A Look Around the Garden

My first real entry on this blog is just a show of pictures. I have drawn up an outline and will try to scan that on to the next post so that you will have a better idea of the layout. It was wet this morning and so these pictures show the true colours of the area and its plants.



This my favourite corner of the garden. It is the north-east corner and has some beautiful large trees and a shaded glade beneath. There is a huge gum tree in the corner where the old hayloft is and others such as flowering prunus and silver birch. I shall name the less obvious ones later as they come into leaf and I am able to identify them confidently. This is the corner that my sister said could do with a few tables and chairs so that I could serve cream teas. I would love to do something like that, but only for friends and family. I shall keep an eye open at the auctions for benches, seats and tables to scatter around so that people can sit and spend time in any part of the garden.

The north-east corner of the garden is due to become the "potager". The string marks out the outer edge of the rectangle which will contain two circular raised beds with paths between. Outside it will be fruit netted areas, compost bins, nursery beds and other fruit trees. I'm trying out one of those plastic cloches on some fuchsias I rescued from Lidl. They have been trimmed and re-potted and the trimmings are waiting in a tumbler of water before being dipped into rooting hormone and added to the pots.

I'm desperate to get my broad beans in. I'm probably the last person in England to be still planning to put some in this year!!!. I shall resort to the flower borders if raised beds do not happen in the "potager" very soon. I can put the silver beet (chard) in seedling trays to be replanted later. These are two of the most favourite and reliable green vegies form my Australian gardens so I will be interested to see how they go here.

There was a discussion about keeping this tree because of its horizontal growth, but I like the "quirky" and feel that it adds some character to what could be a very conventional garden. The tulips have colonised areas all over the place and some will have to be moved so that they can be enjoyed fully.

The east wall of the house has two enormous espaliered fruit trees growing up it. They have not been pruned for a few years and it was a bit too late this spring so they will have to wait till autumn now. There will be a fair sized crop but what they will be is unknown yet. The woman next door has bagsed windfalls for her horse.

The rockery to the east of the lawn is a bit tired. It has some interesting plants but not much drama about its overall display. These plants are new to me and I will have to do some research and garden visits.

There is a wonderful walled garden near us with a fantastic nursey and helpful advisers. It is at Eggleston Hall and is well worth a visit and a stroll through the stocked areas. Other garden centres and nurseries abound and I will be visiting them all and reporting on the best finds.

The sun is trying to come out now and the seeds are calling.

More news soon.