Mid Summer

I think your garden looks lovely, Cinders. I love the way you have things tumbling over the weathered stone and creeping up the fences.

I've just been looking at ideas for low-growing "sedum lawns" on the internet. There's one which takes traffic called "John Creetch" (I think). There are some interesting ideas, there and sedum would look great with your stone. Might be worth a look?

Your garden is beautiful!

Thanks Karen, I will take a look later, have things to do now, so must dash, but it sounds interesting.

Thank you Michaella, its a bit smaller than yours isn't it !

I love your garden Cinders, especially your pots and your heucheras. Everything is so colourful. I'll be interested to hear what you decide to do about your grass.

Thank you Louisa. The Heucheras do add a lot of colour early on, and in fact most of the year really. I really don't know whether to change the grass or not. May even leave it as it is, for a bit longer, as long as I can still manage to keep it tidy.

This latest bit of sunshine has really bought everything on and your garden is looking really good a lovely balance of planting. I love it.

I love the curves and raised beds in your garden, sets the plants off so well. The warmer weather has certainly stirred everything into growth at last :)

It all looks good. Even spotted your Acer there in a pot. Don't have any advice on alternative for your lawn but I'm sure there is lots of inspiration out there!

Thank you Stroller, Gee and Scottish. Yes the Acer seems to have settled well in its new pot, and I am pleased you like my curves and raised beds Gee.

Your garden is just perfect Cinderella....

I agree just perfect....:))

It's all looking so lovely,Cinders..and so many pots as well,as your lovely borders..I can see you have a lot to do,as well as tend your lawns..I know you said you aren't keen on gravel,but I think mixed colours of stone chippings would look quite nice...White is very stark,but weathers in time,or a cream base maybe,with a bag of terracotta,and light grey mixed in,would tone in nicely with your brick paving and path..just a thought...if ever you decide to get rid of the lawns...think of the extra room you would have for pots..and away from slugs and snails..well,most of them..:o) easy to spot though ! Lol.x.

Thank you Moti and Holly, don't think its perfect, but nice of you to say so. I'm pleased with it anyway.

Sandra, I have to have pots now, as no room left in the garden ! You know, I don't really want to get rid of the grass, but I am just thinking it would be one less job to do. Must be feeling my age lately I think. But I will bear your suggestion in mind, it does sound feasible. So may look into that. I don't really want any more pots, but I had so many plants left over from Country market last week that I had to find somewhere to put them.

Hi Cinders..
your garden looks pretty ..
I love the colours :o)

Thanks Terra. Certainly lots of colour.

It is a bit of a Quandary,Cinders..as your lawn does look nice,and something green to see in the winter..you will just have to see if it proves to be a bit too much for you..I know just how you feel,..but it's hard when you are on your own..I couldn't tackle one these days,if I was..

Its not really that it takes a long time to do three little bits Sandra, its the effort involved in the edging etc that goes with it. I'm in a moany mood at the moment. I must snap out of it.

I always like to see photos of your garden. I can tell it is much loved :o)

Ah,yes,Cinders,the time consuming edges....I've been in a bit of a moany mood this week too,so you are in good company..we will snap out of it together...ready,steady,go ! is that better ? lol x

Ok Sandra. Snapped !! I shall be fine tomorrow.

Thank you Hywel. That's very true. It is much loved.

it's so beautiful Cinders :)

Thank you Floralhead, its only small, but just right for me.

I escpecially love the curved raised bed with weathered stone, but then, so much is so lovely it's hard to pick one aspect out

You are so kind Fran, thank you.

What a lovely garden........the Heucheras are fantastic!

Thank you Paul

Beautiful:)

Many thanks Nana

It looks beautiful Cinders. I replaced my front garden lawn with gravel as it was time consuming and never looked good. I'm really pleased I did now.You can still plant in it to break it up :o)

Thanks Annella. That is true, you can plant in it. I am not really a lover of gravel though, I think that's why I am hesitating, but it is full of moss at the moment, and if I get rid of that it is going to look dreadful.

lol I thought that if I ever got a proper size garden, I'd have a very small lawn made of artificial grass - just big enough to lie on and read a book, and no trouble to maintain.

I've always wondered about gravel gardens: doesn't the gravel get mixed in with the soil when you plant or take up plants? I used to have gravel topping my pots, but I found it hard to clear it all off when repotting; I tend to end up with soil-gravel mix all the way down.

I know what you mean Fran, and yes that can happen. I also think that gravel gets kicked about and looks untidy, but although artificial grass looks good, I am not sure that I would want it. Perhaps another raised bed with a path around it of some kind.

A raised bed would be more interactive, maybe with seats built in to one side? My brother had gravel in his front garden when they got their first house, it tended to get walked into the house and everywhere else. is there some way to confine it? rock borders/boundaries? maybe gravel garden shading to small rock garden round the edges?

Well if you look at my garden as a whole, you will see that the top garden is oval shaped with a curved path running across it to get to the lower garden. There is also a paved area at one end of the oval, so it is going to take a bit of thinking about, and just at the moment with our village competition judging coming up shortly, I can't really do much yet, and may even decide to leave it for this year. I haven't really got the energy to do anything drastic just now, but thank you for giving it thought for me Fran.

:) it's what GoY is all about!

Just found this, was away when you posted, your garden looks lovely Cinders, personally I like to see a little bit of green, you should see the new artificial grass, it is quite amazing, fooled me!! hope you are feeling happier now!!

Thanks so much DD. I agree about the little bit of green. Perhaps I'll leave it as it is and hope I can still manage it for a bit longer. Hope you enjoyed your time away.

Thanks we did, blog is on.....

How beautiful is your garden Cinderella!!! Reminds me of how mine USED TO BE years ago!!! It looks very sad now in comparison!
I hope you can carry on 'doing' it for years and years & years and years etc etc etc!!!!
I enjoy looking at it.

I wonder if you could get a chamomile lawn growing Cinderella? I have never tried, but lovely to walk on if you could manage it.

The 'moody' is down to us not having enough sunshine this year!! I heard someone talking about it on the radio, so it must be official!!!!

As for the artificial grass - well I am surprised how good some of them are now. We have a lot of village green in Bourton and some places get really worn out with all the visitors. This year the Parish Council have tried a bit on one of the walks along by the river and I didn't know which bit it was just from looking at it!!! It looks very real until you have a very close inspection!
I noticed that even one of the cafes have a stretch of it outside, where they put some tables!!
So it might not be such a bad idea!
You could camouflage the edges with pots maybe, I am sure you would think of something. x

Thank you Shirl. I think the artificial grass sounds a good idea, its the thought I think, and wonder how long it lasts. Might have to look into that idea, but will try to carry on for a while I think. Getting talked into leaving it by friends and family, who say they will do it, but we shall see !!
Camomile sounds a nice idea, but it still needs some sort of control, doesn't it.
Thank you for your lovely comments. I have just been out in the garden, and my roses are all being eaten by those horrible brown chafer beetles. I have a constant war with those in July every year. Have picked off dozens already this morning, and its only 8 am. Off out for the day now, so goodness knows what I shall fine when I get home tonight.

I was looking at various artificial grasses - in amongst the bowling-green types I found a meadow grass that looked about knee-high - varieties of meadow grass. Of course, that's the one I've not been able to find again!

ps: just tried looking again - found a "faq" that might be useful, or at least a bit interesting: http://www.choice-floors.co.uk/faq.html

Gosh!! I am glad we don't get those chafer beetles, but I do get those bright red lily beetles eating my lilies!!
I always pick them off and squash them when I see them!
I have bought some Provado bug killer this year which seems to be the only remedy.
I have still seen a few, but not as many as usual so maybe it is working!!
Hope you have a lovely day out, it is nice and warm here anyway!! Bit hazy cloud though.