It’s fair to say that neither of us came to gardening with the construction skills that are so often necessary. Over the years, particularly since we started to make the garden at Wharf House, we’ve nevertheless had to turn our hand to all sorts of building jobs. Every Spring we have to repair the weir on the stream, which raises the water level around our little island. We’ve made a lot of raised beds, mainly in the veg garden but also in the working area (photographed above). We rely on help from family and friends with more demanding projects: pergolas, gates and the covered dining area which we love. Like anything though, with experience and practice, one does get better. You may not agree when you look at the two latest raised beds pictured above but we’re pretty pleased with them! Not least since they’re on a hefty double slope, dropping well over a metre from one end to the other.
This is the time of year when we try to get jobs like this done. The days are longer, the weather is a bit milder and the garden is only slowly waking-up from its Winter sleep. This weekend we aim to fill the new raised beds with top soil. We’re taking the soil out of the raised beds in our polytunnel, which are too deep and are showing their age. Before Easter we also hope to build a set of steps up a particularly steep bank; to put in a substantial post for a vigorous rose to grow-up and last but not least, to fix that damn weir once again.
Wharf House Gardener 
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