by Allison Hope

Created on: February 23, 2009   Last Updated: March 01, 2009

My garden is my little piece of Heaven on earth and I have had some very interesting insights whilst working the earth in my garden. When I first moved into a house with a garden, nine years ago, I had never grown anything and really did not know where to start. I had never touched a gardening tool in my life and was petrified at the thought. Little did I realise what intense pleasure and growth awaited me simply through the trial and error of trying to create my garden.

One day, last year, I lost my beloved cat of 17 years, who loved his garden so much, especially chasing the butterflies who ventured in to visit on glorious sunny days. His name was Lucky, but we nicknamed him bobo because he was such a comical, loving chap and the name seemed to suit him perfectly. He behaved like a little gentleman and he looked like one too, with his black and white markings which looked as if he was wearing a posh tuxedo.

Missing him terribly, I decided I would dedicate a part of my garden to him. First, I purchased a black and white ceramic cat which had a big cheeky grin across its face and put it in his favourite corner, which of course, happens to be the sunniest part of the garden. Realising the corner was badly neglected I read the instructions on the lawnmower, and after a few mishaps, successfully managed to cut the grass (albeit there were some baldy patches), weeded the patch and dug a border surrounding it. I then decided to buy some flowers that would attract butterflies and bees remembering his crazy clambering and springing through the air as he chased them relentlessly and the fun I had watching his antics. Exhausted he would throw himself on my lap and we would share a little of his favourite ice cream.

Then I decided to make this little corner more colourful by adding some trellis at the back and winding some climbing plants, fruits and vegetables. Later I added some hanging baskets full of busy lizzie's and petunia in vibrant colours and bought a beautiful plant pot in the shape of an old shoe with a brightly coloured robin sitting on the toe of the boot, this I filled with some brightly coloured impatiens and narcissus.

My little garden was alive with the chirping of birds feeding on the table and bathing in the birdbath, the hum of bees as they flitted from flower to flower collecting pollen, butterflies gently visiting their favourite flowers and watching the ants as they worked diligently together, it struck me that they were all doing what they had been

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