Hard working Garden you have saved my life, 

with your hard clay soil that you couldn’t cut with an industrial knife.  

 

You have clearly been neglected over time, 

I'm glad a little section of you has become solely mine.  

 

That little patch of land, I'm excited to transform,  

you are lifeless and baron looking so forlorn.  

 

Digging down into the depths of the earth, 

removing roots, rubbish and rubble to give you some worth.  

 

Underneath your top layer, plastic and paving slabs reside, 

hours of digging out earth and breaking slabs it wasn't easy - at points I could have cried! 

 

How many layers of paving slabs did you need? 

I counted three layers and I'm glad you're finally freed.  

 

I mix in sand, ash and grit to dry out your massive clumps of clay, 

what you really need is a few sunny days. 

 

The worms have now all become my friends, 

I save everyone, their lives on me they depend.  

 

Secreted amongst the dirt are amber chunks of glass, 

I wonder what they were in the past? 

 

These beautiful amber nuggets will take pride of place, 

among the stones and gravel of my rockery base.  

 

Planning your future has been good for my mind, 

A welcome distraction from life's normal grind.  

 

You have given me fresh air even in the bitter cold,  

I love being outside it is good for my soul.  

 

You are going to be a garden of two different kinds,  

one half an alpine rockery with a sloping design. 

 

The other half our roses will be planted to grow, 

please be patient with me your progress will be slow.  

 

I've never had a garden of my own, 

there is much to learn and much to be shown.  

 

Watch as my garden undergoes its very own metamorphosis, 

like a colourful butterfly in all its gloriousness.   

 

12/02/18 Natalie Sparnon