I’ve always thought Marylyn Abbott had one of the ultimate gardening gigs – a garden in Hampshire that she tended for six months of the year, and another one in Australia that she looked after for the other six. That means never having to endure a winter – heaven as far as I’m concerned.
Marylyn recently had to sell the Australian garden to make way for a new Australian town, but West Green House is still going strong and evolving all the time.
When I first went to the garden a few years ago I was amazed by the huge potager. I’ve always been fascinated by potagers – I’ve never quite figured out how they can possibly look good while keeping pests and diseases at bay (half of my allotment is covered in fleece and black plastic, which isn’t very fetching). Not to mention the gaps left when you eat what you grow. Anyway Marylyn has got it all figured out, of course. In this part of the garden she’s let the leeks bolt so that she can enjoy their allium-like flowers.