I thought I better do a follow up on my last blog post about the garden makeover. Before you get too excited, it is still 'a work in progress' and, thanks to a shortage of both spare time and funds, will probably be so for some time to come! Despite this, I hope you will follow our rather amateur, but hopefully entertaining, attempts to get the garden in order.
Well, the first clear-up of the season took place. Gerard [still not Butler!] and his brother did an outstanding job clearing away years of accumulated debris. It is truly amazing what can be achieved when you are motivated - or a professional gardener getting paid! We could, at last, see the wood for the trees...
The driveway border, which we have 're-inforced' with a wall of sleepers, although I called it 're-upholstered' [that's a textile designer for you], was completely cleared ready for planting. Those of you with eagle eyes, will see some of our cows in the background of the image. You can do very little, around the farm, without their natural curiosity bringing them over to watch!
We kept the three lilac trees, even though they are rather old and send shoots out all over the place, as they create a lovely wall of greenery, not to mention beautifully scented flowers, that shields the house from some of the less attractive 'farm workings'! All planting suggestions for this border gratefully accepted...
The pond looked a little forlorn, after it's 'short back and sides', but the grasses and marginal plants are already sending up green shoots and the newts and frogs seem to appreciate having access to a little more sunlight, now that the jungle has disappeared.
The path leading to the workshop is bordered on one side by lawn and on the other by the wall of the fold yard [this being where the cows spend the winter]. This border had become very overgrown, so much so that the path was almost impassible. It has now been transformed into a neat, slate covered area with the rambling roses and clematis firmly put back in their place! I hope to have a few tomato plants along the wall this summer - variety and growing method [pots vs grow bags] to be decided...
I have wanted some raised beds, for vegetables, close to the kitchen door for as long as I can remember. So, with some railway sleepers going spare, this seemed the ideal opportunity...
After much huffing, puffing [those sleepers are blooming heavy things] and hammering, we now have two lovely raised beds ready for filling with soil and planting with any number of wonderful vegetables, salad leaves and maybe even a bit of a cutting garden?
Angel [aka Kirstin] x
