Back to the lack of diversity. One type of grass with so called weeds banished, and even the wondrous softness of a moss carpet is ruthlessly eradicated.
So my front garden. It started with my son giving me some 60mm sawn planks with the bark still on to make a couple of raised herb beds. One has done particularly well with rosemary, sage, thyme varieties, oregano, fennel and artichoke. I have not taken down the imposing fennel stalks as they may be providing shelter for the most forgotten species of our environmental movements (the insects). The other bed was given over to mints and hyssop with less success. However lemon verbena has survived a couple of winters and the blue flowers of chicory were always a delight to me as I walked past.
Gradually the rest of the front garden has followed in rewilding. I am sure critics would be more forgiving if I had designed the whole thing! However that seems to defeat the purpose! I actually believe that nature probably has a plan, but it is too complex to unravel, so I tend to plant random plants in a random way. Some seem to thrive (hotlips and a couple of others whose names I forget) whilst others struggle and then give up. I have planted a variety of bulbs and we will see what comes up. Gradually the plants that like the environment will thrive and others wither – that is the point!
Overall I think the chaotic jumble of plants is exciting, hopefully it will be attractive to our little friends who need as much help as possible. Not just the bees, but all of them. It will not win prizes at the Chelsea Flower Show, but hopefully the beetles, hover flies, etc. will give it a buzz of approval.
So my front garden now provides me with herbs for pizza bases, pasta, loaves, tea, and much more. The pleasure of seeing new growth and a busy bumble bee. The pleasure in not getting annoyed by the futility of having to mow it (do men who love it, do it to get away from their partners?).
And to para phrase Martin Luther King ‘I have a dream …’ that all front gardens in my street were rewilded providing a wildlife corridor with hedgehogs and clouds of butterflies. I have noticed a couple of neighbours leaving bits of their lawns uncut – so just maybe.