Town Gardening

Town Gardens: A Day Clearing a Terrace in Totnes

There’s something special about town gardens. Tucked behind stone walls, squeezed between terraces, or perched above the bustle of Totnes’ winding streets, they’re little pockets of green that hold stories of the people who live there. Today, I spent the day clearing a garden terrace right here in town, and it reminded me why I love what I do.

Before and After

The terrace was a beauty—or at least, it had been. Overgrown with brambles that had staged a quiet takeover, it was littered with last autumn’s leaves and the odd bit of debris that seems to find its way into any neglected corner. The client, a lovely local who’d just moved in, wanted it brought back to life. “I’d love to sit out here with a cuppa,” she said, peering through the tangle. Challenge accepted.

I started early, the air still cool and the town waking up around me. The sound of secateurs snipping through woody stems mixed with the distant hum of the high street. First job: tackle those brambles. They’d wrapped themselves around an old wooden bench like they owned the place. It’s satisfying work, though—slowly peeling back the chaos to reveal the bones of the garden underneath. A terracotta pot here, a patch of mossy paving there. Every cut felt like uncovering a bit of potential.

By midday, the sun was out, and I’d filled a couple of sacks with clippings. The terrace started to breathe again. I swept the paving, cleared out a rogue gutter full of silt, and even found a little stone birdbath hiding under some ivy. It’s funny how these small discoveries feel like treasures when you’re in the thick of it. I gave the bench a quick once-over too—it’s weathered but sturdy, just waiting for a sanding and a lick of paint.

The client popped out with a mug of tea (builders’, strong, perfect) and we had a chat about what’s next. She’s keen on some low-maintenance planting—maybe lavender, rosemary, a few hardy geraniums. Something that smells good and doesn’t mind the odd dry spell. I suggested a climber for the back wall—clematis or a jasmine—to soften the stone and give it that cottagey feel Totnes does so well. She nodded, already picturing it.

By the time I packed up, the terrace looked like a different place. Not perfect—not yet—but alive. The kind of spot where you can imagine a quiet evening with a book or a morning coffee watching the sparrows. That’s the magic of town gardens: they don’t need to be big to feel like a world of their own.

Days like this are why I started Totnes Gardening. There’s nothing better than taking a space that’s been forgotten and giving it a new lease of life. If you’ve got a corner of your own in town that’s crying out for some care—be it a terrace, a courtyard, or just a scruffy patch—give us a shout. We’ll clear the brambles and dream up something green together.

Happy gardening,

TotnesGardening.co.uk