FOXHOLLOW - The Early Years (now and then)

this is a fantastic blog. I am amazed how anyone can visualise the grand scheme of such a wonderfull garden. thanks for sharing bluespruce.

Yes fantastic and very interesting blog. I love to see 'before' and after pics. It shows just how much hard graft has gone into producing such a beautiful garden. You must be so satisfied Bluespruce.

Nice to see how you've changed it over the years. Your hard work has payed off.

Great blog.

Enjoyed your blog.

Great to see the changes taking place and its a real achievment in a relatively short time span. You must have incorporated in tons of compost and mulch do you know how much? Do you get more or less disease in this type of garden?

Great blog. Lovely to see how it has changed and developed over the years

Fantastic Bluespruce....well done on creating such an amazing garden! :)
I really enjoyed seeing the "before" and "after" pics, thanks.

It looks amazing. I love all the new borders and beds but what I am most impressed with (and envious of) is the change from field to lawn. Having seen yours I will keep working on mine.

It's always god looking at photos of a place before you started work - gives you the satisfaction of what you've achieved. You certainly got a large plot with the house

Thanks all for your comments.
Denise - Yes a lot of compost and mulch over the years, I make my own compost, and all the mulch has come courtesy of tree surgeons until this year when I have had to put my hand in my pocket and buy 30 cubic metres of bark mulch - so far, and it doesn't come cheap. As for diseases, my main problems are fungal (botrytis) on many of the very tight conifers derived from witches' brooms, have to continualy clean out dead needles from within many of the plants.
Ginellie - there has been no special treatment to the grass (don't have the time) just regular mowing, and it's not as good as it looks in the pictures, mainly couch and other assorted weeds.
Andrew - whole plot including house is just over 3/4 acre.

How lovely to see the before and after pictures. I didn't have a digital camera when I moved here, did you scan the older ones on? I know what you mean about the lawn too, on closer inspection I have a lot of crouch and other nasties.Making sure the edges are always trimmed makes so much difference.
Very beautiful picture :-)

Annella - yes the older photos are not digital, and had to be scanned.
Regular mowing, and as you say keeping the edges trimmed does make a lot of difference no matter how poor the lawn.

Hi Bluespruce, I managed to find and scan my old pics to do a before and after. No way near as grand as your garden pics but I really enjoyed doing It. Thank you for the Inspiration ((-:

Hi Annella, glad I could help, and yes, it's nice to compare and see the difference, I think I must have missed your blog, just about to have a look now :0)

Spruce, did you manage to keep any of the fruit trees in another part of your garden, or were they not your thing?

Certainly not my thing Weeding, plus they were in very poor health...at least I think they were ?

great and really interesting blog blue.. you have certainly worked wonders in your garden since moving in, had you done anything like this before , you defanatly have a good eye for gardens and design

Sandra, did the same on a much smaller scale at my previous garden at Purewell.

have you pics of that garden to blue?

My last blog Sandra, 'Purewell before Foxhollow'