I sympathise with Adrian Chiles’s struggles in the garden (What I have learned in my filthy, bloody, sisyphean quest to tame my garden, 26 February). The basic problem is that the classic English garden was designed to be labour-intensive and for show. A different approach, working with nature rather than against it, gives a happier result.
Two (slim) friendly books, The Minimalist Gardener by Patrick Whitefield and Leisurely Gardening by Nigel Colborn, or better still a permaculture guru found locally, could lighten the load and lead to a more comfortable garden that is better for nature.
You need to learn your local plants, wild and cultivated, and know what really is an enemy, as opposed to a plant with enemies. Ivy and honeysuckle, for example, are excellent wildlife plants and need to find a place where they are not in the way. I hope that Adrian can reconcile with his garden and be supported by it.
Jenny Tillyard
Seaford, East Sussex
Adrian Chiles’s article made me smile because it is so different from my own experience. When I had a large garden, I had a husband. I planted, he did paths and heavy work. The best days were when I was his labourer and carted away tree branches he had lopped. Tired, we would lie on the grass afterwards looking at the sky.
Now I have a small front garden and it is the passersby who stop to chat that accompany my gardening. My thought for you, Adrian, is that gardening is not just a task to be done and is best when shared with a human as well as a dog.
June Chadwick
Spalding, Lincolnshire
I sympathise with Adrian Chiles. Nature will always be one step ahead, but keep calm and keep gardening. Winter storms and heavy rains have caused me a similar problem. Soon I have a tree man coming to saw through ivy roots and dig one up that got the better of me.
Ann Newell
Thame, Oxfordshire
In contrast to Adrian Chiles, I find weeding a most relaxing activity. It distracts me from negative thoughts and brings calm. The task is endless, however, so I’ve introduced a 20-minute alarm to help me change areas or tasks.
Jeanette Hamilton
Buxton, Derbyshire
