Cultivating the personal touch

Having just read The Full Monty (March issue), I agree with Monty’s argument about making a garden personal to you. However, as I used to work as a professional gardener, I also understand that not everyone has the time or inclination to garden. I have been trying to create a sustainable garden in France where I now live. For me, it is about creating a balance with nature. People often just look at gardens in terms of individual plants, but I think they miss the true ambience of a garden, which I believe can only be achieved by stepping back and observing. I certainly would not have seen lizards mating on the doorstep, or hummingbird moths, rare swallowtail butterflies or praying mantis laying egg sacs, if I hadn’t done so. A garden isn’t an inert object that ticks all the fashion boxes – it is a living, breathing part of the environment. Georgina Tierney, by email

I’ve just settled down to read the March issue and my thoughts are completely resonating with Monty’s. While money can buy many things, it cannot create something personal to you. We moved to our new home 18 months ago and have been watching what is growing in the garden while just keeping it tidy. The garden is lovely, and clearly a lot of money was spent by the previous owners. However, I got the most pleasure out of two hanging baskets of trailing tomatoes that I planted myself. They cost only a few pounds, but watching my son pull off a ripe tomato and eat it was a joy. I am going to enhance my ‘show garden’ by growing vegetables alongside its tropical-style planting. Beautiful, personal, cheap and it will feed the family. I couldn’t ask for more. Laura Kent, Bristol I strongly agree with Monty’s views about the personal nature of a garden. I marvel every day at the trees and shrubs I planted a decade ago and how big they have grown – and how I have matured with them. My garden brings me a lot of joy and I like to think of it as an extension of my sense of self. Jane Lumb, Yorkshire

I have to garden on a tight budget and it is certainly a work in progress, but I can see that it is gradually evolving into something better. The cuttings taken from my grandma’s garden remind me of her now that she is no longer with us – they bring me comfort, knowing they were plants she also enjoyed. Whenever I buy a new plant I remember the ones she talked about, and when money allows these find a place within my garden. You wouldn’t necessarily see the meaning behind why these particular plants are there, but what matters is that I know and it is personal to me. It hasn’t cost much money – just patience and the time to watch it develop into a garden that is true to me. Claire Hawkins, by email