Last of the summer.

Just before the big autumn tidy up. A few things get left to spring to cut back but I prefer to tidy the borders and apply the manure before the spring, once the bulbs and flowers start getting going its very difficult to get the stuff in the right place and not bury everything.

The view down the garden again, the annual bedding I put in this year is so full of colour, until the borders get established I will use it for the next couple of years.

The swimming pool, whilst not too grand it serves the purpose brilliantly. We have spent weeks in the pool and hope to get it covered during the winter so perhaps we can use it as soon as the weather is warm enough.

Nice end to a summers work

I can't believe how well everything has grown here, the soil is light and sandy with a ph 6-7 and a high potash level, I will be putting well rotted manure on in the autumn so that should get some more nutrients into the soil.

This is one of my favorite views back to the house, the bog garden has done extremely well for 6 months old. We decided to make it larger than originally intended as I kept finding plants that suited the conditions so well, and we just have to have them don't we..

The oldest child started on the veg garden with great enthusiasm, although he didn't realize it had been a hard standing some time in the past, so the soil in parts was less than 6", he did grow some amusing carrots. Half way through the season the weeding got too much and child No 2 then took over with very good intentions.

Always an interesting view to see how much change has gone on in the first 6 months of the making of this garden. I think the grass needs cutting yet again.

Starting to take shape - at last !!

The bog garden has grown so much in the few months we have been here, obviously the wet ground has made it ideal for the plants that have been growing in pots for far too long

This rose I believe is Rosa Pauls Scarlet Clg. one of about 5 roses growing along the wall when we arrived, these were the only plants we found here, which was disappointing given the age of the mill I had hoped to find amazing discoveries of long forgotten plants.

The long border has been dug over now and planted, I've just checked it is just 3 weeks since the last photos were taken, I think my Mum and Dad must have been down to help with the digging and planting and general slaving. Most of the plants in the garden are all the bargins that nobody wants, sale plants (I've had some tremendous bargins), gifts or from my mums huge garden, or ones I have grown from seed. Gertrude Jekyll's will be proud of the colour schemes one day...flowing red/orange/yellow/white/blue/purple/pink.

The toilet bed has been dug over and prepared - I must have worked very hard it was only 3 weeks ago the photo was taken with it covered in nettles, and I seem to remember I had an operation on my right hand on the 29th May so digging was painful and seeing as I couldn't even pull my knickers up properly yet!.. (this is not why it is called the toilet bed) the little door on the side is an old privvy.

Untamed ground

Still such a lot to do and plan, the big clump of nettles to the left (highly fertile ground I've been told) will one day be a bed, and I think the lovely lilac in the background will need a bit of a trim, the flowers earlier in the spring sent David looking for tissues and hayfever remedies, when I bought them in the house.
In the foreground is the makings of the stream bed, when it rains heavily the water rises up from an unknown source towards the bog garden, the only way to drain this area was to create the stream, although it would be nice to have it flowing all year, we did try syphoning the stream water, but after several unpleasant experiences with the hose pipe decided we'll go for a dry stream for the majority of the year.

The Stream as above was a necessity due to the high water table, the soil is very sandy and slightly acidic in this area, so hopefully the primula's will do really well.

We haven't decided what to do with this area yet, There is a wall surrounding this area, a pond which we relocated, it looks like a rockery and raised areas had originally been built, but it is very overgrown.

Behind the house we have an original leat, the water for the mill was directed into this area - like a pond - then out through a small hole in the wall and down the wheel.

The grass has been killed in preparation for the border to be dug out, the soil at this end is deep but at the other end is shallow and very stony, we will obviously have to improve it.

A bog pond is formed

This is a natural area of very boggy grass, the only thing we could do really was turn it into a bog pond. The water rises and falls depending on the water table and weather, when we first moved in there had been heavy flooding so the water table was very high.

Another shot of the bog pond, we made a small patio out of flag stones found by the house, the blue balls were a present from m'spouse. Some of the plants have been relocated from the pond up by the house, along with the newts and toads found there.

So much work ?

The front of the house when we moved in. The conifer I'm afraid will have to go. There is perennial sweetpea growing on the right hand side, quite happy to keep this. Its quite a large bed which I might have to make smaller to allow car turning space, I'll probably regret it in years to come.

This is our motley collection of outbuildings. Originally there was a barn type building with 2 pigstys, at some point the owner has added the flat roofed shed and 2 more pigstys (we think). I think the rabbits and guineapigs will be having the low stys and the chickens the ones with the tiled roof. I think David is having the large barn for pinball machines, and the front for storage for work.

This area is just an absolute mess. The big dip was a manky old pond with stinking things in and we felt it was a bit dangerous with an enquisitive 2yr old around. The rest of the area looks like an old rockery type area with little paths around it, all very overgrown and dotted with self seeded plum trees. In the distance you can just make out the original mill wheel, which will be fenced off a bit more securely.

Slave labour

The slaves hard at work, 2 weeks after we moved in. With our little old self propelled mower set on high and at an angle we managed to cut the 8" high grass to reveal the - lawn. The working party worked for 3 days solid (we did feed them occasionally) to dig a long bed, to heel-in all the long suffering pot bound plants that have survived 3 moves...

The back garden took 3 back breaking days to mow, afterwards m'spouse got me the tractor mower, the best investment ever made..(thankyou). I'm sure one day he'll find a use for it..

The mower got stuck in this area as there was so much surface water, no problem a bog pond is dug out.

A home at last ! These plants have been traveling around for 2-3 years in pots, dug up in winter, and cut back heavily, hopefully they will like their new home, although for some it may still not be permanent.

Our first view of the field

Our first view of our garden after the severe flooding. Ochran Brook had covered half the field.

The agents photo for the Mill before we moved in - looks even more overgrown