My mother-in-law was quite taken aback the first time she wandered into our garden and found there wasnt a single vegetable patch or fruit tree to be seen.
My husbands parents had once tended a lovely plot. They eventually passed it on to us, having neither the vigour nor the health to keep up with the earths demands. His grandmother had adored her hours in the gardenshed grown cucumbers, tomatoes, apples and the like, carefully bottling them up and sharing with neighbours. Now the whole space was ours to manage.
So, we found ourselves with a good English garden: it’s become a spot for grilling sausages and loafing about on weekend afternoons. There was just one small hitchI never quite fancied mucking about growing vegetables, so my husband suggested we fill the beds with flowers instead. These days we make a comfortable living, enough to buy whatever we fancy from the local market or supermarket. We pulled out all the old vegetable beds and rolled out a good patch of lawn. Now the gardens a large, open space.
When my mother-in-law paid us a visit and saw not a single carrot or gooseberry, she was utterly astounded. She said I was a dreadful housewife, that I couldnt put my mind to anything properly, and accused me of ruining all around me. Not long ago, a gentleman paid her a call and mentioned her famous pickles. She, with a wry smile, produced a jar filled with nothing but dried petals, telling him thats all that remained of her mouthwatering preserves. She went on to say he should take the jar home for his wife and grandchildren, since the task of gardening now proved too much for methey could savour what she had once grown.
I was taken aback by my mother-in-laws sharp words and struggled to contain my feelings. Soon after, she came to me with yet another schemethat she might fancy a little patch for herself again, where she could grow vegetables to her hearts content. Now I dont quite know where I stand. Everything had been arranged, and Id envisioned a lawn and a paddling pool for the little ones, but now it seems I may end up with vegetable beds once more.
So it goeslooking back, it seems that gardens, like families, never quite turn out the way you first imagined.
