View from the back door

3 comments

I guess these are a sort of starting point.
The purple rhododendron was very small & unhappy so I moved it in Aug 1991 to where it is now.
The beech tree was cut down to the base by my neighbour many years ago & it made a come back in my garden about 2000. Blinking big
Enkianthus is very obliging as it grows round corners.
The pink Rho is a Yakushima. It was only supposed to be 3m high tops but I got it for next to nothing in a lost label sale £5.99 No idea when tho’

Mid May 2014

Mid May 2014

Laburnums were everywhere 20 yrs ago. Not many left as you can see. The false acacias are very old and spindly. Let more light in. I put the laurel in and nbr added a fence at the back so its a bit dark……. We had a sycamore at the back on the left corner. Three gardens cooperated to get the wood out. I Got a quote for £300 to take it out. My back nbr was v keen to have it out so he said he’d give me £100. He got different tree surgeons for £200,,,,,Saved!

With the sycamore going the lilacs were really growing crooked. I cut down to 3ft but nbr on left stuck up a fence & many stumps are dead……Long term ??? Woodland . We had a secret garden but the bench rotted & kids next door shout “Hello Bill” from their massive wendy house

End of July 2014 & the beech tree with 3 1/2 trunks is really taking off now. Just to give you an idea of size you can see the patio set. The leaves keep a lot of rain out and perfect shade on a blistering day.

Lets just say we have privacy! At the back the false Acacia leaves & the Pittosporum tower above. We have an escalonia , 2 compositors & a garden shed behind the Pittosporum. Just taking over slowly. Old nbrs put a fence up that was too high really. Just encouraged everything to see the sun. Shed did not grow I’m sad to say!!

Retirement rose flowering non stop. Pauline was given it 4 yrs ago. In its 1st year it was a couple of feet high. It really has shot up. Leaves are bigger! Never known that.

The Magnolia stellata flowered for 2 weeks. Its 2 yrs old & growing very nicely. The acer was at the front in a pot in full sun so a new lease of life here!

Currently I’m creating a Cottage border along some of this fence. I’ve taken flags & geraniums out & goodness knows what !! We had rampant day lilies in the border and they spilled onto the lawn in a splash of colour. Ashby just sits in the middle of them! Pic for next year I hope!