New year, new garden!

How on earth did this year roll by so quickly? I'm sure many of you will be seeing 2014 in with your friends and family or even just sitting quietly by the TV until 12:01am and then slipping quietly off to bed. Well, I'll probably be in bed well before midnight - we've never been ones to celebrate the dawn of another year and tomorrow will just be another day to us.

I've never really been one to look back over the blogging year either. I don't know why really but I just rarely read old posts, however 2013 has been a strange gardening year for me which saw my inital excitement at the prospect of a new garden followed very closely by a reality check as it got too much, followed then by back problems and a mental fight to keep the gardening spirit alive so I've found myself reliving those moments.

2013 started with that fabulous holiday to Jamaica - it certainly doesn't feel like almost a year ago since we went and the photos still evoke the smell of the flowers.

MrTG and I also decided to renovate the entire garden after I asked him if he felt my garden was boring. Much hard worked ensued - tears & tantrums when pergola building - but the finished effect left me feeling rather pleased. Least that's one half done anyway!

That's what I started with.
By the middle of summer the borders were blooming!

New raised veg beds were put in at the polytunnel area

Then promptly flooded out

I had minimal success with fruit and veg growing which left me disheartened and that on top of not being able to cope with a growing jungle left me considering giving up totally at the end of the year.

Bad Tomato crops, although we got a handful of decent edible ones

A handful of massive cabbages

But a bounty of Sweetcorn made up for losses elsewhere

The cut flowers made the entire season for me though and I shall definitely be putting more energy into that in 2014

The garden is now in hibernation but despite my moaning throughout the year I am so looking forward to the start of a new fresh gardening year. 2013 has taught me that I grow the wrong vegetables and too much of them, I also need to accept that the garden is never going to look as perfect as those we see in magazines and that's ok. I've also learned that there's a whole blogging community out there who are happy to share experiences and expertise and listen to a moan while offering just the right amount of understanding needed to let me know that I'm not alone.

HAPPY NEW YEAR ONE AND ALL!