Like many terraced householders in Manchester I look out on to…well, a back yard…possibly a garden…in other words a classic Yarden. Mine is an unsatisfactory mix of paving slabs (the not-at-all-fancy type), crumbling brick (it has a kind of charm) and assorted planted containers. As I was searching the internet, looking for inspirational books about transforming tiny yard gardens, I was stunned by the absence of anything appropriate for my kind of Yarden. All the ‘small garden’ books seemed to feature spaces four times the size of mine, and the courtyards and terraces depicted in other books felt a million miles away from my dingy Coronation Street-style-slab-zone.
So I am setting out to create the book I couldn’t find.
After placing an ad in Chorlton's Community Index (a tiny local newsletter) in May this year, dozens of people in my area have been sending photos and descriptions of their small but imaginative urban plots, tiny eco-gardens, miniscule vegetable patches and examples of oases out of adversity. I’m particularly interested in finding witty and artistic designs, stunning scaled-down landscaping, and pint-sized but practical family spaces.
I will be adding as many examples as I can to the blog. This should be a great place to collect them and give them an opportunity to be viewed and commented upon by other Yardeners.
Why not upload your Yarden photos and descriptions too?
