Tuesday 28 April 2015

EVERYTHING IS GROWING AND PLANS IN THE MAKING

Well everything is growing nicely despite the cold weather that keeps arriving and the night time temperature drops! It must be a strange sight up and down the country as doors open late at night straight after the late weather forecast and people rush out into the garden to cover up tender plants that they forgot to do earlier!


We both spent more time in the garden this weekend. Paul split these plants in the damp garden so hopefully we will get a lovely full showing of flowers this year.This view is looking over the side of the Lych Gate


If you look up and straight ahead you can see the statue of the Water Nymph, we cut back a branch of the
Heavenly Bamboo ,that's on the left of the photo, that was falling forward and covering a large section in the middle of this area, we also moved a small Heavenly Bamboo that was beside the larger one and replaced it with a large fern.


The other weekend I cleaned out lots of grass and weeds that were growing between the cobbles in this paved area where the path's meet.There is still more to do but some plants have seeded themselves along parts of the edges and I want to leave quite a few in to give it a cottage garden feel.


We paved this little area behind this trellis and to the side of the damp shaded garden, there is a rambling rose called Dorothy Perkins that has sweet pink flowers that's still waiting for the wall we planned to build where the piece of trellis is. It's a wall for a special purpose and we are hoping to maybe get it built in the next month or so..... if time allows us.
At the front of the step with have planted some different Thyme the one on the far right being a love lemon scented one. We are hoping this will grow between the edges of the stones.


We have planted a few small plants in this area.


A view of the other side of the damp shaded garden.


These Orange Crown Imperial's have increased, so we should have some more flowering this year or next.
There are some yellow ones just out of shot on the left.


The raised garden that leads down to the small round patio under the trees is beginning to look full although there are quite a few weeds to be removed in this area especially nettles!


The shrub border is filling up.


Billy Bob the goat's been banished into the border after I walked into his ear and cut my leg ! So He's now where he cannot attack me and cause any more pain! I may move him to a slight better position once his punishments over.


A view of the yellow Crown Imperial in the damp garden with the lych gate at the top.


The small patio borders are filling up.


Looking nice and full.


This Snake Bark Maple we put in a few years back used to be the size of the stem on the left now it's a nice solid truck and growing really well.


This is the top which will soon be in leaf..The back of the greenhouse is to the left.


The flowers in the flower garden and coming along nicely.


another side


the third side


the fourth side.

Well we have a few plans in the pipe line, we have ordered some paving slabs to re pave the path between the first garden and the flower garden. We need to get some bricks in for the wall near the damp garden and some wood.

So changes are coming which we will share as and when they happen.

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Saturday 18 April 2015

THE FRONT GARDEN TODAY .FRIDAY.


Looking down the front garden from the house, the border this side is already full with different leaf colours.


The White of another Amelanchier with the rust of the Spirea and the red of the Photinia   with some yellow Kerria between at the back.


There is already a small yellow flower on the Magnolia which is lovely as this bush/tree is quite young so does not always get many flowers.


The Silver birch trunk is looking lovely and white and the shrubs behind and to the side and filling out.


looking back towards the house.


This side is also filling out.


This Mahonia's yellow flower is in a large ball of colour.

So the front is filling up with shrubs and flowers to hopefully give a good display this summer.


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Friday 17 April 2015

IN THE GARDEN TODAY.

I thought I would show you all some photo's of what's happening in the garden.


The Crown Imperial's are starting to flower on the edge of the damp garden.


This was once a tiny piece of blue that now covers almost all of this raised bed and is in flower for weeks.


The Amelanchier is in full flower.


Bergenia's are also starting to flower.


The Flax is looking lovely and healthy.


This or I should say was the compost area but the wood's all rotted over the years , so we are planning to move this area to the very end of the garden and put a narrow shed here.


The raised bed by the hedge is starting to flower.


The yellow is Epimedium    and the blue is Vinca minor


The box is starting to grow and will need cutting after the Chelsea Flower show.


The Magnolia Black Tulip has a few buds on and the purple Honesty is giving some colour to this corner by the gate.


The Clematis Armandii is in full flower which we can now see due to cutting back the evergreen Honeysuckle that was taking over this piece of trellis.


The corners of the flower garden that Paul cleared and mulched are beginning to fill up. The fencing needs a coat of stain before anything else grows to cover it. corner one.


Corner two, the black length is the guttering from the workshop which still needs to go back but behind this trellis at the back corner of the Workshop is a very large water butt which is leaning, so needs emptying and placed upright to stop it pushing against the trellis.


Corner Three, filling nicely.


Corner Four.


The Akebia quinata is looking great.


This is a wonderful climber full of delicate leaves and deep purple flowers.


It's making it's way across a row of timber.


This leads round to the side of the house and the car port.


We still have four golden fish in the pond.


The Acer in the corner's now in full leaf which contrasts well against the red brick.



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Monday 6 April 2015

THE SUN DID SHINE.....

So FINALLY We were able to tackle the workshop roof ! Well I say we but really Paul did all the work, I was just the assistant, there to help carry sheets of  OSB boarding from the Carport by the house, where Paul cut them to size across the garden to the Workshop.
I was also on hand to remove all the old felt that he threw down to the Patio by the house and help take off the heavy wet old boards and carry them to a pile.
Plus to make sure he did not fall off the roof and have to become a statistic of DIY down in casualty !


The start Paul on roof taking off old felt and damp boards.


We started at about 9.30 am, slowly the roof on one side was removed. If you look between the rafters you can see the dividing wall Paul built to give me an area of the workshop for my studio.


Paul hard at work, you can see how wet the boards are as it rained overnight.


At least the sun was out so could start to help dry out the damp rafters as they appeared.


Here you can see the first new board in position.


The sun shine through the open part of the roof. While I was not needed I went round the garden taking a few photo's keeping Paul within hearing in case he needed my assistance.


This pot of Agapanthus needs re potting as it's broken the pot it's in.


I opened the greenhouse to get some air while it was so lovely outside.

 more of the greenhouse.


We had replaced one side of the roof with new boarding and this is the other side starting to have the old wood removed.


Alfred's looking forward to not having to live in all the damp it's not good for his Chainmail !


By 2.30pm the new boards were all on, we'd stopped just twice for about ten minutes the first time and fifteen the second for lunch.


I got Paul to take a few photo's of the view from the workshop roof.


The gardens drop away down the hill, yes that is me in my sun hat ! due to how hot it was getting.


You can see the Village recreation ground over to the left .


Soon we had one side of the roof re-felted and I cut the edge down to fit , while Paul started re doing the other side.


Finally both side were done!! This end you can see where the sheeting we covered the roof in for the Winter to try and protect it until spring has rubbed away the green stain on the side of the building, so that's another job that will need doing.


A view of the new roof ! The felt is guaranteed for fifteen years, Paul's informed me , he will never be replacing this roof again! Since he would be in his  late seventies in fifteen years I agreed!!


another look just because it deserves to be seen due to all the hard work Paul did to get to this stage!


A view of the side of workshop from the formal box garden.


LOOK DRY BOARDS!!!


The other end of building.


Some of the old boards that now need to be taken to the recycling centre.


More boarding and felt that needs to be removed to recycling.

Because the sun shone and the weather was warm and dry the Magnolia opened up more,


x

by late afternoon.


I love these blooms.

Well finally at just before six pm the Workshop had a new roof and was finally after goodness knows how many months ! Dry!
I have to praise Paul who worked all day to get it water tight before nightfall. He would not let me get on the roof to help him, probably thought two peoples weight would finish the roof off!! So all I could do was help where I could and keep his spirits up when he started to get tired near the end.

It still needs to be finished off, wooden battens across the roof and all around the edges to help keep the felt secure plus the guttering needs to be put back but that can be done over the next couple of evenings while the weather holds. At least it will now be usable for the next fifteen years or so.

So once it's all finished and all the rubbish disposed of , we can sort out the inside but that's another big job!!


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