Green fingers and muddy paws

For two days I couldn't lift my arms above my head without groaning like an old tractor but it was worth it. Six barrow loads later and our little courtyard garden has been transformed into a productive site where raspberries, cucumbers, potatoes, strawberries, lettuces, peas, courgettes, herbs, beetroot, chard, sweetpeas, tomatoes and not forgetting the divine sounding purple queen beans will grow..if all goes according to plan.



It's pretty small chez nous and I'm no professional so we 've had to think carefully about what to do. Although keeping it simple is key, I like a space that calls in all our neighbours, particularly the fluffy, winged or feathered kind to help the garden grow and tweet to their heart's delight. The sounds of these visitors is so soothing and for me that's the sign of a great garden; one which you do absolutely nothing in or equally one that is just as perfect with the echos of laughter and clinking of glasses over summer lunch.

I definitely have a touch of that SAD disease in the long winter months; they seem so full of a dourness that I can't shake and those grey days leave me dreaming of hearty stews in front of a roaring fire and praying for sunlight. A little dramatic I know but with the first sniff of spring my winter coat is shed, my green fingers polished and I'm prepared to muddy my paws, feel the earth and leave an annual imprint on our little outdoor space.



This year I got thinking about how amazing it would be to have a garden that makes a difference, gives more than just relaxation back to you? Helps you eat organically, saves on transporting food round the globe and gives hours of blissful solitary fun. I always thought our garden was too small for any of this but then I discovered Nigel Slater and have been romanced by the idea of having all those ingredients just a step or two from the back door. Even better, Alys Fowler and her fabulous city garden. This bright, quirky new gardening queen has an ingenious way of planting the veggies in with the other garden plants to create a delicious and beautiful haven to sit, relax and eat from all year round. Sprinkle on plenty of vintage glamour and you'd be crazy not to try some of her home grown heaven even in the smallest space. My little sister's even going to try some balcony pots at her new London pad. I love it and think it's such a fun way to grow things.

What's more, it really pays off, the more we've put in, the more visitors we have and it's wierd but it makes you feel so happy to see a couple of birdies watching out for each other, letting one another eat while the other keeps guard, so symbolic somehow. For me, this is the single most magnificent way to unwind and dream of the future so deciding what goes where is crucial as with each year things look brighter and more beautiful than before. So far, the potatoes in the bag are coming through, the tomatoes are sprouting and it'll not be long before my sweetpeas are weaving a magnificent purple web up the bamboo stakes set in place for them. For me this is heaven on a plate.



www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardeningadvice/7422221/Alys-Fowler-new-kid-on-the-block