Medium sized gardens: 3 Sheila Thompson

Jul 23 2008 by Val Javin, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

SHEILA Thompson’s garden is another of those little gems tucked away where only family and visitors get to enjoy it.

The neat front garden at Sheila’s home in Mount gives just a taste of what is hidden behind the house, a more spacious plot bursting with colour, flowers and memories.

Sadly, Cliff, Sheila’s much-loved husband and gardening partner, died recently and though it is early days yet, it is hoped that the garden they created and enjoyed together might eventually become once again her haven.

She’s certainly continuing to keep it ship-shape as they both once did together. Cliff’s pride in his lovely collection of clematis continues with Sheila determined to keep them blooming as well as he did.

Hers is clearly the hand that has always kept this pretty plot spick and span. She’s a knowledgeable gardener with some prized plants and an ability to create a space that is a delight to look at and a fragrant pleasure to sit in.

Perennial geraniums and anemones are currently giving a softness to the garden and a beautifully maintained camellia provides hedging that is lusciously green and earlier this year had real flower power.

The birds are well watered and fed with feeders, a bird bath and just the right kind of planting encouraging more and more species to visit.

Sheila has a daughter who lives nearby, another in Australia and a son in Germany. Of her four grandchildren, the two boys next door are likely to be the ones lending gran a hand to keep this immaculate and attractive garden in the shape that grandad would have been proud of.