Planting
up an old wheelbarrow
I’ve had my trusty wheelbarrow for over twenty years.
In that time this extremely useful and versatile tool has
served me and the family well. When it was new and shiny with its coating of
galvanized metal it was used mainly as a pushchair. I’d stack the inside of it
with blankets, cushions, toys and water bottles then happily go shopping around
the village. Sometimes even the dog would go in there to keep my lad company. We
lived in Newport County Mayo at the time and I hear people still talk about the
strange sight of “Barrow Man” and his family leaving a trail of toys along the
pavement.
As the barrow and my lad got older they went their separate
ways and I was able to us the tool for its real purpose and over the years it
has built many a raised bed and moved thousands of bags of grass cuttings and
plant trimmings.
Repurposing
Although I have some fond memories of my time with the
wheelbarrow, the time has come to repurpose the rusty piece of metal. The holes
in the body are now so large that the spade gets stuck in it and you can’t
scrape the soil out with your hands for fear of getting tetanus as there are
some sharp edges in there. The tyre, it’s 3rd one, also lacks the
ability to keep air in it which makes mounting the kerbs with it a noisy,
metallic affair as the wheel rim hits the concrete.
I haven’t the heart to throw the barrow into the recycling
centre so I thought it could be turned into a decorative planter. I thought it would be an improvement on the
regular decorative wooden ones you see in front gardens adorned with a few
lumps of turf. Not that I dislike those of course, it’s just that old rusty
stuff appeals to me more.
The holes in the base are ideal for drainage. I have some spare soil in the beds taken from
a new set of slabs I have put down which can be used to fill it up ready for
planting. I have seen some examples
planted up with succulents such as sedums combined with trailing plants along
the edge. The effect is almost watery as the plants flow over the sides, so I
might choose that style.
I could go for annuals such as petunias or pansies or even
mix in a few structural vegetable plants. I can have a play later in spring. If
it’s just filled with soil and no plants, it will look like I’m in the process
of moving the soil so even that could be classed as an art installation. For
now though, I have put a 6 pack of violas in there to make it look like I’m
doing something.
Between the Cracks
My driveway and paths in the back garden are made from very
old and very thin concrete. Over the years this has cracked everywhere and I
keep thinking I need to get it all up and resurface. The problem I have is that
I actually really like it the way it looks all weathered and neglected. Leaves
settle in the dips, water forms into small pools when it rains for the dogs to
drink from. Frost brings up even more delights as chunks of concrete keep being
kicked off. I found granite sets near the washing line the other year hiding
under patches of concrete too.
Initially I got a bit obsessed with trying to keep weeds
from growing in the cracks as they are seen as being unsightly and can disintegrate
the ground even more with their roots.
Adapting
No more though. I’ve decided to embrace the ground and
instead of clearing the plants, I’m actually planting more of them into the
cracks - and I think it looks great. I’m enjoying the deterioration process
until I can get around to resurfacing, which might be a few years yet.
Of course it’s not the regular weeds going in like the
dandelions, grass and cotoneaster dropped by the birds. I’m using less invasive
and destructive types, which at the moment is chamomile and creeping thyme. I
will be diversifying though and hope to get pennyroyal Mexican fleabane, wall
bellflower, campanula, mind your own business and Corsican mint.
One or two steps closer to having a garden that resembles
Steptoe’s yard.
