TIME FOR A CHANGE
By lily2
24 comments
The garden evolves naturally but sometimes it’s good to change things around more radically than just the odd plant. Now my camera is at last repaired I can show you what we have been up to in the garden and also what still needs to be done.
This is what the area at the back of the house looked like when we moved in.
In 2001 we had a complete revamp and the next photo shows most of the garden before I had planted anything. I soon found that plants did not thrive in the area at the back of the house, it was too damp and gloomy for much of the year with no great depth of decent soil.
This summer we were doing some renovation work on the raised patio area and at the same time came up with the solution to the problem area. My new raised beds! The door in the background is my ‘den’, more about that later…..
This is a view looking away from the house showing the existing raised bed. These are very useful when the ground seems to get further down the more time goes on!
I have shown you the best bits, now for the bits still requiring attention!
Four weeks ago I scarified the ‘lawn’ as it had a hard time during the construction of the raised beds. Then I applied feed which is still waiting for rain to water it in properly so now the grass looks like this…
The patio renovation is still work in progress(?) and is a long job (I’m the skivvy, mixing up cement and cleaning up etc.), slowed down by the hot weather and still looks like this….
My potting shed/greenhouse (my den) is badly in need of a tidy up!! This is really the back part of our long garage sectioned off but has a clear insulated roof so is great for overwintring borderline plants and growing things on early in the year. I love pottering about in here when it’s raining – perhaps it will rain soon and then I can do the tidying up. Here it is…..
This blog has taken ages and has been a real battle with technology but I think I know what I’m doing now (sort of). I hope you like it!
6 Jul, 2009
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Comments
That's a lot of work Lily and it looks great too.
As for technology ..... it takes time (well it does with me!) !!!!!!!
6 Jul, 2009
A lovely garden. Well done.
6 Jul, 2009
Lily ....I love your raised beds.....and your "Den"....I've just had a struggle adding a pic to a blog....have it sorted now......I think...
that hhuuuuuugeee hedge...is it a leylandii (sorry):))
6 Jul, 2009
Well done Lily,loved the tour and your garden looks great,have to agree with Bob we just keep going all the time its addictive and therefore we make work for ourselves,lol. As to the techno side I,m ok sometimes and others I get in a right pickle,I just blame my age!!!!!!!!!l Lol.
6 Jul, 2009
Hi Lily ur garden looks lovely all ur hard work has paid of also love ur potting shed dosent need tidying thats the way it shud be!!!!!!:~))))))
6 Jul, 2009
I liked your blog. You're doing well. Your garden seems to be coming along nicely and I like your shed :o)
6 Jul, 2009
I think it already looks gerat. the patio is really coming on. And the planting very colourful. My grass is looking brown, as well, due to lack of rain and too much hot sun and strong winds!
Nice blog, worth the work!
6 Jul, 2009
oh my gosh you have worked hard to get it where it now is beautiful job hard work pays off and when you work with your hands look at the outcome it is beautiful Job thanks for shareing so much of you with us.
7 Jul, 2009
Thanks everybody for your lovely comments. Now it has rained my grass should turn green with no help from me.
Yes Alice, I admit to being the owner of public enemy No.1 the dreaded 15' leylandii! We inherited it but it does dominate our small garden and I have tried to minimise this effect in the design. Would rather not have it but the neighbours like it(!) and so do a multitude of nesting birds which we love to watch. It also gives us both great privacy as we are very close. Have considered lowering it by at least 1/3 but the tree man who trims it every year says it's dodgy whether it would ever look good again so maybe 'better the devil you know'...... Would love to remove it and plant large evergreen shrubs like Photinia, Ceanothus etc and allow them to reach their full potential which I can't do elsewhere in this small garden, but have to persuade hubby first! Do you fancy digging the roots out?
7 Jul, 2009
Love it. Everything looks great. I'd love a 15' leylandii Lilly2, in fact a row of them. I'll send my son along to do a bit of digging!
7 Jul, 2009
Lovely stroll around your garden, Lily! Loved it! :)
Gardens are always "a work in progress"!
8 Jul, 2009
Thanks Balcony, it's as you say and that's one of the reasons we love it!
Thank you too Ginellie, it is a whole row of leylandii about 40' long and 10' wide but I don't think they would transplant very well otherwise your son could come and start digging now!
9 Jul, 2009
lily what a diferance to the garden now you have put your mark on it, great having a little den to do your planting etc, well done
19 Aug, 2009
Just seen your offer for me to dig the roots out...in a word.............NO..............LOL
19 Aug, 2009
I can't think why not AA lol. Anyway, just today my hubby vetoed that idea so me and the hedge are stuck with each other! :o(((
19 Aug, 2009
Ahhhhh..wot a shame...!!! :))
19 Aug, 2009
Sandra, I replied to you earlier in this blog and it's not here! It's that b****y submit button AGAIN!!! doh....
Yes we put our mark on it but after seeing all the other lovely gardens on here I now feel like putting a completely different mark on it. Well that's not going to happen so I'll carry on tweaking it a bit! Yes I love my potting shed, apart from the spiders!! :o(((
19 Aug, 2009
the troub le is when we like gardening we always want something else because we see so many ideas, i just orderd a pink fluffy pampas grass off ebay £2.21 woohoo,, cant wait, its only small but will soon grow lily,
19 Aug, 2009
What a beautiful garden Lily. You've worked SO hard ! Surely you're not scared of spiders ?? lol !!
26 Aug, 2009
'Fraid so Sue, lots more on that subject on Hywels's blog called 'slug :o) ' Glad you like the garden
26 Aug, 2009
I'll have a look. I think they're one of God's creatures ! ha Got a beautiful little one that's made his home between the top of the kitchen window and the pot plant in the middle. Means I can't clean the windows ! Oh shame, never mind !! lol x
26 Aug, 2009
I wish God has kept them for himself Sue. Little ones are bearable but most don't stay little. Good excuse not too clean the windows though lol
26 Aug, 2009
Absolutely !!!! haha
26 Aug, 2009
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Thankyou Lily for showing us around your garden, I can see that a lot of hard work has gone into it and the benifits are clear to see, it is now a lovely garden, the work in process is always going to be there, when you finish one job another raises it's head, a bit like painting the Forth Bridge :o)
As regards the technology after a couple more blogs and adding photo's you will wonder what all the fuss was about, it will be a piece of cake by then.
6 Jul, 2009