Tuesday 4 September 2012

Digging for victory

Hello everyone, after my rather long absence I am back and raring to go. I have been feeling so tired and jaded the last week or so and it has taken me a while to get back into the swing of things but September is going to change all of that. I have been spending so much time in the garden, really trying to make an impact and I must say that it is looking lovely. 



My border is lovely, not that I can take much credit for that as all these plants, bar the rose at the end and the apple tree at the front, were there already and have come into bloom. I am going to replace the fences in the next few days/weeks not because I mind the nice old looking ones, but because every now and again when I am out there there is a crash as yet another rotten piece of wood falls off. One strong wind and the whole lot could go as it is completely and utterly rotten.


My apple tree has taken beautifully and goes from strength to strength, who knows, maybe I will even get an apple or two next year! I am not touching the rhubarb as I have been warned off doing this in its first year, but oh, it is so tempting to nick some for a nice crumble. the stepping stones are actually massive stones that I dug out of the ground (now you see why digging a new bed takes me so many hours!) I will do something with them.


I kicked off my wellies and took a well earned break.


I have dug out this bed and added 2 climbing plants that will reach up to that trellis given time. On the far left is a clematis montana Elizabeth and on the right is....... oh, dear, I can't remember and I lost the tag!


Another picture of the same border (how did that happen?)


On this trellis I have painstakingly dug out another bed and this is another clematis, this one called star of India.


This small corner bed took me about 7 hours in total over 2 days, yes it really did. The man who lived here before me had piled all the stones that he had ever dug out of the earth into a pile here that had then started to grow its own life forms. I filled over 17 bags with rocks! My poor car didn't know what had hit it when I transported those to the tip.


Today I finished digging this bed and it has finally reached the end and matched up with another bed. Now the fun bit will start, choosing plants.


This was when I had not quite got to the end. From left to right, a honeysuckle, mombretia (transplanted from elsewhere in the garden), jasmine and clematis star of India.


yet more bed digging.


The border from the other end.


Close up.


Still haven't got the arch (and not sure I can actually afford one right now, but one day it will be there for the lovely red climbing rose to climb over.


Digging, digging, digging........


I have put together a raised bed, which is not yet in the ground, I will put some winter veg in here, got some cabbages and cauliflowers that are almost ready for planting out.


And after all that work, i am so tired, it is an early night for me!

Thanks for being patient!

Oh and Blogger seems to be behaving itself, in fact, all these photos downloaded in record time, first time! Got to be good news!

19 comments:

  1. It all looks very professional!
    If I didnt know better I would have guessed you have had some professional landscaper gardener help!!!!
    you are very good with your hands!

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    1. All my own work John, all my own work. But you are right, I am very good with my hands - must be all those years practicing piano! I may get a bit of help with the fences though.

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    2. I am sure some wellie clad "Mellows" type will be around to give you a hand!

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  2. looks lovely, I'm refusing to spend another penny on my garden - until I move somewhere not so wet and cold - any suggestions, for now - I just keep my place tidy - thanks for sharing your garden. froogs xxx

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    1. Isn't everywhere in UK wet and cold this year?

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  3. Fast forward five years and folk will be paying to look at your garden.
    Jane x

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    1. That is what I love, the thought of how these plants are going to evolve over the next 5 years. Can't wait to see what it looks like. That's the joy of gardening.

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  4. I have just one word, LOVELY. It's so pretty and relaxing. Ooops, that's a couple more words. Oh well, it takes more than I guess. You should be proud of your work. I'm actually jealous, I got a lot of clearing out done, but before I could get flowers in the ground, our oppressive heat ("feels like" 108 today) kicked in and there is no way anything could get put in the ground. So my goal now is to get the beds all READY and keep them ready (the raised garden beds too) and then next Spring when our garden centers are filled with flowering plants, I can go crazy, and just stick them in the ground, ha.

    Welcome back by the way, back to blogging, I missed you!

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    1. I think a lot of these beds will end up staying empty for a lot of the winter and be filled up in Spring, but I am so happy to have got them done. My mind is full of images from your inspiration posts.

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  5. All looking great on your gardening front. My back garden is an overgrown mess at the moment. The bind weeds are joking everything. I`d lost interest and my get up and go, I guess. But, this weekend I will start to grapple with that. I shall be busy over the next few weeks to sort it all out again, ready for the winter. And by the time spring comes it will proberbly be overgrown again. I don`t seem to win in the battle with the weeds anymore. It`s very disappointing. My arthritis does also limit the length of activity I can muster for tackling the weedy mess. Concreting or decking would be a good idea. I`ll have to re-think my future in gardening over the winter time. Improvements will have to be made for my own comfort and ease, that`s for sure.
    You`ve done so much in such short time, it`s a lovely looking place now. Well done to you!!!

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    1. I am luckily free of bindweed.The good side of decking is that it becomes relatively simple, clean gardening and secondly, seems to be mercifully free of slugs!

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  6. Nearly forgot to meantion. The larger stones you dug out could be useful as flower bed edging. I`ve done this with my front garden and it gives it a very nice cottage style surrounding. It would save you from having to take them all to the tip. Or make a rockery with them. Just a few ideas to save time and efforts.

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    1. Yes, I have thought of that and did actually keep plenty of stones back, in case. I assure you, there is no shortage!

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  7. Boy, do I know about stones! We have to digs any holes with a garden fork as a shovel just hits the stones and goes nowhere. Your work will be worth it in the end. Nice position for your home by the look of it.

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    1. Yep, sounds the same. The way I view it is, it is a hell of a lot of work, but once they are out, they are out for good!

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  8. Your garden is coming along - you should be very proud. As regards the rhubarb it may well be an old wives tale but I was told not to pick rhubarb after July.

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    1. Well, in which case, I won't be picking any until next year now anyway. Hopefully it means next years crop will be fabulous!

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  9. Blimey, no wonder you were tired. Don't forget to keep and store your fences for the fire!

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    1. I am saving like mad for a wood burning stove, only got about 100 years more saving ahead of me unless I win something.

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