New Borders - Part 1

26 comments

Have been very busy over the last few weeks while we have been enjoying some fab. autumn weather. The rose bed is gone, finito, zilched!!!!!! The garden looked too unbalanced with them in comparison to it overall size. Anyway I have lots of pics to reminisce when I feel like it. Plus, I want to grow a wider range of plants.
We’ve taken the opportunity to renew the log edging as it had all rotted away.
This is what it looks like, partially planted up with the goodies I brought back from the Harrogate Autumn flower show, plus a few plants I “pinched” from elsewhere in the garden.

The front garden is getting a make over too. It is a small open plan patch and we and our neighbours had mostly grass and a few borders. I have a nice fuchsia border under the window and there is a border next to the road with a weeping Japenese larch, hebes and a few other plants and miniature daffs in the spring. This front border has an edging of box which is a year old and growing quite well.
There is now a border between ourselves and our neighbours (he will have to cut his own grass now….lol) and I have planted some more mature box hedging that had originally lined the rose bed in the back and I didn’t want to waste it….this is about 5 years old.
The Under Gardener….Brian that is……is good at design (not a gardener!) and can visualise border shapes better than wot I can…….He has shaped and cut out an extra border near the house (this is where my new alpine bed will be…..plants are on their way!!!) and widened and shaped the front border. Don’t know what I’m putting in there…..yet…..lol

The grass bit still has to have a bit more taken off….a bit of “fine tuning” as Brian calls it!…..We are putting a log edging round the grass…..laying a membrane and then filling with slate pieces…the small stuff…..the log edgng will be painted green…the slate has a greenish tinge to it.

The soil is not in very good heart so it has had plenty of compost and manure dug in (apart from the patch assigned to alpines). I will probably not plant it up till next year……..perhaps!!!

I’ve also started work on the centre border (at the back)…I’ve lifted out all the dahlia pots….and eeekkkkk…..what a muddle. I’ve lifted and split plants and re-planted some…..but rain has stopped play…..anyway, thats a story for another day….

30 Sep, 2009
13 likes

Comments

Bobg

Your borders are looking really good Alice, and you must post a 'finished' pic of your front, it sounds very good.

30 Sep, 2009

Stripes

Looking good Alice,will look good when all grown up,you have certainly worked hard.What are you going to do with all your dahlia's ? they haven't finished flowering have they.

30 Sep, 2009

Jacque

Wow! They Look Amazing & I love Your Lawn Shape :)

30 Sep, 2009

Louise1

I remember you saying you were going to remove the roses, the back looks very spacious now and it looks so new and fresh :)

The front's great, i love the Box and it too looks larger with the new design, it all looks like a new garden, lovely. :))

30 Sep, 2009

Swanky

WOW!! You've been busy,should mature into a beauitful garden.I like the Green fencing at the back,I might do mine that colour now i've seen how good yours looks.I'am such a copy cat :o))))

30 Sep, 2009

Crazydi

Wow Alice....you have been busy!! It's dead exciting isn't it, to have new borders to play with...going to look really good when it's all done.
P.S. Tell me you've not got rid of ALL your lovely roses though....:(

30 Sep, 2009

Donnah

Looks great I love the lawn shape

30 Sep, 2009

Amblealice

Thank you all for your encouraging comments......It was a difficult decision to "do away with" the roses, but I have a few climbers left......the dahlias (some of them) are still flowering Stripes....Have kept a few on the patio to give me some colour (until the frosts have their way......Glad you like the colour of the fencing Swanky.(Ronseal Forest Green)...I hate that artificial "orange" that some folk use these days.....green is much more natural and blends in better....Mind I was tempted to use AT blue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but OH put his foot down.....did anyone see him on The One Show tonight......sigh.....
I'm pleased the box has fitted in well in the front....the alpines should arrive tomorrow so at least I will get part of the front planted soon...
Yes Louise....the back borders are looking larger already...think I have made the right decision(eek).....there's still lots to do....will keep you informed.

Am getting quite excited about the front Bob...it tends to get forgotten about!!
Watch this space folks!!!!

30 Sep, 2009

Drc726

Very impressive love what you have done to the front too

30 Sep, 2009

Amblealice

Thank you Donnah and DRC 726...I will pass your comments on to the Under Gardener...his concept...not mine :))))

30 Sep, 2009

Wagger

Another case of the 'mysterious disappearing lawn'! This seems to be an ever increasing phenomenon on GOY. What can the cause be? Does anybody have an answer?

30 Sep, 2009

Seaburngirl

lovely redesign. less lawn more soil for plants wagger. some more of mine will be going bit by bit.

30 Sep, 2009

Amblealice

Less work for Hubby, Wagger.:)) You've hit it on the nail Seaburngirl......I can see the lawn in the back shrinking over time...:))))

30 Sep, 2009

Grannysue

Loved all that you and OH have achieved, it all looks lovely. Feel proud! Well done Amblealice. Sue

30 Sep, 2009

Amblealice

Ah thanks Sue...(blush) :)))

30 Sep, 2009

Fluff

It's all looking very neat & tidy Amble...you have been working hard! Great results.

30 Sep, 2009

Morgana

Lovel the shape of your back garden bed and it looks wonderful also love the front lawn and shapely borders and grass, what your under gardener has designed for you on the frount. If you had chosen the blue, you would of found it very hard to change the colour, if you had nt liked it, as my son had this and had hells trouble trying to cover it with another colour.

30 Sep, 2009

Grindle

Looking good :)

1 Oct, 2009

Blodyn

You have nice shape borders in your front garden now. It's going to look lovely when everything is established.

1 Oct, 2009

Keithsmum

It all looks great. I'm a lover of green fences too and is that an arch I see on the right hand side of your pic? Has CrazyDi been influencing you as well or has it always been there? lol I love to see a newly laid out border, all freshly dug, nice neat edges and neat plants. Looking forward to more pics of the front.

BTW I saw AT on the One Show as well!

14 Oct, 2009

Amblealice

Always had an arch...on and off...this is a new one.....Will post a pic of the front complete with edging and Lakeland slate very soon.
You are an AT Fan too?. did I mention it on here or have you been looking at another forum Keithsmum? :))

14 Oct, 2009

Keithsmum

You mentioned AT earlier on in the blog and yes, I am a fan. I have a photo of him on the wall by my desk at work (!), got all the books as well.

I've been influenced by CrazyDi in the arch department and would love to have one in the front garden but all the services are there and would hate to pierce a pipe!

14 Oct, 2009

Amblealice

Of course I mentioned him....doh....apparently he's thinner in person than on TV. I have a friend who saw his afternoon show this week.
You could always have a "water arch" if you breached the water mains.....hmmmmm thats a thought a water arch.....lol

15 Oct, 2009

Keithsmum

Ha ha! That would go down really well ("Well" - oh dear!!).

15 Oct, 2009

Amblealice

Ha.ha.ha.....nice one Keithsmum....lol...:)))))))))))

15 Oct, 2009