It's not looking too bad after all!

Looking very different this year Karen, with a few of the old features. An improvement I must say, you have been very busy and it is paying off. Love it, especially the garden room.

Thank you so much, Cinders :)

It has changed, hasn't it?

I am really, really, tired of having to recuperate and re-vamp the garden...so, I'm very, very, happy to see it doing it's own thing - at last!

Nice too see you back :)
What a difference a year makes, I can remember when you planted that circle out last year.
Loving your garden room, that must be a very useful room.
Astroturf is getting very popular now.
What have you done with the young man? Have you scared him off ;)

Hello Angie...nice to see you too :)

I love my garden room...and my "establishing itself" garden.

Alas..."strapping young lad" has become a "man" and so, has other fish to fry these days...

He and his dad did build the garden room, though...and blooming well!! :))

It is now a garden to give you lots of joy instead of lots of work so sit back in all that sunshine and just enjoy it! We have looked at ours through rain and drizzle for 2 days now so I am very envious!!!

Oh, Wildrose, thank you :)

...I am surprised and pleased with the progress :)

...but, it is much the same here, lots of drizzle...although blooming hot, in the periods of sunshine...

...perfect growing conditions...the weeds are loving it! lol!

I've never measured it, J...but, I think it might be deceptively large...
Apollo's domain must be around 20m x 5m, or more, probably...

You've got to love Apollo...he does the same thing for me.

Your garden looks interesting. I'm sure the lawn will perk up in time. It's new yet, and you can't rush plants :o)

Your garden looks great, our lawns can look like yours when its very dry but they always recover once the weather changes. Over here some do water their lawns to keep them looking green but I do think very green grass looks odd in dry conditions. An artificial lawns can look great but again can seem odd in drought conditions.

It looks great Karen. I think if it were mine, the grass would need to go. I take your point about the reflective gravel...wonder what slate would be like...very cool I should imagine, but no idea if you can get it in those parts! Artificial turf......hmmm.....;) the grey gravel I. My front is very cool...not so great in Scotland, but might work well there! I went to Marrakech for my birthday Karen..in March..did a blog about the Jardin Majorelle...that wonderful blue features very highly there...you'd love it! They use a lot of raked gravel there too. Sorry, I'm not being very encouraging about the grass...but a lawn is such hard work at the best of times...(mine is full of coarse grass that grows out instead of up!), but I do like a lawn...perhaps starting from scratch with new turf would work?

Thanks Hywel...I'm sure you're right
...but, I can't help stressing over it! :)

You make a very good point there, Denise. These two big circles might end up looking like helicopter landing pads, lol! Might just work around the pond, though...?

I've just had a look at your blog, Karen. I've never heard of the artist either...and I went to art college. My, does he do mountains well...and gardens! One of my little gardens at the old house was very Moroccan, with mozaic tiles and that blue - hence the blue pot in the photo.
But, please don't put ideas like that into my head, lol...I'd have to rip all the borders out and start again with all these fabulous exotics...which die on me in the winter! ;)

Slate might work, up the side there, though...and wouldn't involve too much upheaval. I've seen it in small bags at the bigger garden centres...think I'll do a bit of research...

:))

Hi Karen ..
Garden looking good ..
I'll be interested to know what you decide to do about the grass ... :o)

I think being born and bred in Scotland you are used to lovely lush grass. No matter where I've been in the world no lawns or grasses compare!
We all wait to see what you decided.

Thanks Terra and Scottish :)

I think it may be a while though...just found that artificial grass is almost 50€ per m2...excluding all the glues and other accoutrements!

Found a couple of suppliers of "big-bags" of slate, relatively nearby...food for thought...

You're right about Scottish grass, Scottish. I planted Gazon Anglais around the pond in the vain hope of getting some of that lushness. It's fine in the rain...but, it's just too fine to cope with the sun.

Looks like the grass might go eventually,Karen..you don't seem exactly ecstatic about it..! ..and such a lot of hard work for you..get rid,and sit yourself down in one of those chairs...you deserve a bit of 'me time' this week.. Hope the chairs haven't floated away as well !..only downside I can think of,is where will Roo play when he comes? little knees and gravel just don't mix !

karen its come on in leaps and bounds since last year, i remember you doing it, the pond is looking fab and seems to have been there longer, aslo the planting is settled in nicely, looks great ;o)

I agree Sandra, looking quite the mature garden now and very pretty:-))

Oh, no, Bloomer...another quandary...lol!
...but, whatever happens, it'll still be there for Roo this year. After that, he might prefer the swimming pool - like his mum...decking there...much easier on grannies and little knees! ;)

Thank you San and Ba :)
I'm really quite pleased with the way it's all filling out... ...just a few tricky areas to get to grips with and then I should be able to relax -a bit...lol! ;)

It looks like its been hard work and why not just try liquid feed the grass now you dont have to walk on it so much?
You never know a good weed and feed may give you a really nice grass area?.

Well done i know you've done most of it on your own,
girl power's still here.

Thanks, Dungy :))

I've already been speaking to Mr. Bluteau, our local paysagiste...and we're coming up with a plan for the autumn. Just going to let him do all the hard work this time.