Friday, March 24, 2006

Oh my God, what have I done???

Just as I was getting the garden sorted, I had a brainwave (luckily I don't have them very often), I sat and drew a new plan for the back garden. Originally I just stuck beds in where there was a space, as long as they had a path between them (as the children requested) it didn't matter. But looking out of our bedroom window I knew something wasn't quite right with the whole area. So I started designing again, keeping some of the old features and planting and moving others.
What I'd done before was cut beds out of the lawn, this time I decided to leave lawn and cut beds around them to make some more secluded areas, obviously it will take some time for them to become hidden, but I think the design will work better. (Eventually)(& if it stops raining). So off to the hire shop for a turf cutter, it was a sunny day when I woke up, so decided yesterday was the day to start. As usual I didn't prepare anything, although had my plan, so whilst M'spouse was busy removing the fence where the chickens had been, I started cutting the turf....With today’s heavy rain I now realise it is going to be an enormous job to get this finished and sorted by our first opening in 6 weeks time.......help !!!

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I then decided there was something missing from the front garden, so decided drastic action was needed down the long border. I bravely removed the turf by the aviary, cutting off the way around the bottom of the garden, so now you have to go around the sunken bed, through the rose arbour and then down around the aviary to a small circular hidden lawn. At the moment we have a huge stone stuck in a pool of muddy water. No wonder plants didn't thrive in this part, I had moved a gunnera there last summer as I'd noticed it was squelchy, but didn't realise it was this bad (this is after 1 night of rain).I'm going to place lots of small stones in this hole, once we get the big stone out, in the hope that it will drain quickly and the grass can grow reasonably well over it.

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Whilst cutting out the turf I noticed that loads of branches from one of the trees overhanging the beds were littering the lawn (or what’s left of it), on further investigation found that the electricity board contractors had been in the wood and cut down loads of trees that were growing close to the main electric cables. (They had discussed this several weeks ago, and I'd said to cut down what was needed especially the big one that bends towards the cable. Of course they didn't cut down that one just trimmed it, so with the next big wind I'm sure it will fall and break the cable...oh well.) Anyway I was rather shocked at the destruction, as I hadn't expected all the other trees to be felled, but then decided how brilliant it was because now I can make a proper woodland garden........................when I've finished the rest....!

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Sunday, March 12, 2006

More snow in Wales

Even more snow!!! I know it was forcast, but that could mean anything these days. Its quite a lot deeper this time, and more is due tomorrow I've been told. The bamboo has been reduced to 3' by the weight of the snow, and I know I should be out shaking the snow off the branches, but it looks so nice as it is, i'll wait (and regret it later).
The children are having a fun time making giant snowballs, I hope school is open tomorrow.......


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Tuesday, March 07, 2006

The "Stairway to Heaven"

Right, here are the 2 stumps that I have got to remove before I can continue the steps. I had hoped they would be rotten like a lot of the others I have taken out, but I don't think they are, and of course the chainsaw has gone to be mended, because it has a hole in the piston apparently.
Hope you can make out the steps, they go a long way up, hopefully I will be able to grow a lovely white rose down from the top of the leat.
Some more pictures of how the front garden is progressing, I've been looking at last years photo's of the garden and we do seem to be quite a long way behind, in the sense of flowers being out.

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Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Snow in Wales.

It has been saying for days on the news & weather that we would be having snow. We woke this morning to a blanket of snow, school was cancelled and the children were out at 7.30am playing, why can't they manage this on a normal day???
By teatime half of it was gone, but severe snow storms are forcast for tomorrow so we'll have to wait and see. The garden has far more in than 2 years ago, I took some photos then on 26 Feb 2004 and it seems much more bare.

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