Sunday 21 February 2016

PLANS AFOOT!

We usually discuss various plans for the garden as the year ends and then when the new year arrives they are or are not put into place or production.

Last year we discussed making one of the flower borders in the house garden ( the garden closest to the house) bigger , bringing it out into the grass and filling it with colour.


Well there the foot on the left that's started to remove the grass today after cutting the line across yesterday ready for my agreement on if it was out far enough. Agreement given today Paul started.


It's about four foot deeper now.


Dug over , grass removed  some manure added.


The paving slabs we use for edging as also been moved forward to help keep the dogs off the bed.
We are going to leave the birdbath where it is, so it will be surrounded by flowers.



So you can workout where it is this is the gazebo, still with it's winter covering.


The other side where the gate into the flower garden is.Eventually we'd like to pave this garden completely but while Izzy, our elderly Westie, is still with us we'll wait as we put the wider path in so she could find her way back to the house now her sight is nearly gone and this works well for her, she knows if she strays off it to turn back and follow it home towards the house.

Now I know you are think yet more plant purchases to be made... but you'd be wrong ! We have quite a few perennials that we got from an offer in the Daily Mail gardening club, which came as tiny plug plants and have been potted up and growing strong over the autumn and winter months.

Lavender , Geum, Delphiniums, Lupins and foxgloves to name but a few, so no need to buy more......no need but does not mean a plant or two may not be required to help balance , give height or not only planting up will tell!

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Sunday 7 February 2016

THE JUNGLE APPROACHES

Well at the end of January, last weekend, Paul went off to Norfolk , with our middle daughter ,to Urban Jungle Nursery's to have a look at what they had in their sale.

Three days later two very large palms were delivered and so today being dry and bright he dug the holes to place them in the border.

First we had that age old discussion of where he thought would be a good idea, that involved his tropical area taking over the borders past the Lych Gate and then we agreed he'd keep them in his current tropical area due to plans that hopefully will happen this year with regard to an area nearby.

I did suggest if the garden was no longer big enough we could move but he suggested he could move six foot of earth and his problem would be solved??? :) Funny man!

So the biggest palm was put in where he'd taken out my lilac tree which he said was too big and he did not like! Funny now there's a BIG palm in it's place...


The new palm in place.


The existing tropical jungle plants that were already in place last year.


a wider view. He said my Rhododendron woodland area that leads down to the back patio circle could stay!!!


The second palm still tied waiting for it's hole to be dug.


This palm will be at the edge of the jungle!


The two green banana's are still wrapped against the cold.


Some crocus peeking up in the raised beds.


The view from the Lych gate.


The second palm is in , just needs turning.


Will look much better once the warmer weather arrives and the Banana's are once again on show and the other small plants are back mixed in .


Else where in the garden the beds look empty while the plants are still below the surface waiting for the winter to finish.


This area will be overflowing in a couple of months.


The formal box garden sits waiting for the warmer weather to bring back the colour.


Lots of buds on the Stellata Magnolia , unfortunately lots of grass in the brickwork path and paving. but still to cold to start the clean up.


This Camelia  by the house is coming into flower.

So the traditional English garden is under threat from Paul's Jungle but as I told him , I'm head gardener and he's just the under gardener , he smiled and looked me over, then turned away and mumbled something about maybe he could get away with digging only five foot??


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