Secret Garden [PHOTOS]

Ulica Radosna is one of those streets which are hardly ever frequented by the residents of Wroclaw. There is no point, after all, in walking around the apartment blocks. This time, however, it is worth making a short cut between ul. Powstańców Śląskich and ul. Komandorska. This is where an amazing garden and Jan Kowal's life time achievement is located.

"The construction of the apartment blocks left a heap of rubble in its wake. The area looked just awful. The residents got together and came up with the idea to plant greenery and to make the place more hospitable. I received the decision from the estate managers and immediately got down to work. First off, I had to create a design, and then remove the rubble with a bulldozer. It wasn't easy. To add insult to injury, there were no gardening markets in the 1990s. I bought whatever was available. I began with shrubbery, and then moved on to grass and perennials," says Jan Kowal, the garden creator.

At first, Jan Kowal could rely on her wife, but then they started to differ on how to develop the garden, and they ceased cooperation.

"Marriage is more important than a hobby. So we made a deal, and now I'm tending to the garden on my own," says Jan Kowal laughingly.

Jan Kowal is a retired school counsellor and teacher. He had been working for more that 20 years at the former road construction college in ul. Tęczowa. He took an interest in gardening in the mid 1980s. At the beginning, he pursued his hobby at a garden belonging to his in-laws. Then he switched to the area in ul. Radosna. He also tends to his allotment.

"I am no specialist. I have learnt everything by trial and error. I took a lot work and nerves to do this. Several years ago, during the Małysz craze, I even pruned the shrub in the image of our best ski-jumper. It looked like a jumper hanging in mid-air. The monument was not to last. There was too little sunshine, the ground was soggy, and the bush finally withered. That was a pity, but I promised myself not to make a mistake of this kind again," explains Jan Kowal.

The gardener from Radosna is particularly busy in spring. This is when you can see Jan Kowal at work.

"I spend several hours in the garden, and then I go to my allotment. I have to prune the shrubbery three or four times in the season. I'm also trying to mow everything neat. Sometimes I ask the estate managers for help. Their workers come to do the thick branches. Specialist equipment would certainly help but, you know, there's no such thing as free lunch, and I don't even want to think how much money I have spent on my hobby," says Jan Kowal.

Jan Kowal's contributions has not passed unnoticed in the community. He was awarded in the last year's edition of the Ukwiecamy Wroclaw (Blooming Wroclaw) competition. But he has no intention to rest on his laurels. He is planning to buy a new pair of electric pruning shears and bush seedlings to plant.