The poem is believed to take place in Seamus Heaney’s childhood home in mid-twentieth-century Northern Ireland. However, it can reflect any rural, agricultural environment up to almost the present day. The only hints to a space in time are the references to “milk cans [and] pea tins” (Line 9), packaging that is less common today. However, these are subtle enough that the poem still has a timeless quality. There are also references to “hayfields, cornfields and potato-drills” (Line 11), suggesting this is more than just a personal garden — it’s a working source of income. Because of this, the speaker’s life would be deeply and intrinsically tied to the land.