I sympathise with Adrian Chiles’s struggles in the garden (What I have learned in my filthy, bloody, sisyphean quest to tame my garden, 26 February). The basic problem is that the classic English garden was designed to be labour-intensive and for show. A different approach, working with nature rather than against it, gives a happier result.
Two (slim) friendly books, The Minimalist Gardener by Patrick Whitefield and Leisurely Gardening by Nigel Colborn, or better still a permaculture guru found locally, could lighten the load and lead to a more comfortable garden that is better for nature.
