Couple weeks off a year

You are doing really well and will have somewhere to be really proud of. A couple weeks ago, seeing the task you have in the garden, I had a look to see if I could find a book I had. It was called something like 'old garden ...new gardener' or something like that.I never had an old overgrown/over mature garden but Ijust love reading gardening books(or, I used to because I struggle to concentrate on reading now......Fibro Myalgia) It was a great read and I thought it would be ideal for you (not suggesting that you are a new gardener or particualrly in need of help or inspiration, but it gave some great ideas although it was almost written like a story) .Anyway, the short and the long of it appears to be I must have got rid of it along with loads of other books and gardening magazines when we moved December 14.
I was sure I'd kept that one even though it didn't apply to my new (or my old) garden.........shame.

Thank you Paul, that was I really nice idea. I need all the help I can get :-) I've had a garden for the past 30yrs but never considered myself a real gardener. Just kept it tidy and planted a few things I liked. Never knew the names or really planned it. I'm sorry about the reading, that must be hard but at least you have all of us to keep you entertained :-) jen

Yes, I read plenty on GOY but just in small snippets not as demanding as reading a book.

Can you believe people would leave a house in that state? You poor souls, you must have wondered whatever you'd done. But from the photos of the garden that you've posted it looks full of promise (must have been very attractive at one time) and I bet you'll have it gorgeous in a year or two - just stick with it and don't lose heart. You are wise to wait a year before doing any planting - always good to wait and see what there is already before deciding.
Just a tip re nettles - they have bright yellow roots so yo can leave them until the tops die back and still find them without getting stung.
I think the bush on the left of the first photo might be a Magnolia, possibly stellata. Did it flower this spring?

I am puzzled did you not see the house and inspect it before you bought it.

That 1st night we did feel shocked. When we phoned about the key, she said she was cleaning and washing the paint work lol. For the 1st several weeks she kept popping over. It was hard not to say anything as its a very small community and we were the interlopers. She walked pass the rubbish on the drive and didn't say a thing other then about the big chest freezer. Said thought I might have wanted it. It was all rusty and black mould inside. I just said it was too big for us.
Yes that is a Magnolia, hubby was pleased as always wanted one. Behind is a wisteria that I knew about so pruned this year and did well. Found enother wisteria in other corner. Very overgrown and mixed in with norway maple and other plants. That will be one of my next question. What to do with it as want to train it over the wall. Thanks to tip re nettles. I've been chopping the heads off then going for the roots but have been got most days.

Sorry, gremlins in my tablet, so thought hadn't sent message where did

Hi BJS, yes we did. The larder was so full when we viewed couldn't see the walls or the mould. Turned out they had blocked up the vents. I don't think she did any cleaning from the day we said will buy it. Always knew it would need work just wasn't expecting all the things she had left behind. Rusty chest freezer, 8 dining chairs, all their old folders from their old business in the workshop. A old rusty broken lawn mower, old paint tins, and old tools and there was even empty food packets in the kitchen cupboards, empty shower gel and shampoo bottles in the shower. Being an old house if not kept on top of the spiders take over very quickly. :-)

Too late now Jen but the Estate agents should have arranged for it all to be cared and given the bill to the previous owners.They sign to say they will take everything with them.

We sat down and thought hard about it. Everyone knows everyone here. We were new comers and not everyone would be happy with what we do for a living. Back in kent years ago, hubby had had complaints to police and council because they didnt like having the amount of guns he had near them due to what we do for a living. We decided not to rock the boat.

Yes, fair enough.probably wise.

Good grief what a state. Not what you want to be greeted with late at night after such a long drive.

You've made a huge difference already. I'm sure you'll have it look beautiful in next to no time.

By the way love the big blue pot. Such a gorgeous colour.

Hi sam, just got back from going to bridgemere :-). The blue pot is one hubby chose. We like it as still have colour in winter time. Its about 4ft. I was just telling paulpatch that hubby chose that when I got my blue bottle(not fly as paul thought I ment lol). Just about post pic of it so he can see I've not got I thing about flies :-). Put it in corner till decide where it will live.

I thought you meant a bluebottle fly too for a few minutes...

Must have been quite an ordeal sorting all their rubbish out. But well done u on just getting on with it.

Lol steragram, now got picture of blue bottle fly in my head.

Hi Sandra. Thank you. Yes, cant understand them leaving all that stuff. Think problem is nearest tip is about 20 mins drive away.

What a great story Jen! I can just imagine you two laughing on that mattress your first night with the dirt! We weren't so bad when we moved in here nearly 3 yars ago now...we were ok pretty much until we turned the oven on and smoke started filling the kitchen! The last owner had a cleaner every week so it was fine, except the oven which was obviously well-used and never cleaned. I had to get a pro. in to take it to bits and clean it properly. Outside was a different story. We spent ages taking stuff to the dump. Funny thing was the last owner asked us if it would be ok to leave the swing seat! lol....I was like...'YES!' but he never asked if it would be ok to leave piles of wood, golf balls, old slates etc. etc. :) Never mind...all part of the memories now. Never ceases to amaze me how people think it's ok to leave places in a mess. My house was spotless when I left it...every single nook and cranny clean as a whistle, not a weed in the garden. But I couldn't live with myself otherwise. The lady who sold to you must have such different standards as she obviously wasn't a bit embarrassed about it all. Know what you mean about not being able to see what the house is really like when you agree to buy. If its full of furniture and clutter its extremely difficult to see what you are going to get. I always think it's a daft way to buy the biggest purchase of your life...after two viewings and without looking in any of the cupboards or trying out the heating and plumbing etc. The carpet stains that get hidden etc.....

Must say, from what I can see of it, your garden looks good. Youv'e done a fabulous job of tidying up and you seem to have a good back-bone of shrubs etc. on which to build a garden and add lots of colour etc. I hope you're not quite so sore as you were when you wrote this. After 3 years of making my garden, I hurt constantly!

Karen, from what I've seen of your garden since I've been on GOY it looks totally wonderful. I really love the pod! I was the same when Ive moved. My daughter was saying only the other day how I didn't cook anything in the oven for our last week in old house as had cleaned the oven. As you say people have different standards. The garden is coming along, I don't get as much time in the front as I would like as we have to have front gates open for customers and the dogs would get upset if I went out there without them. We are still sticking to our plan of not planting anything this year in a effort to clear some of the weeds. Its been hard! Hubby and I did sit down and make a list of some of the plants we would like starting next year. We want to put some colour in as there is as you say a nice lot of shrubs but not a lot of summer colour. As for hurting, took today off as was digging up blackthorn bushes and runners yesterday and felt it when got up this morning so did some baking instead. Made some Gypsy Tarts. They are a old Kentish tart that you either love or hate. They are really sweet so my excuse was they are energy food for me to start the battle with garden tomorrow :-)

If they are really sweet I would definitely love them! :) Good for you for taking a break. :)

When we were children, Gypsy tarts used to be school dinner puddings but they never mixed them properly so were gritty. They then got banned due to the amount of sugar in them. You either make or buy pre baked pastry cases, then mix a big tin of evaporated milk with 425g of dark brown sugar. You have to have to mix for 15 to 20 mins then pour into cases and bake for about 10 mins. Then chill. They turn out very sweet. Hubby loves them and the hubby of my next door neighbour is from kent and not had in years so I made them some as well. If I'm being lazy the mixture fills 3 shop bought cases.

Sounds like a very sweet version of one of my favourites...custard tart! Dark Brown Sugar and evaporated milk....yum! I made a key lime pie a couple of weeks ago, using Condensed milk...i hadnt opened a can of condensed milk in years..it was like going back in time. We used to put it on bread when Mum (Oliveoil) was making fudge! :)

Lol. I use condensed milk for a cheat version of lemon meringue that I was given. It uses a biscuit base. I had guessed oliveoil was your mum :-). My daughter loves fudge. When she went to uni her godmother used to send her a fudge fund as Canterbury has a very good fudge shop.

I have been to Canterbury a few times. I loved the countryside there. I hope your daughter enjoyed her degree. :) hop growing country!

I agree, lovely around there. Near there is where I come from and Canterbury was my main shopping town so my daughter knew it well but had moved to near Tunbridge Wells when met hubby so she got digs there. She loved doing her degree and did well but like so many, the year she finish was when recession hit so found it hard to find a job in her field. She ended up in telephone sales in Brighton and hated it. When we decided to moved Tim asked her if she wanted to move up here as well and train as a gunsmith with him. She jumped at it as he had got her into clay shooting, so her and her partner moved up just after us and live about a mile away. I love having her close.