For a long time I hesitated to publish this post. When we moved into this house the backyard was in a dreadful state and it took us a lot of work to transform it. That was about a year ago and at the time I didn’t have a blog, so the photos I took were purely for planning and memory purposes — to remember how much sun and shade we had. That matters because not every plant likes direct sun and some vegetables need full sun to thrive. Here’s how we turned the space into a productive, relaxing garden.
The original state of our garden
These are the first photos I took with my tablet, so please excuse the poor quality. At the time there was almost nothing growing — patchy grass, moss on the left, a dry center, and a weed-filled right side. Because this is a rental, we didn’t want to invest a lot of money, but we still wanted to make the most of the space.
Our first steps (end of April – start of June 2014)
The lawn was in poor condition, so we raked it several times, applied fertilizer, and watered thoroughly. Bare patches received a thin layer of compost and fresh grass seed. We raked out as much moss as possible and sowed grass there too. After about two weeks we gave the lawn time to recover and focused on planning the garden layout.
We researched compost bins and found that the local council offered an affordable bin with a caddy. We placed the compost in the darkest corner, away from the seating area. Composting changed everything — we stopped throwing away organic material and started producing excellent soil each year.
Assessment of the plot (start of June 2014)
The right side along the neighbor’s fence was so dry we decided to add a generous layer of soil and make a vegetable bed there. To reduce risk, we made the raised bed narrow in case it didn’t work out. We turned the turf over to aerate the soil, then added fresh compost and manure on top.
The left side was covered in persistent moss, so we used half wine barrels as planters. Barrels are an inexpensive alternative to large pots; whiskey or wine producers often sell damaged barrels cheaply, and some sell them already split in half. Drill drainage holes in the bottom, fill with soil and compost, and they make ideal homes for herbs and other plants.
We initially tried lettuce in the shadier spots but the seedlings didn’t survive. Then we planted kale, broccoli and Swiss chard, which did very well. The photo below was taken in September 2014.
Planting vegetables and flowers (June – early July)
We reviewed the seed packets we already had and visited garden centers for local advice. We had just moved to England and were surprised by how much will grow here thanks to the mild climate. We even moved our lemon tree and cactus collection outside for the first time; they thrived and bloomed once they were outdoors. The first plants we tried in the vegetable patch were several varieties of kale, leeks, onions, sorrel, Chinese cabbage, beets and lettuce. Everything except the cabbage succeeded — slugs took that crop — but the kale was especially prolific. We ended up juicing it because we had too much to eat fresh.
Harvesting the first produce (late July – August)
Harvesting your own vegetables is incredibly rewarding. Our first yields were exciting — lettuce and sorrel, beets, heirloom tomatoes, and broad beans. Mizuna, a hardy salad green, performed like a “bread and butter” vegetable and became a regular on our plates.
The beets were especially beautiful and surprisingly striped when I cut them open — a delightful surprise from seeds a friend had given me.
Harvest late summer through autumn (September – October)
We grew many tomato varieties — green when ripe, yellow, and deep almost-black types. I loved arranging different-colored tomatoes on a plate; some even made it onto a pizza that looked almost too pretty to bake.
Harvest late autumn and winter (end of October – December)
This was the first time I harvested my own butternut squash from our garden, and I loved the pumpkins and yellow courgettes we grew. They were so photogenic I wish I’d had a DSLR to capture stills for the kitchen wall. We also enjoyed leeks, kale and spinach late into the year. Frost even decorated kale and parsley with delicate, lace-like patterns on some mornings.
Overall the year was a success despite slug damage to the Chinese cabbage and the failed lettuce. We learned a lot, harvested more, and had fun working in the garden.
Before and after (April 2014 – June 2015)
Here’s a direct comparison of the garden when we moved in and how it looked after the makeover. We spent little money but a lot of time, and the results were worth it. If we could do this with a small backyard, you can too.
We still can’t believe how quickly the year went by, but we made sure to enjoy the garden. Our beagle Raja often reminded us to take breaks outside, and even the neighbor’s poodle Bradley would visit to inspect the produce or lounge and admire the flowers. There’s nothing more relaxing than a small haven that yields both food and beauty — and seeing our four-legged friends enjoy it too feels like paradise.
