Wednesday, April 27, 2005


Dandelion heaven Posted by Hello

Back garden view from coal shed Posted by Hello

cottage garden viewed down from front bedroom Posted by Hello

Back steps and kitchen window border Posted by Hello

new fence border birdseye view Posted by Hello

view of back garden from backdoor Posted by Hello

view of front garden from hedge Posted by Hello

Red pansies in pot on backdoor step Posted by Hello

viola's in green pot by backdoor steps Posted by Hello

Pieris fire mountain Posted by Hello

Japanese maple with bright pink/red leaves Posted by Hello

Patio tree (think it is an Azalea trained up a canepole) Posted by Hello

More photos to upload

Following from yesterday I used the webcams digital camera to take aerial shots of garden from hanging out of the upstairs windows.It makes visualising it easier whilst i look for a 2d garden design program.New seeds bought today.Salvia red riches, and carnation triumph mixed.This was for the rosebush border square.To bring out the oranges with contrasting colours.My indoor sunflowers are now in the ground in the front window border.
Seedlings are popping up, and i need to be patient.I study the ground everyday on my haunches looking for signs of seedlings rising up magically.
The summer bulbs have started to protude slightly in the front window border....Its rained on and off all day,but been sunny between the showers.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Reflections

After a winter layoff where my enthusiasm only ran to thinking about the garden, spring reinvigorated me to plan in detail, and then slowly buy the plants, seeds, and bulbs.I have never grown bulbs before.The vegetable patch is still an idea.It took a lot of effort to brush away winter cobwebs, and weeds (they grow so fast when left alone).
The grass has been cut.The explosion of dandelions in front of the white birch is amazing.A carpet of yellow flower heads even after vicious lawn mowing.
That which worked last year has stayed.New plants, tree's, and shrubs now have joined the throng.Im excited by the thought of observing growth, and watching the garden fill with colour.It should be magical to sit in, with a cup of tea, and a cig, and just look.Seeing god in every flower, blade of grass, leaf, bud, and branch.
It helps calm you down from the excesses of everyday life, makes you contemplate, or just soak up the beauty of nature.Right by the door to the house.
I wanted the new interior to be reflected in a flowery exterior.A mixture of new plants, and traditional ones.
The leylandi has to be trimmed or just removed.It is a big blot on the upsloping grass.The white birch has come alive with fresh new leaves exploding out of buds, contrasting to the peeling white bark.A few people answered my question what is it!!
Not shown are pots outside the house.I have a minature succulent garden in a purple pot from nans house.I have put pansies, and violas into pots.There are sunflowers outside in pots ready to be moved to the front window cottage garden at the back.
My windowsill projects are evening primroses, purple coneflowers, french marigolds in study window, and my favourite busy lizzies.The cats sat on the overwintered specimin, the others died when i was in London doing my sisters garden.
I thought about all the gardens I have done.I tidied Mums in Cheltenham for a couple of years, she loves growing flowers.More of a wild cottage garden really.
Jawsy has an already established garden, with large tree's. and about ten rose bushes trained to be tree like.
In wood street I reclaimed soil from a ton of bricks, and concrete.I made three borders on a bricked backyard.
This garden is by far the biggest.It was totally derelict, and full of rubbish from previous tennants.I have taken one year to reshape it to something of beauty i want everybody to enjoy.
Love you Sallyanne, my wife.Its our garden darling.I did it for you, and me, and our family and friends to enjoy....

front garden with messy hedge Posted by Hello

side of garden by white birch Posted by Hello

Acer palmatum at top of new fence border Posted by Hello

Two camelia's, phlox, and alyssum snowdrift  Posted by Hello

Chaenomeles


white flowered tree Posted by Hello

senecio cinereria,phlox,lavender,back fence border Posted by Hello

lavender,hebe silver dollar,lavender again,senecio cinnereria,and alyssum snowdrift along front edge Posted by Hello

new fence border down view Posted by Hello

forsythia and euonymus green and gold Posted by Hello

opposite view of kitchen window border Posted by Hello

Kitchen window border

This has the backdoor steps along one side.Stone slabs across the front edge of it, and to the left hand side is the rain guttering seperating a further section of it.This has had summer bulbs planted between the red leaved tree, eunymus green and gold which is growing really well, and a gorgeous pieris firemountain, red leaves from the green lower leaves.
A forsythia which put on a small yellow flowered display but now is full of fresh new green leaves where next years flowers will grow.It is beautiful in the spring, liquid sunshine dripping down its lithe long branches.Euonymus green and gold contrasts to it in colour and form.
I have tried to plant some scabious in front of these two shrubs.
The kitchen window border proper has some wild violas purple white yellow faces along the edge for some colour.

kitchen window border Posted by Hello

Back garden fence borders

This is one long border which is shaped like a boomerang, and is bordered on one side by the dividing fences.We paid £280 for a new fence to keep the next doors devil dog in its own garden.She ripped my last japanese maple up.
The backgarden grass forms a contrast to the soil.
It is easier to see this collection of plants.From last year there are three phlox (which i hope will flower.Got ONE pink flower from three plants!!), four silver leaved senecio cinnereria.
Added this year were one silver dollar hebe with purple flowers, two camelia japonica (one red, one pink), tree with white flowers, and a corylopsis false hazel which remains twigs with no signs of growth.
When the fence was erected we dug the border in front of it running from the kitchen window border down to the two fenced corner. We went plant shopping and spent fifty pounds, then another eleven pounds.
The new additions include a gorgeous patio tree with sumptuous pink flowers in the middle of the new border.The other plants were two japanese maples acer palmatum "garnet" and acer palmatum "atropurpureum", two rosemary plants, three lavender plants, twenty bacon and eggs violas (purple and yellow), and another hebe with red/brown flowers but compact growth.
Planted along the original back fence border are summer bulbs, gladioli, purple dusters (Liatris), and Tritelia (purple flowers above thin green sword like stems.I think i planted some dutch iris as well but cant remember!!!

Back garden with new fence and boomerang shaped border Posted by Hello

White birch with new leaves Posted by Hello