Saturday 1st March
By Xela
7 comments
Today the sunshine looked so inviting, I donned my gardening gear and set to restoring order to a small area of my partner’s front garden. The detached house faces south-west, the adjoining garage is on the south side and a footpath runs along it to the back garden. Between the path and the property boundary is a ‘flower’ bed. Brambles, ivy, nettles and ash seedlings have made it their home to such an extent that none of the original garden plants have survived. Gradually I am clearing it sufficiently to introduce some more interesting plants. Close to the back gate I have planted a division of Dicentra (‘Bleeding Heart’), Heuchera and Bergenia (‘Elephants’ Ears’) taken from my garden. At the other end of the bed it has been impossible to see where the drive ended and the bed began, next door’s huge conifer hedge has dropped so much that a thick black layer covered both. In February I had removed the car mechanic’s debris and dug out the easier bits of ivy, nettles, ash seedlings and brambles. Today I removed some of the more established invaders, shortened the most stubborn of them (so that I can apply weedkiller as soon as they begin to make new growth) and shovelled the black compost off the drive onto the bed. I also cut back the overhanging branches that I could reach ….. my best mate will have to be persuaded that it is in his best interest to deal with the rest from the ladder. I have planted a Pieris ‘Flaming Silver’ in this newly cleared ground, a beautiful little robin kept a close watch on what I was doing and was still hopping around the Pieris when we went out this afternoon. It was too pleasant outside to go in for lunch, so I cut back the neighbour’s privet hedge where it has become so overgrown that it was forming a tunnel between the boundary fence and the roof of the larder on the other side of the house. At the same time I stripped the ivy off the wall …. it has grown over the roof too, but the ladder will be needed to access that bit too.
1 Mar, 2008
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Comments
Yes indeed welcome to GOY , its amazing what a little sunshine can do for us , best of luck with the garden , keep us posted .
2 Mar, 2008
Hi Xela, it sounds like you've got your work cut out there!But the end results will be all that more rewarding simply because you've had to start from scratch. Good luck with the transformation!
2 Mar, 2008
Hi & welcome MY YOUVE BEEN BUSY :) thats what the sunshine does 2me? makes me want2get outside2the garden& do what needs 2be done:) & i bet because you noticed such adifference u cant wait now 2get out there again?Guess your head is also racing with ideas 4other parts of the garden2that you want2get stuck in2? Cant wait2c pic`s Xela :)
2 Mar, 2008
Hi Xela, I'm new to goY too. Just wanted to say Hi, and maybe ask you if it would be possible to double dig the area instead of using a defoliant.
2 Mar, 2008
Nice to see you here Xela. Good luck with the garden, it will be worth all the effort and I'll look forward to seeing the pictures
3 Mar, 2008
Many thanks for all your comments. I have been out with my camera and tried to take some shots which make the story clearer.
As you will see, there is a section of the be in its pre-restoration state which I have yet to attack, I have a camellia 'Japonica Elegans' to plant there, so I shall have to get out there and finish the job soon.
Yesterday the neighbours had contractors in to lower the height of the shrubs in the back garden and generally tidy up the conifers. Late in the Autumn we did the same to ours side, it will look so much better when we have been out there again to match our level with theirs.
6 Mar, 2008
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My goodness! I hope that your partner appreciates all that you are doing in his garden...it sounds a real labour of love. I suggest that he gets stuck in, too! How big is the rest of the garden? Is it as bad? I'd love to see the 'before' and 'after' photos, if you have any. By the way, welcome to GoY!!! :-)
1 Mar, 2008