Stretching down the edge of my driveway, there was once a narrow strip of grass that was more trouble than it was worth. Jutting out like the jagged edge of a saw blade, the fence posts that hugged the edge of the grass made the mowing slow and laborious.

The grass had to go.

Covid had raised its ugly head. It was a personal assault on our lifestyle. Imprisoned in our homes, we turned to gardening. A vegetable garden for this narrow strip of ground would be the answer. A mini farm on my doorstep, providing a calm escape from the chaos of this new world. Removing the grass, turning over the soil, then zucchini, snow peas, corn, cucumber, capsicum, radish and tomatoes were planted.

The sun beat down, and some of the veges grew well. But there were many failures. The vege garden looked like a battlefield where there were few survivors. Bugs ravaged the produce and I felt like I was at war with nature. The soil was very poor quality.

What to do?

Raised garden beds were the answer. But enter my cat, Sapphire. She would have a field day digging out the soil in every direction. Did I want to invest in covers as well? No. So ended the vegetable garden idea in that location.

A new idea was born – somewhere to grow on and sun harden my propagated plants would be ideal. I levelled the ground and blanketed it with weed mat. Like a lid on a box, it sealed the weeds in darkness. Variety was going to be the key – black plastic pots large and small would be placed among black cypress mulch. The black pots blended in like a shadow in the dead of night, brilliantly disguised at no extra cost. Varied textures in foliage and a rainbow of colour was created by my pots en masse.

Timber and stone edging completed the garden bed. My old vanity basin now takes pride of place on the corner of the area, like a guard protecting the entrance.

My black pot garden is a success. Pots are rotated regularly, providing immense interest to the entrance of the property. And as an extra bonus, there is no digging or weeding. So now, during the day, Sapphire, as black as midnight, can hide amongst the shade of the pots. She delights in laying in wait and then springing out at me as I wander past.