the above photo. Then we have another even smaller area which measures approx 2 m x 1.5 m and that bit sits just underneath my equally teeny tiny kitchen window. So yeah, not much room to play with at all. It's west facing which means we get the sun in the afternoon, although there are parts of the yard which are in permanent shade all day. I'll show you some more photos as we chat along so that you can maybe get a better idea of the space, but when folks talk about small gardens, they actually have no idea what small really is until they've seen a Victorian terraced back yard.
Once upon a time I lived in a 2nd floor flat backing onto a high speed railway line, and believe me, a small back yard where I could sit in the sun and sip a mojito surrounded by flowers would have been heaven to me back then. So I try very hard to be thankful for this space, to appreciate it and not feel too envious of those who have grassy gardens with trees and wildlife and abundant borders.
Anyhow - an afternoon was spent shifting our dilapidated furniture about, sweeping and de-weeding the rather ugly concrete slabs and getting rid of an accumulated pile of gardening bits and bobs which were no longer fit for purpose. Then it was time to plant up my pots - these are all many years old but are still mostly intact so I simply changed out the compost and gave them a bit of a clean up.
Ahh....that's looking a bit better, a few colourful crochet blankets always makes everything look better!
We had an old folding hardwood chair down in the cellar so we dragged that up to put in the very small space at the end - this is the spot that gets the sun throughout the whole afternoon and it's very sheltered and warm there. I really wanted a lovely comfy chair to be there as it's one of my favourite places to sit, so I measured the space and started to have a look online for something that might fit.
The warm sunny weather was enticing us all outside, including Little Lady who decided that a spot of sunbathing might help her revision along (I know, teenage logic, don't bother questioning it). As you can see, sunbathing options in our back yard were very basic - a picnic blanket on the hard concrete floor was pretty much the only option.
Did you notice that I said "was", as in past tense? Uh-huh, well after I had a few mojitos tucked away I confess I went a little cray-cray with some online shopping......
....and this ↑↑ landed in my basket. Oh boy. Please say hello to the Allibert Jaipur Sun Lounger with Graphite Grey Cushion, and picture my face when a huuuuuge box arrived on the doorstep and I had yet to inform J of my purchase. Luckily all was well, and although J said I was "absolutely mad" for purchasing a giant piece of plastic, I was positively overjoyed with it.
I mean, just look how well it fits, and imagine how warm and comfy this tiny space is now...just perfect for some sunny afternoon idling with a spot of crochet in my lap.
The above photo shows where the lounger sits in relation to the shady table and chairs - you can see we don't have much privacy, actually er, we have zero privacy. I guess I've learnt to accept it as part and parcel of living so closely with our neighbours in a terraced row of houses, but I really would love to add some height to our boundary wall and gate so that we can relax a little bit more in our small outdoor space.
Despite the lack of privacy, I've been getting on just fine with the business of lounging around in the sunshine. I've been making very good use of my new giant piece of plastic seating and let me tell you I LOVE it. Absolutely love it. It's just a delight to sit with my feet up in this little sunny nook, an escape from the house and a bit of time to be alone with my thoughts for a while. I've had one or two afternoon naps here too, well I did have to try out the lounger in it's fully flat position to see how well it worked....I can confirm it works a treat. The only downside to having this one delightful piece of furniture is that I have to share it with Little Lady. We haven't (yet) had to fight over it but that's not to say that I haven't found myself on occasion waiting impatiently for her to get too hot/bored with sunbathing so that I can have my turn.
During the past month, my flowers have really started to fill out the pots. Most of the flowers are situated on top of the wall as they get full sun that way, and it gives me a smidge of extra privacy from folks walking up and down the cobbled back street just on the other side.
I water with a watering can which is a bit slow and laborious but it does mean I can add a liquid feed to the water once a week to keep the flowers blooming well all summer (I hope).
I'm waiting impatiently for the "prolific cascading" which is supposed to happen with some of these flowers...come on, come on!!
Two weeks ago I realised I had one large empty pot to fill, and I started to ponder what to plant in it. I wanted something tall/climbing as the pot sits in front of an ugly drainpipe, so I decided in the end to try growing something edible. I settled for climbing french beans as the blurb on the packet said that they'd have pretty purple flowers so I thought it was worth a try. I planted a handful in a pot indoors on 11th June....
....and six days later, ta-dah!!! How quick was that?! It was extremely exciting I have to say, the thrill of seeds growing into actual real plants never gets old.
I didn't have any tall sticks to hand, so I made some string supports (tied to the top of the drainpipe) for my beanlets to help them in their journey upwards. I'm hopeful for flowers and beans later in the summer that will cover up the pipe, I'll keep you posted. Also, you can see how fast my sweet peas have grown in the blue pot there - no flowers yet, but we do have buds. Super exciting times in the back yard. Buds!!
I love the ritual of stepping out of the kitchen door every morning to check on my flowers and see how they're doing. By the way, I'm still managing to keep with my morning routine in which I get myself out of the house at 7am each day for a brisk "wake-up walk". I'm pretty sure that I've now set that habit for myself (trying to remember when I first began? Ok, found it, it was 24th March so three months ago - is it a habit now then? I think it must be.)
I have to say it's really lovely coming back down my cobbled street at the end of my morning walk and seeing my pots looking so blooming pretty. I'm really happy with myself for making that happen. Well done me.
I leaned right out of my bedroom window to take the above photo for you, so you could better appreciate the small-scale of my yard. Teeny-tiny indeed. Incidentally, the big black box thing there is a very handy storage box which I purchased alongside my sun lounger. Oh, J had a LOT to say about that I can tell you. But it's such a good thing - it means we can easily store blankets and cushions and other gardeny bits that we want to keep dry. And like I said to J, it's waaaaaaay cheaper than a shed, plus you can sit on it or use it like a table. Versatile and useful.
And I leaned very precariously out of the bathroom window to show you the little bit of my yard where my lounger sits.
So there you have it, it's all bit a rough and ready but it does make me happy. At some point in the future if we decide that this is going to remain our home for many more years, we'll spend some money making this into a proper courtyard garden I think. I have lots of ideas (of course I do), but for now I'm content to enjoy what we have.
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Dear Lucy, simply wonderful!!, a hug from the south of Spain.
Posted by: Esther López | July 05, 2021 at 07:26 PM
It was exciting
Posted by: mamad | July 05, 2021 at 02:27 PM
Love it! I've just read Arthur Parkinson's new book and I think you'd love it. He gardens in a very small concrete front garden so his is all in pots, there are some great ideas in it.
If you have space on the other side of your wall for pots you could put some rambling roses out there to sprawl up your wall.
Posted by: Carla | July 05, 2021 at 09:44 AM
After years of living away from the UK I'm not sure I could go back to having neighbours so close - cute space but no privacy .
Posted by: Gail Knapton | July 05, 2021 at 01:44 AM
Love your garden, Lucy! You have worked wonders. Don't forget security... Write your house number and postcode somewhere out of sight on your new items with a uv pen.
Posted by: Corinne | July 04, 2021 at 10:40 PM
What a creative design of your space! And, dear Lucy, you ABSOLUTELY deserve your lounge chair :) and I agree that the storage box is a perfect dual purpose piece. Wishing you many happy and peaceful hours in the sunshine.
Posted by: Susannah | July 02, 2021 at 10:34 PM
What a little oasis you have created. Make sure you are deadheading your petunias properly, so many people don't. My Mom had grown petunias that have tumbled down 5 feet and have a 3 foot circumference with proper deadheading and regular fertilizing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXa6F4IpaSk
Posted by: Tracy B | July 02, 2021 at 08:27 PM
Excitement motivation
Posted by: fryer | July 01, 2021 at 10:48 AM
Thank you for sharing your little courtyard garden Lucy, I think you have done an amazing job with it.All those lovely pots of flowers bring a smile and it all looks so cosy. I love being transported from city life to somewhere that seems so much more tranquil and always look forward to reading your blog.
Posted by: Brenda | July 01, 2021 at 09:38 AM
Great piece of work there.
Posted by: Divyanshu | July 01, 2021 at 04:58 AM
Absolutely beautiful little haven of tranquillity! As we all know size doesn't matter, it's what you do with it that's important :-)
Posted by: Karen Ahmet | June 30, 2021 at 07:36 PM
Your tiny garden is lovely Lucy. You have already packed a lot into the space and the new lounger is great. Hope you get time to enjoy it as much as you want in the next few months.
Posted by: Beverley | June 30, 2021 at 07:25 PM
Such an inspiring post, Lucy! I'm planning to move back to Cornwall from France (haven't seen the family for two years now...), and know I won't be able to afford much of a garden, if anything at all (I have a big one here), but seeing how lovely you have made your little courtyard has cheered me up no end, thank you! (And no, I didn't keep up with the exercise videos you recommended, I'm afraid...).
Posted by: Trish | June 30, 2021 at 10:21 AM
Very pretty area Lucy. It looks like the neighbour has some pretty pots too, in the last picture? Does it get nicely competitive and colourful along the row?
Posted by: Rachell | June 30, 2021 at 09:02 AM
Love your garden. A beautiful splash of color and sunshine. Sigh! You did great! I think the lounger is perfect for the space. I love how it’s nestled in with your plants and flowers. It looks private. Enjoy!
Posted by: Lynn Dee Butler | June 29, 2021 at 10:49 PM
Love your backyard makeover!
Posted by: Robin A. | June 29, 2021 at 07:38 PM
How lovely is that. I'm quite envious!
Posted by: Katherine Brown | June 29, 2021 at 04:14 PM
You can’t imagine how I love your backyard since I first saw it in one of your posts, all your plants and flowers. You made me learn this word. I needed to see this space today full of colours. Thank you,
Miriam
Posted by: Miriam | June 29, 2021 at 02:36 PM
Hi Lucy. I loved reading your post and seeing all the changes. When you said you are still looking for chairs, I thought of our chairs. They have the perfect mix of lounge and seating quality (though perhaps not for tall people but we are a tiny lot). And it has perfect armrests for a cuppa and book. And ofcourse, last but not least. They come in lovely colours. I found a english seller (as I am holland bases but the chairs look very similar). They seem out of stock on this page but it will give you an idea. Theyhttps://www.therange.co.uk/outdoor-living/garden-furniture/garden-chairs/dolomiti-garden-chair/
Posted by: mirjam houweling | June 29, 2021 at 10:31 AM
Your yard looks lovely,so colourful, there are downsides to having a large garden too,it's such a lot of work even if it's mostly grass and trees but the privacy is nice, our old house just had a yard and we attached trellis to the walls for more privacy with yellow climbing roses.
Posted by: Jo Edge | June 29, 2021 at 09:59 AM
how about a little astro turf on the concrete Lucy, or a couple of outdoor rugs?
Posted by: Susan Mason | June 29, 2021 at 08:36 AM
Wow! Lucy such a pretty courtyard garden. I really love the choice of flowers you’ve used, such gorgeous colours, and I bet it does catch the warmth of the sun beautifully. I absolutely love the smell of sweet peas but the naughty slugs and snails think they are a particular delicacy and keep eating them!🙄😂 Still I keep trying! Thank you for such a lovely post and enjoy your sun lounger. Take care love and hugs Becki xx
Posted by: Becki | June 29, 2021 at 06:54 AM
Hi Lucy, Luv it. Would like to come visit your garden, and sit with a cuppa and have a crochet time together. My garden is a glass balcony off the living room, so I just fill it with pots and pots of color, a couple of chairs and small tables voila, and there it is. Pretty simple. I used to have huge gardens and orchards and enjoyed them tremendously, but now my wee balcony suits me just fine. We are having a heatwave 41 (105) here on Vancouver Island...unusual and record breaking. It should pass in a few days and get back to more norms. Everyone out and about looking to be oceanside. Could those be magic beans?! LOL Hugs, MO
Posted by: Marylin | June 29, 2021 at 05:37 AM
Awesome job Lucy. Looks cozy and inviting.
Posted by: Michelle West | June 29, 2021 at 02:50 AM
What a lovely little haven. Well done Lucy.
Posted by: Dawn | June 28, 2021 at 10:12 PM