Tuesday 8 May 2007

Through to the Front Garden






It is time to go through the small gate into the front garden.



And look back at the little gate! The Amelanchia which was what I meant to take can't be seen!!

Although this was never a farm house, the garden is similar in its layout. If you come out of the front door, you look down what was once a short drive, but is now more of a path. To either side there is a lawn, and a wall (listed 2*) goes all the way round.


We have come through to the right-hand lawn. In front is my latest piece of work. There was a huge Ribes, which the year before last I took the clippers/saw to and reduced it to a sensible size. Before, the birds always ate the flower buds, but this year, it had proper flowers on it! Don't know what that should tell me! Behind it are a tree or two, a Prunus mainly and rather boring Viburnums. I have planted all sorts of things in front but at the moment they are making a slow start. I find that shrubs and trees that I plant sulk for a year or two before they start to really grow!

To the right is a hidden path down the middle of the things in the pic. It leads to an arty farty little well, with no hole or water!!. Actually, a water diviner found that there is water about 20ft down! The tree(s) is a Beech which seeded itself many years ago. It was an absolute menace - the branches came almost to the ground and nothing would grow under it. There was a third one which shaded the place where we were adding a Conservatory. The beastly Council people would not let us remove the whole thing, even though if it fell it would demolish the end of the listed house!. They said that walkers coming down the right of way would miss it! At the same time permission was being given to 3 turbines which would blot the view for same walkers going the other way!! Any way, we removed one of the stems and pruned the rest of the tree hard back. It looked like a bottle brush, but now that it has done some growing it looks quite nice again and the shading effect has been partially dealt with. As you can see, things do now grow!

At the far end of that bed is this Seneccio greyii (now called something else). You can just see the top of the 'well' behind it. The Seneccio is all one plant. It is the biggest I have ever seen. I prune out all flowered wood in the late summer and cut it back round the lawn edge and anything that goes up too high. You will be subjected to another picture of this when the shrub behind comes into bloom.


Well, that's it for today. We'll carry on another day. The broom will be over, but I'll put in a picture of it, so that you don't miss it. Bye for now.


8 comments:

Westerwitch/Headmistress said...

Wow stunning - our `Scottish bit will never look like that.

Suffolkmum said...

Such a beautiful garden. Thank you for the tour. I find that trees and shrubs sulk for a year or two as well!

DevonLife said...

amazing. i must post some pictures of my garden to make you feel very very sorry for me

Pipany said...

What a gorgeous garden, Withy. Looking forward to the photo of the broom - ours isn't even out yet! x

Anonymous said...

your garden is wonderful x jep

Eden said...

Your garden looks amazing. Is the ribes the lighter or darker shade? I love the dark shade best, but they are both so cheering in the spring. What kind of viburnum? (I know lots of people think they are boring -- some of the municipal ones are, but I love carlesii -- such a great scent). Your garden gives joy even by proxy!

Posie said...

What a beautiful garden you have, I love gardening, but mine is not picture perfect like yours, good for you.

Pondside said...

What gorgeous photos! I love your walks - what treats they are! Our broom is just coming into bloom but we yank it out of the ground as soon as we see it. It does rather too well here on the island and is choking out all of the native Arbutus Trees, Garry Oaks and Camas Lilies. Lore has it that all of the broom came from 5 seeds planted in the late 1860's by a Scottish settler. You should see the hills now - a vision of bright yellow!