The Lost Garden

Many years ago I think T was around 13 and A was 8 years old, on one of the selling sites I happened upon a Wendy house, quite a large one that needed collection. As with most of my "projects" I imply to my OH that he doesn't need to get involved, I'll sort it, which up to a point I do but then it comes to the "blue" part of any job and he knows he's going to get roped in. This was no exception and he duly constructed it. The kids have had some use out of it, the occasional sleepover in there but over the years it became a bit of a dumping ground a little battered and unloved and does take up quite a big space in the garden.

I'm very fortunate to have two areas of garden, my serene, green and grassed part with a pagoda and sitting area. The lights twinkle in the pagoda on an evening and strategically placed lights around the garden highlight the shrubs and OH's addition of a statue that casts its shadow wide. In here are one of my favourite plants which I was delighted to be gifted from my DIL's aunt. Another plant gifted from a family and now given the name of their loved one.  It gives me a lot of pleasure sitting there watching the birds especially the robin's, robin's are brave little souls and take no shit. I also liked to see the little field mouse I named Stuart Little he however has been usurped by Ratatouille which is another story. This part of the garden is very private it doesn't back on to anyone else's garden and gets the sun from first thing in the morning until early evening.

The other part of the garden which gets the sun from most of the afternoon until sundown was initially going to have a bit of a Mediterranean feel with decking, potted plants, gravel and a water feature the ideal place to eat out in the evening. When J & K and now the fur grandchild came to stay with us we've always felt crap that they've had to endure various sofa beds or blow up beds downstairs, no peace and no privacy. Feeling that it would be nice for them to have their own space OH came up with a plan. To say there was somewhat of a huge disparity in his vision and my imagination would be an understatement. I started looking online at the "outdoor living space" options but he had other idea's, he was going to build it himself. Wood, chip board, insulating materials were delivered and covered to keep from getting damp. This truly was a "blue" job and I looked forward to the time of the "pink" jobs of making it look pretty and homely. Now I do have faith on my OH even at times when I don't share his vision, he usually comes up trumps and often surpasses my expectations, the idea of linking it to the Wendy House though I just couldn't conjure in my mind at all.  At times you have the money and not the time, others you have the time but not the money so progress has been slow, it was half erected. On the fridge some times I put a list of things I'd like to happen in that year, you know a kind of visual reminder, a manifestation, if it's on that list I need to make it happen and satisfaction when you've ticked something off that list.

Four fucking years later this is STILL on the list and I am sick to the back teeth of looking out from my dining room table at Steptoe's yard. I peg my washing out there, go to the garage and let the dog out. On occasions I've said should we tidy things up a little which really meant we've moved a pile of shite from one place to another. The Wendy house became even more forlorn as it was like  a Bear Grylls challenge, all danger and peril surrounding it. One dare not go out there in flip flops unless a trip to A&E for a tetanus was your preferred option of  spending an afternoon. Last year we decided to use the decommissioned recycling boxes to grow vegetables, probably where the idea came for the allotment. This did not enhance the look of this part of the garden. Over the last few months OH has made some planters potted them up and put the potted bamboo at the front of the house, we got a brand new door, oh how I hated the green one we had, and it looks really pretty out front. So it's a bit top show, fur coat and no knickers as the back part looks like a shithole. When anyone visited I'd steer them from seeing the back garden into my little haven bit or say smiling OH has a project going on. Failing that I'd just draw the curtains.

Many conversations with OH and showing him Instagram accounts of peoples outdoor seating area's fell on deaf ears, he can be quite determined *stubborn*. This weekend there was a breakthrough J & K were up for the weekend. As T moved out last year they are able to sleep in a double bed in a bedroom so it now kind of negates the need for the outdoor room. I don't know what J said to his dad but the idea for the outdoor room has been put to bed. Whoop, whoop thank you J. I got on a selling site and put the Wendy house on there free to anyone who would dismantle and collect. A lot of the wood can be repurposed up at the allotment, leaving not too much crap to be got rid of which J is going to come up and help with next week. I have a week off work so can really get stuck in too.

My vision of this area may not be the IG version in my head and it's not now going to be the OH's version either but within the next few weeks it will be a version of a garden that we can actually sit out in, have a meal out there, and enjoy the sun going down.

The lost garden will be no more.

Sha x