OUR FOLLY ! PART ONE

So now the stone works arrived it's official ! There will be a Folly in the village!

Which means lots of work to do before we even get to the actually good part of building it!

So this is where it's going..

In our original plan for a folly, we intended to place it where the low growing planting is on the right of this photo but like all designs, it's been tweaked!

Years ago we put in six Laurel bushes to form a hedge to reduce the amount of light getting to the shady damp garden and also to hide the compost bins. Now they have to go!!

This small pile is just a tiny part of all the Laurel branches that now need to be taken to the recycling centre!

The lovely Laurel hedge is now just a wasteland of trunks awaiting removal. Unfortunately you always have to lose some plants in order to make the changes needed.

One of the changes brought on by the Folly will be the removal of this rose arch. The Mortimer Sackler rose on the right will have to be cut back hard, we have already cut back the Gertrude Jekyll rose on the left and this one may have to be removed. It will be replaced but with something more in keeping with the new folly design.

By the end of the morning we'd removed one of the Laurel brushes completely and still had five to go!

So we stopped for Lunch and to go out and get a few essential items, then after another cup of tea, we were back to carry on.

Several hours later we'd managed to remove another three of the Laurel bushes, so the space was opening up again.

The pile of waste is getting bigger!

The large roots that we dug out, along with a lot of chopping of roots with our loppers.

So two left to take out but since it's now after six pm we've decided they can wait for another day!

A few more of the folly components.

Well this is going to be a long job over the summer but I'll report the progress as and when it's made.

********************************************************************************** 

A PEEK AT WHATS ARRIVED...

Today the stone for the folly arrived ! It was very heavy to move ! The lorry could only deliver it onto the very edge of the drive, and it arrived just before I got home from work.

So I arrived to find Paul manfully trying to move it all on his own ! So without even changing I started to help and It's now all under the carport or in the garden.

I thought I give you a little sneaky peek at an item or two !

We've had to put them where ever we could find a space for the minute and will clear somewhere and move them all nearer to where we need them.

a closer look.

Well it will be all hands on deck to start getting the area cleared and the foundations laid on which to build over the coming weekend and week.
Watch this space.....



*********************************************************************************

ANOTHER JOB DONE !

One of the outstanding jobs in our garden was to put some sort of tile or paving under the Lychgate, to finish it off.
Well the years have gone by, on the odd occasions it's been mentioned and then forgotten again.

Then last year Paul drew up a graph of what sized paving would be needed to fit and again it went by the wayside.

Then earlier this year we bought three paving slabs to make the front step from, because we fell in love with the look of one of them!
Of course it turned out to be totally the wrong colour! So we put them to one side and went and bought what we intended in the first place.

Then about a month back I suddenly thought where we could use them.. as the floor to the Lychgate! It meant we'd need a few more, so a pattern was worked out.

Last weekend Paul purchased the extra pieces we'd need and today he did the job!

The Lychgate being prepared.

Swept out and ready for the job.

The paving laid .

Now waiting for the cement to go off slightly then it can be swept to remove any bits of cement on the paving.

The paving with the markings

So now leaving it to harden off, then it can be swept over. Then all that's left is the gates! but who know when they'll get done... there's a folly to be built!!

*********************************************************************************

PLANING, ORDERING AND PREPARING.

There are a lot of jobs in the garden we are hoping to get completed this year .Some have been just a couple of years in the planning and one a long planned dream.

Many many years ago , we were walking round a garden centre and came across a folly! Built of stone and brick it advertised a company's range of products of which you could design and build your own garden folly. They could also come along and build it for you!

Like many idea's and dreams it was stashed away and taken out on occasion pondered and returned back into the drawer of dreams.

When we moved into this house in this village and had a wonderful almost untouched lovely long space in which to fulfill our garden dreams, The folly idea was again taken out and looked at and put back into the drawer of dreams but not buried so deep.

Then a couple of years back we decided we could build ourselves a folly but instead of with stone door frame and window , we'd use timber styled to look old and worn. To that end we began to collect some bricks from our friends which they no longer needed and had been sitting in their garden getting some good weathering.

our stash .

While discussing the folly we decided that we wanted to do it well and so we have decided to buy in the stone components we will need to make a proper folly.

Having worked out just how we'll do it, if the area we'd planned on would be able to fit it, yes thank goodness !, we've made a list of the parts we need and will be ordering them on Monday!

and so to that end we decided to make a trip to Capel Manor Gardens , where the suppliers have built a romantic ruin back in 2010 for her Majesty the Queen.

These are the photos we took today.

 Alas we cannot spring to the cost of a tower but what a wonderful ruin it makes.

Closer to the tower.

Inside they have a lovely Madonna and Child.

another side of the tower. The only thing I would say is they have allowed the climbers to cover the walls and windows and tower too much, yes you want some greenery to help give it that old ruin look but if the ruin vanishes then whats the point of having such beautiful doors and windows and walls !
I think less is more .

 another area.

A lovely long wall with stone windows.

This massive fireplace sitting to the side of the garden a great focal point.

another area that's been overwhelmed by the climbers.

a column

another small area.

So we are very excited to be finally starting on our dream folly in a few weeks.

We will share our build when we start.

Also at Capel Manor are some lovely gardens set out for people to walk through, front gardens and back gardens, old fashioned and contemporary. here are just a very very tiny selection.

x

x

This contemporary garden with a palette of mainly pinks, grey and green was lovely, here are a few more photos of it.

The opposite side

The back of the 'house' with a vibrant pink patio set to the right.

Opposite the back door a stone seat with pink Hydrangea's and a lovely cool spot to sit.

Another of the gardens.

The Japanese garden.

There are many more areas and gardens available for people to wander round getting ideas or just enjoying them. Most have some sort of seating area so you can pause for a moment and enjoy the garden.
And great value for money.

So yet another job for the garden but for us a very exciting long awaited one.



*********************************************************************************

A VISIT TO PECKOVER HOUSE AND GARDEN

Today we visited Peckover House and Garden , a National Trust property In Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.
The House is Georgian sitting in two acres of gorgeous garden. It is one of the best garden's I have seen in a National Trust property and well worth a visit, especially in the summer when the borders will be in beautiful bloom.

The house from the street.

The ground floor walls covered in a lush great Wisteria.

looking down from the top of the step at the back of the house.

The steps to the back door!

The plants at the side of the back steps almost covering the basement windows.

The other side.

The path to the side.

Roses

A rose Arbour covering a pond, I'm slightly to one side to avoid taking a photo of the people standng to the right admiring it.

There were quite a few arches covered with beautiful roses.

A seat amid the roses and lavender.

Looking back down the pathway.

another path

lovely border of repeat planting.

Some of the planting over the low edge to the other side.

The door to the Orangery which housed three orange trees in the centre.

The staging on the left was full to overflowing with beautiful plants.

As you turn and come down the other side, the planting is in the ground.

another view

The two of the orange trees in the middle.

The ornate metal legs to the staging.

 a rose and a fig grow on the walls to the side of the Orangery.

Walking away from the Orangery down a path to the side, there is a large brick wall on bot sides and a seating area just seen in the distance.

Here there are a mixture of flowers and flowering shrubs.

Looking back to the large palm towering over the garden in that place.

Then back again but straight down to the side of the Orangery.

And without using the zoom lens.

carrying on you come to an oval pond with the covered seating area.

To one side is another entrance through the arch in the wall.

To the other side yet more lush planting leading to

A wrought iron gateway into yet another area of the garden.

 Once through looking back and to the side was another pathway.

But moving forward we came onto a large grassed lawn with two deep flower beds.

Keeping to the path we headed towards a small cottage that sits in the grunds at this point.

Turning to the left by the cottage you arrive at the Reed Barn which now houses the cafe and a secondhand book shop and plant sales. with seating both inside and out.

Just to the side of the barn is a small area with tiny headstones of loved family cats.

The older ones are in need of repair and raffle tickets were being sold to this end.

 After a refreshing cream tea we head back out into the gardens to admire those flower borders  up close.

This is the red border full of beautiful shades of red flowers and leaves.

x

as you turn the corner the border turns to pinks

the second border.

Looking back from the far corner.

This border back onto the second border we'd just walked down, so now heading back up.

these beds looked like they were used for cutting flowers for the house.

we then came across the greenhouse and cold frames.

 again full of lovely plants .

x

Lovely ornate brackets on the greenhouse.

Even down the side of the greenhouse was full of plants

look at all that lovely colour !

Stepping back outthe greenhouse you see a mass grouping of pots.

filling this corner with lush colour

walking back along the high back wall just glimpsing the back of the house between the trees

The house

a wonderful example of Georgian elegance

Then turning down the side wall and back towards the house in the wonderful shade of the trees.

arriving back by the corner of the house.

well I hope you enjoyed the walk round the gardens at Peckover House in Wisbech if you get the chance to visit please do.

What ideas did I come away with? well

Well I did not really come away with the idea of a greenhouse full of Pelargoniums etc as I have wanted that for a few year but I am considering if I could squeeze in a small greenhouse nearer the house for them, leaving our big greenhouse for the tomato's and peppers in the summer.

Paul said he liked that great big palm , so i said well if you want one! ...... now he is planning!

 and walls ! We have always wanted to have a walled area in the garden.... but it's an expensive thing to build but we are again thinking about it!

We did bring home this little fellow who we are calling Percy Porker the Peckover Pig !

So yet more ideas to chew on over the coming months , maybe some may happen maybe none who knows ! That's the joy of gardening it's ever changing...


********************************************************************************