Always a special moment when the first Patty’s Plum poppy opens… the colour is just stunning! Have several of these, been in the border for several years, never fail to return…
I've got to admit i was the laziest of lazy gardeners for the first 20 yrs of moving in and cutting the grass was as much as i'd do. Cuttings were just thrown on the borders and i'd let weeds, thistles and grasses take over. I'd tell everyone i was doing my bit for insects, re-wilding etc. I was far more interested in getting back to my armchair, to the Racing Post and weekend football coupon. I had no interest in the garden. It was in that bad a state that i was glad when it snowed as it made my garden look as good as every body else's
Money did come in to it ( i didn't have any savings at the time). The fence at the bottom needed replacing and i had an old rotten shed to get rid of.
But things got easier financially and i managed to get funds to replace the bottom fence and even had enough for a small patio area and some trellising. I bought my first ever plant, a Malvern Hills rambling rose. With the Malverns in the background it couldn't be anything else!
I then finally got round to clearing and digging the border
The MH rambling rose grew and bloomed so well in it's first year that i became addicted to buying Roses, mainly Austins. I bought another MH and then started buying shrub roses.
Gardening or trying to create a nice garden has now taken over my every thought. I'm rose mad! I decided break the garden down a bit, instead of having one long garden i thought i'd separate it. This weekend i started preparing for this time next year and i'm having a go at a 'no dig' border. Ready for more Austins.
I'm toying with the idea of an archway for an entrance to the middle part but we'll see. I'm definitely having an 8 seater pub table in the middle there with a parasol as the garden is South West facing and has no shade anywhere. It will be surrounded by roses.
I'd say i'm around a third done now and i'll pop back this time next year with another update. I hope to have decided on a few companion plants by then!
I've just seen Ronnie O'Sullivan at the garden center. I think he was eyeing up a plant.
Thank you for showing us your garden progress @HarryWhite. It's coming on really well. I love roses too. Look forward to your next photos. I hope I don't miss them!
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
@HarryWhite What a beautiful outlook/backdrop to your garden. It's looking really good now,so when the roses are in its going to be stunning. I love your pics and story. I am lucky to have a mountain backdrop too.
The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
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It was in that bad a state that i was glad when it snowed as it made my garden look as good as every body else's
Money did come in to it ( i didn't have any savings at the time). The fence at the bottom needed replacing and i had an old rotten shed to get rid of.
But things got easier financially and i managed to get funds to replace the bottom fence and even had enough for a small patio area and some trellising. I bought my first ever plant, a Malvern Hills rambling rose. With the Malverns in the background it couldn't be anything else!
I then finally got round to clearing and digging the border
The MH rambling rose grew and bloomed so well in it's first year that i became addicted to buying Roses, mainly Austins. I bought another MH and then started buying shrub roses.
Gardening or trying to create a nice garden has now taken over my every thought. I'm rose mad!
I decided break the garden down a bit, instead of having one long garden i thought i'd separate it. This weekend i started preparing for this time next year and i'm having a go at a 'no dig' border. Ready for more Austins.
I'm toying with the idea of an archway for an entrance to the middle part but we'll see.
I'm definitely having an 8 seater pub table in the middle there with a parasol as the garden is South West facing and has no shade anywhere. It will be surrounded by roses.
I'd say i'm around a third done now and i'll pop back this time next year with another update. I hope to have decided on a few companion plants by then!
What a beautiful outlook/backdrop to your garden. It's looking really good now,so when the roses are in its going to be stunning. I love your pics and story.
I am lucky to have a mountain backdrop too.