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Well, before we delve into the philosophy (which I'm all for), a Garden is a practical space. You Decide.
(That is, you decide until by observation & experience, or by finding out/being told time and again, you eventually find out what will & will Not grow, in Your Space). (I can't grow Hollyhocks for the life of me! although I can grow mallows)
My father had a field as well as 'our' garden. The field was for carrots, mostly. He hired a tractor to do the heavy work.
We also kept a couple of pigs: usually a White & a Saddle-back. Mostly the white got shot for winter. (That's how it seemed to me as a child). It was butchered and returned to us & we kept the sides in the cold pantry, on hooks. (My dad & my cousin Dan did the dastardly).
This bit may seem irrelevent to 'gardening' but, as with so many women before us, Mom & me were devastated whenever a pig was shot. We talked to them and they became friends. Whatever that says!
Anyway, Mom's garden was the bit directly in front of the house (no doubt called a cottage now). She loved Cornflowers so that's what grew there, mostly.
Beyond that dad grew the veg. for the house, and along the sides we had fruit trees. One year he and friends had to dig up a HUGE pear tree which was taking over and doing nothing. He wasn't very fond of cherry trees either as he said: they get tall, and then you can't reach the cherries so the birds get 'em all.
Dad's practical philosophy was 'do a bit', sit down, 'have a pipe' and then do a bit more (when you've thought about it).
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