FINISHING THE OLD ROCKERY CHANGE

 

So paving blocks in place.

Believe it or not, the blocks are the same as used round the paving edging but those have been down years, so over time these should blend in more.

The grass with regrow over the winter, which will tidy the area up.

We have added some pots with small spring bulbs, so we will get some nice early colour next spring. Some of the other plants will need protecting over the winter.

A SMALL CHANGE

 Looking forward to when we won't maybe have as much time or movement to work in the garden, we have been making some spaces that need a refresh also less work intensive.

So the old rockery raised bed has finally been reduced in depth and raised at the front by another two rows od broken paving. We found this didn't work in it's original size due to the shrubs that have increased in size over the years which constantly dropped leaves over everywhere and it was low enough that one of the dog's decided that he could walk over it if no one was watching!

We had removed the rockery stones and used them to infill the stream and wildlife pond area at the back of the garden.

So while we were working on this area we also cut back some of the shrubs and removed a small Lilac tree which was struggling. Due to being on a hill, the garden drops away quite a bit on this side, there is a small gulley which the shrubs are growing in behind the raised beds here. So we had a good sort out on what could stay and what could go.

We will need to do something with the area now left in front of the new reduced raised bed.

Now originally we were going to completely cover the raised bed and the smaller one next to it with paving but we always look again at our plans once we reach a certain point. We considered should be try making the raised bed into a flower bed? 

But in the end we decided to not complete cover the area but around two thirds of it along the back, and put in some low growing trailing plants at the front edge.

So today we went and bought some lovely black limestone paving , which after adding some weed suppressant fabric below and then some bricks on their edge, the paving was placed across the top.

Then some pots were added, still space for some more and the front edge was planted up.

So on the lower small raised area there was a nice little geranium, which was doing well, so instead of moving it we decided to place a smaller sized paving slab on three quarters of that area, again we used weed suppressant under the paving and lined edge with bricks.

So we just need to sort out the area in front of the larger wall and place a pot on the last area at  the far left until next year, when we may place some paving there back to the fence and use for a small greenhouse for scented Pelargoniums.

With the paving on and now reduced the planting area and we can use it for lots of pots next year.

SOME WALL POTS

 I recently visited my youngest daughter and saw she had not filled two terracotta wall pots that were on the brick wall that forms the boundary between her and the neighbour who lives behind her.

I went to check to see if they'd ever been planted up since she'd moved in a couple of years back and saw that they had not been used at all. So I decided to ask if she liked them and was intending to us them. She said she didn't intend to use them, she felt they were too heavy for the wall and was worried they could fall off and hit one of her children if planted up.

Naturally I asked if I could have them if she didn't really want them. She was more than pleased for me to take them home with me after my visit. So I set about removing the earth in them and then she helped me get them off the wall. It did give me a chance to see that the brick wall they were hanging on was in a bad state of repair and really needs rebuilding or replacing. This is a boundary wall and she needs to check her deeds to see who it belongs to. I believe she'll find it's the neighbour behind the wall as the wall runs behind both her neighbours either side of her and further on. Either way removing the pots was probably a good idea along with speaking to the neighbour.

The pot on the left came off the wall easily but the one on the right we had to fight with as the screws holding it on were too big for the holes, so we landed up removing the screws along with the pot!

Once back home, Paul put them up below Neptune on the back wall of the house between the two sets of French doors.

A trip to the local garden centre and they are now planted up with some colour which will hopefully last until the frosts arrive in a few months.

So It's always worth asking that question, you never know the answer could be yes.

A MOVE

 Since we need to pave the centre of the flower garden and even though it probably won't be happening until next spring, it still means we are thinking about what needs to happen.

So we decided we needed to move the sun dial to a new place as it would be in the way, where it was in the centre of the flower garden and it would maybe look to weathered when new paving is laid.

So we have moved up onto the circle of paving where the three paths meet by the folly. Above is a photo looking from the side of the folly.

Looking from the Lych Gate

Lastly from the path to the back fence.

From further back showing the sun dial now looking to be in front of the doorway to the folly.

We also cut back some of the shrubs that were beginning to cover the glass on the gazebo, so that more light can get through. It's surprising how much difference some careful pruning can do.

The flower garden does have a nice amount of colour in the beds.

another of the beds

another of the beds

The last one.

Lots of colour also in the house garden. Every where will need some adjustments come the autumn and next spring but looking lovely and the butterflies are loving it.

just a couple, a Red Admiral and a Peacock, there were three peacock butterflies and two red admiral butterflies resting on just this one bench seat.

This orange/brown one

another Peacock sunning it's self

and this one I saw in my friends courtyard garden.

So lots to see and do in the garden at present

A COUPLE MORE THINGS DONE.

 So Paul cemented in the new paved area beside the end of the fencing.

So a few more stones were added into the wider gaps and then it was cemented and left to set.

So we started placing the pots in the area.

We dug up some bamboo from the garden and placed it in a tub, to give a bit of height in the area and to help obscure the trellis.

We also added a couple more pots of Hosta's. So another job off the list.

 The next job tackled was making something to stop our large dogs wandering into the folly , that would also be in keeping with the area. We had been using a white baby gate! If we were sitting and looking at it seeing the gate was annoying along with it suddenly appearing in photos.

Seen in right of this photo.

We put these garden plant stakes in while we decided on what to do.

So after a small purchase of some more garden stakes, Paul made this for me. Which looks so much better from a distance.

So three more garden stakes along with the original two plus some wood and a bit of stain. I think it looks much better and more in keeping.

and still able to see inside.

Can easily be lifted out the way to gain entry but will keep any nosy dogs from wandering in.

So the end of the garden is looking so much better than earlier in the year.

RAINY DAYS

 It's been a busy week with none garden things, plus we have had some rainy periods but still plenty of sunshine along with those showers.

We did manage to get down to the garden landscape centre earlier in the week and get the two paving slabs we needed for the end of the gatrden.

So it's again very much a mish mash of pavers to fill the space.

Paul had to lift and relay the big paving stone on the left of photo because it had dropped down foe some reason. Now they just need to be cemented in.

Naturally we could not wait to see how the space could look and tried out a large acer we have in a pot that was up by the gazebo.

from the folly.

The acer has a nice spread across the trellis, only problem is that Acer's can be very fussy and it may not like this position. It is quite sheltered in one way but can get the winds blowing through, which may not please it. We will wait an see how it does. If we have to move it, we can replace it with something else to work in the space.

Now! Much to my dislike we usually leave an old baby gate across the doorway into the folly to stop the dogs from wandering in. We have been discussing what we could put there that would look way better than a white metal gate! Himself, said that if we put these pieces of edging across the entrance they won't go in..... mmm... I'll let you know if that works......

This beautiful Dahlia flowered beside the statue

We left this one in over winter and is one of the few that survived. One's we dug up stored we lost due to the late very cold spell.

DOING SOME PLANTING AND SOME REDESIGNING

 

We have been planting up the raised bed now that the water feature is in place. A couple of shrubs were moved out of the way of the stream and put to the back of the bed. There are also a few original plants still in their place which may have to be moved or thinned out later.

We have planted some ferns amongst the rocks at the back.

We have also placed a large rock in the border to add interest. Here a couple of low growing geraniums have been placed to cover the soil.

The Solomons seal was already here and gives a bit of height to the border.

More rocks and planting at the end corner.

Naturally when you finish something in the garden it will open up another area that may need a new design.

So while sitting on the bench looking out onto the path at this point, it showed up a few problems.

You can see from this much earlier photo, that we had a covered item along with a bust in need of a home, along with a part of the border still needing it's rope edging, which we could not finish unless we removed some we already had in use in another spot. At first I thought yes, I'd change the edging for some different ones we already had, that were going spare but problem was I liked it where it was.

Under the tarp was an old miniature garden shed, complete with garden tools and plants but the wooden base had rotted and it needs repairing. Also the planting just beyond it was two honeysuckles between a climbing rose.

I had cut these all back last year because they were becoming thugs, the rose especially was tangling in the lilac trees and taking over.

So a sit on the bench and a look at the space allowed for a decision to be reached.

We have removed everything, miniature garden shed, bust, and the three plants. We did consider leaving the rose and training it along the trellis but decided the Hydrangea that grows beside the bench rea and you can see on the left could be grown along the trellis.

First Paul had to replace the bottom board that had rotted and moved out of place. Luckily we had a piece of the nice thick boarding we used for the raised bed, which after cutting to size fit perfectly in place.

We used these decking boards many years ago to replace some fence panels, that our then neighbour had asked to remove while his builder put in a concrete base and then never put back. Thinking about it now, we should have said no, since that side was their responsibility and the base should have been far enough away from fence for them to put up a proper fence on their side at some stage. But either way, it didn't get put back so we used the boards then added the trellis to close our garden back in and to stop our two westies at that time running round their garden.

Apart from the lowest board the rest are in excellent condition for fifteen or so years they have been in place. We did consider buying a couple of four foot fence panels to replace them but that would be an unneeded expense and a waste of the boards already there. So we intend to add another couple of boards above these and raise the trellis by around a foot to add a little more protection in this space.

We also decided to shorten the border, which saves on buying/ moving any more rope top edging and use what we already had in the floral design to complete the end. See the photo.

So we will be paving this section, so we can stand pots in this area with some of our Hosta's in. You can see one of the pots to the left.

Now we just need a couple of large pieces of paving.