Chalk and Cheese

Wow lily thats a beautiful garden. I love the way your plants cascade over the walls.

It's absolutely gorgeous - so very different from your front garden! Love it.

Not tasteful?? I love it!!

taste is in the eye of the beholder. Beautiful

WOW! You have a beautiful garden front and back! I love it!

I'm so envious of all the colour you have in the garden, Lily, and the Clematis is fabulous ... love the combination of the Sambucus and Choisya ... Brownie points to you ... well done! ... :o)))

Thanks Denise, as they're all annuals sometimes I think they're never going to get as far as cascading especially in summers like this one!
Thank you too Sheilar, I like having the difference and the front garden is low maintenance :o)
Glad you both have bad taste like me, Lil and Granny b :o)))

Wow thanks Shirley, do I get a badge too! lol. The sambucus insists of growing sideways but I don't mind when it looks so wonderful amongst the Choisya.

I really like the dark and light combo., Lily, hmm, giving me ideas for my own garden now! ... You may have a badge but you'll have to sew it on by yourself .. I never got my sewing badge ... lol! :o)))

I try to keep my front garden 'low maintenance' too as, when you're busy doing something, neighbours stop by and chat and you don't get anything done!

Wow Lily its so colourful, I love it, you are right it does one good to see all those lovely flowers, no room for weed in your borders and beds Your front garden is lovely as well, its peaceful, there are too many different shapes and shades of green for it to be considered boring.
My daughter has a washing pole like yours, she has a pole sunk into the lawn and just fits one into the other, just lifts it out when not in use...

gorgeous colours,I love it ,so cheerful . The mix of colours and shapes is fab. :o))))

Fabulous garden, I love all of it particularly the purple Clematis on the trellis.

When did you take these pics Lily2?. Is the clematis still in flower?. I'll have to find a space for one.

If you mean the viticella clematis Etoille Violette, Grannyb, it'll be in flower now. Fabulous, Lily, very colourful, life in full throttle there. I like the front too - now that's what I call a good low maintenance garden, but what a large front garden you have! Guess I'm more used to small ones. You must be out the back for hours at a time though in spring, summer and autumn, loads to do, very rewarding. Thanks for the tour.

wow lily2 what a beautiful garden! you are a wonder! which way does it face?

Sticky, towards the house it dare not face any other way.

very true bjs!!! i wish it faced my house!!!

I love it - and I think everybody agrees

That's what GoY's about Shirley, getting ideas from each other. I would have got my sewing badge but I never was a Brownie!
I just hide behind the bushes now they're getting big Sheilar!
Thank you Lincs, you're right not many weeds get a look in. The washing line fits into a cemented spike in the ground, I tried to take it out but it wouldn't budge although it should. :o(
Many thanks Helen and Brian, I've tried in the past to be colour coordinated but it always goes wrong. Now I've given up.
Hi Grannyb, as Bamboo says it is in flower now but it's just past it's best show of flowers. It flowers in the lesser fashion for ages and grows in the ground behind the trellis. I had it in my previous garden and loved it so I got another when we moved here.
Front garden is slightly bigger than the back Bamboo, there's about another 6' of gravel in the foreground and a drive on the left so it has to be low maintenance. I love pottering in the back and dead heading, especially in the raised beds. The "lawn" doesn't look bad for being 90% moss does it?
Ignore Brian Sticki, the garden faces more or less north and gets plenty of sun most of the summer as our house isn't tall but no sun at all in the winter :o(
Thank you Kay, I love it too and it's great to be able to show it to others on GoY. :o))

That Brian is naughty isn't he! If this faces north I am even more impressed! It's a lovely garden and you should be really proud!

I particularly like the pink flowers with the Cotinus - I used to grow a perennial pink sweetpea up mine when I had one years ago.

He certainly is Sticki but there's enough of us women to sort him out! Well I suppose I am proud of my garden, that's why I've done this show off blog :o)) LOL
Sadly I'm not sure the Cotinus will be with me much longer Bamboo as half of it died last winter. I really don't have much luck with them at all.

Oh Lily, it's lovely! I love the contrast between the front and back gardens...the front's calm and peaceful, and the back's an absolute riot! It's a feast for the eyes, it's taken me ages to read down your blog and devour your great pics! I love the colour contrast between the sambucus and the choisya too, I've done something similar with alchemilla mollis and heuchera, obsidian, it's a lovely contrast! I lost half my cotinus from last winter too, Lily, I suppose if we put the two together they might make one good one!

What a wonderful garden. Do you feed your plants with anything Lily? Everything looks in tip top condition.

Lovely to see so many annuals so well grown Linda. You can't allways choose what comes up with annuals colourwise....I should think. I love a colourful garden at this time of the year. A feast for the eyes. The rain might help the lawn a bit. The moss builds up over the winter in shaded parts on my lawn. If you love your garden it's a marvellous way to pass the time. The front garden is serenely lovely. I bet there's a surprised sound made by visitors who don't know how the back is planted! A dull day makes colours stand out too.

My mum has quite a large corner front garden. I keep telling her to stick the best stuff in the back! but she doesnt listen ; )

Just think Stevie - here you are saying your mum doesn't listen, and I bet she used to say that about you, lol! Funny old thing, life...

My goodness me Lily, what a fabulous garden you have, you must spend hours in there, much better than doing housework ! lol
I especially love the Clematis and the raised beds in fact everything is amazing, so much colour. The front garden, well it is so neat, tidy and serene, (just like you, eh? ) lol
As for that Brian....... I'll sort him out for you ! ! Hee hee !
Well done on a lovely blog. x

Wow! What a lovely,lovely garden, and the front and back work as they are so different.How could you call the front boring, i love evergreens and your lawn looks amazing.You must work for hours out there.I just had to go back and have another look.Does the archway lead anywhere?

Many thanks for your lovely comments Libet, sometimes these lovely colour contrasts are a happy accident. I have no luck with Cotinus so it's good to hear that I'm not alone.
Thank you Frybo. Some things struggle whatever I do especially in the bed below the clematis. I use a general purpose liquid feed every couple of weeks and once things start flowering I use tomato food, supposedly every 2 weeks but it's really when I think of it or can be bothered!
It certainly does take people by surprise Dorjac, after walking through the front garden. We've had plenty of rain since these pics were taken so although it's helped the lawn it's spoilt the flowers but there's more buds waiting to open :o)
LOL Stevie and Bamboo, how very true!
Hello Val, glad you enjoyed the tour and of course I spend hours out there, who wants to do housework? The raised beds are wonderful to care for, no bending and I may just possibly be neat and tidy but I'm not sure about serene! lol. The front garden just does it's own thing really.
Many thanks for your lovely comments Rose, I'm delighted you felt it worth a second look :o) Yes my lovely moss lawn does look surprisingly good doesn't it?
The archway just leads to an access path in front of the hedge. Turn right for the compost area and left for the small shed housing the lawn mower. It also allows space for hedge trimming. Last year I had nastutiums climbing over the arch, it looked wonderful but I didn't plan it, nature took over :o)))

What a good idea Lily.

wow its all stunning and full of vibrant colours lily, tacky i think not my friend, i love it, the more colour the better, love the grasses you have to they add that special something. all this colour must inspire you to paint paint paint lol, thanx for showing us, i love your garden :o) x

What lovely comments Sandra, I'm so glad you like it. The weather is so damp and dreary it does make a difference to look out at those colours. Things are getting in the way of painting just now but I am raring to go, got a project in mind, and yes it is flowery (back in my comfort zone!) :o))

Lily, your garden is stunning! Absolutely love it, and have added it to my favourites so that I can go back and marvel all over again. Your planting design is great - love those colour combinations (and my Sambucus nigra grows sideways too!). You've done a really great job to make such a happy garden. :))

Wow Lily that is lovely, I enjoyed those photos. Thank you for showing them. I love colour too. I know it is not to everyones taste but I think colour is a must and it makes us happy and puts a smile on our faces. I love that garden so neat and tidy. You must have worked very hard to achieve that look. I even like the front garden even without a lot of colour. Calm and restful. Good to have contrast too.

Many thanks Sheila for your very generous comments, I'm delighted to have my garden in your favourites! :o)) The Sambucus is quite new and I'm not sure how long I'll be able to tolerate it's unruly behaviour. Colour combinations caused by happy accidents like this with the Choisya and also the Campanula flopping into it the other side (only because I forgot to stake it) make me forgive it's faults. :o))
Hi Olive, lovely comments from you too, thank you. I love colour too and it's certainly cheered me up with this dreary summer we've had. Once it was all planted it wasn't really much work, no room for weeds but plenty of deadheading which I enjoy. Huge downpours the last few days so it's not looking quite so good now! :o(( The front garden looks the same though.

I love the Campanula more than anything . . . will it come again next year??

Yes it will Sheila and hopefully I'll remember to stake it at the right time! It's such a pretty flower and colour isn't it.

Yes . . . thanks Lily . . . I'll be looking out for it.

Sheila, I've found the label and it's full name is Campanula Lactiflora "Pritchards Variety".

Brilliant . . . thanks Lily. I'm confused though . . . I've got this name ticked in my catalogue from Cotswold Garden Flowers, and it says "rich purple-blue flowers from dark stems"?! Does yours have dark stems? They're lovely anyway!

Mmm, now I'm confused Sheila. I can't see that the label belongs to anything else in my garden unless it's something that's died and been forgotten! I'll have another rummage through my labels next time I'm out in the shed. No mine doesn't have dark stems.

No worries Lily . . . I've just Googled it, and C. lactiflora pritchard's variety seems to be anything from purple to lilac, so perhaps your "lilac-y" one is slightly rarer (and prettier!).

I wonder if the colour varies according to soil type? I have two and both are the same colour.

Sounds like a bright idea, Lily - could well be that. :)

Just found your stunning garden Lily, when googling for Clem Etoile violette.........wow! reiterate everything said here, what a wonderful garden you have! Love the front too it looks so peaceful and serene....stunning!

Well said Janey . . . and it's been lovely to read all about it (and enjoy the amazing spectacle) all over again!