This summer has become unexpectedly garden focused.

Looking back through recent posts, it probably seems as though every spare moment has been spent outside. The truth is, that’s exactly what’s happened.

Somewhere along the way, the garden quietly became my happy place.

Whenever I find twenty spare minutes between work, family life and everything else, you’ll usually find me wandering outside. Sometimes I’m sowing another tray of seeds. Other times I’m harvesting vegetables for dinner, deadheading flowers, watering the borders, or simply standing still with a coffee, watching the evening light move across the garden.

It’s not about creating the perfect garden. It’s about slowing down enough to notice what’s changing.

This little bed beneath our bay tree has had many lives.

Last summer it was the children’s patch. A place for digging, experimenting and generally seeing what happened while the rest of the garden was still finding its feet. It was well used, and the children loved it, but this year I decided it was time to reclaim the space.

I removed the oversized stone border, reduced the bed to something more in proportion with the tree, and sowed fresh grass seed so the lawn could meet the new edging. It was a surprisingly simple change, but it completely transformed the feel of this corner of the garden.

The timing coincided with the hosepipe ban here in Surrey, so every new plant, every patch of fresh grass and every seedling was watered one watering can at a time. It took longer, but it also meant I noticed far more. New flowers appearing overnight, vegetables ready to harvest, bees arriving in the salvia, and tiny seedlings quietly getting stronger every day.

This year I’ve grown more from seed than ever before. The Coleus ‘Flame Dancers’ spent their first few weeks in the conservatory after being sown in early May, while the Salvia ‘Claryssa Mix’ was direct sown beneath the bay tree towards the end of May. The lavender is the only thing I cheated with, arriving as a plug pack to give the border some instant structure while everything else catches up.

In true optimistic gardener fashion, I’ve even started pumpkins. Whether they’ll produce anything before October is another question entirely, but that’s all part of the fun.

Looking at this little corner now, it’s hard to believe what it looked like only a year ago.

The bay tree has become the centrepiece of a space that feels peaceful rather than forgotten. The salvia is beginning to flower, the lavender is filling out beautifully, and the coleus should bring rich colour as summer turns towards autumn.

It’s also become my favourite place to pause.

Most evenings you’ll find me here with a coffee in one hand and a watering can in the other, stealing twenty quiet minutes before the next job begins.

There are still plenty of renovation projects ahead, but this summer has reminded me that not every improvement has to involve power tools or building materials.

Sometimes all it takes is a handful of seeds, a little patience, and somewhere to slow down beneath the bay tree.

Reporting from the dust,

xo Lois

If you’re planning something similar, these are the plants, seeds and products I used to create this little corner beneath the bay tree. From tiny seedlings on the conservatory windowsill to the finished border, these are the varieties that have earned their place in our garden. Click any product to learn more or visit the supplier.

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