Recruits hard at work

Beginning of April 2011
It being April Fool's Day and Mother's Day, we invited Mum and Dad L to come and do some more gardening. (Perhaps this is a good point to explain that Husband is plumbing in the toilet and sink, so is far too busy to be pleasing the worms as well.) They arrived bearing numerous offerings from the shady side of their garden, and the gardens of Auntie Margaret, Auntie Marian and Grandma (plus meringues). Mum L spent Friday afternoon digging over the dry border under the north facing wall and planting the offerings.


Mum L modelling the latest in garden fashion

Dad L dug over the sunny border against the south facing fence, removed the turf from Bed D, and re-turfed the border and various bald patches in the grass.


Dad L working on the border edging

Brother Mike, having completed his last exam until summer 2012, came over the next day and was put to work on excavating Bed D. It took him and Dad L all day to dig it out as there was mounds of rubble as well as lengths of electrical wiring dumped by builders.

Bro' Mike and Dad L

Dad L with rubble

Mum L spent about 3 hours mulching the entire garden with chips from the eucalyptus and leylandii that had been quietly rotting in corners since October 2010. 

Newly mulched shady border

Mum and Dad J came round for an inspection (and Mothers Day lunch) after the troops had rested. Dad L insisted upon mowing the grass as the finishing touch, aided by Husband with Dad J inspecting.

Dad J skipping with delight at the lovely garden

The garden has really transformed since being a plain lawn with empty beds around the edges, overshadowed by trees and a giant hedge (by-the-by, apparently the leylandii was 10ft high, not a mere 6ft - either seems very tall to me!). Many thanks to all the family for their hard work and numerous plant donations, without which we'd still be drawing plans and dreaming of carrots. Bean did not show up on Mother's Day so perhaps a few more seeds planted might mean the baby deigns to show itself.

Making the beds!

February 2011
I started maternity leave on 14th February (the four hour daily commute was getting a bit much by 33 weeks pregnant, plus it was my birthday!) and Dad L came to stay for the week. I'd spent much of the winter concocting an ambitious scheme for the veg patches but had been thwarted by frozen earth for months, so that by the time the thaw arrived I wasn't up for heavy work. Dad L fortunately happens to love digging (mole-like tendencies?) so got to work removing turf and digging over two island beds for a decorative veg patch. He dug out lumps of old tarmac, concrete, bricks, an old pipe and tonnes of stones. I was on stone sorting duty and we now have an increasingly large pile of flints with which to construct a path or edging. Mum L helped to dig a bed after she got back from a CWR course.


Mum L with a fork

The amount of work completed was amazing and I'm sorry I wasn't much use! I did manage to put in the garlic though - four bulbs (one of which is 'pink') purchased from the Hampshire Potato Day event - and sow celeriac, marigolds, various wild flower seeds, basil, sweetpeas and cabbage in modules. We also planted three canes of raspberry 'Autumn Bliss'.


Raspberries along fence; garlic in bed; pile of flint in corner



Front garden

Serious Box Appreciation!

In the usual Spring Madness, I subscribed to Gardeners' World magazine in March 2010. "Joe's plants for problem places" in the April issue was on shallow front gardens, suggesting box balls with roses, allium, iris, geranium and salvia. Having a fondness for the smell of box (roses aren't bad either, just less surprising!), the design seemed appropriate when we found our new house. Funnily enough, Granny J had two box balls that Neighbour Eric gave her that were looking for a home, so of course this concluded the matter.

Dad and Mum L came to visit one weekend in early summer. The rose of sharon was reduced; the laurel-type-thing, the dead climber and the ivy removed. Pah! We're not wasting a good south facing wall with those! Four bags of manure were dumped on the beds either side of the front door and planting began after a trip to Wisley Plant Centre to buy two roses, two iris, a clematis and some lavender. Fortunately we had vouchers as a wedding present (thank you!) and were also able to buy a bird feeder. Dad and Mum L gave us some geraniums, some wee box lumps, more lavender and some verbena. Joe Swift's plan was put into action, with some modifications, and the front garden looked a whole lot more inviting than previously.

Very newly planted front garden

Of course, it will take a while for the plants to spread out and cover all the soil. The mahonia was able to stretch out after cowering under the rose of sharon and is less lop-sided. About two weeks ago (March 2011), three white calla lily bulbs were planted under the window. These were donated in October 2010 by Sister Assumpta from the Bermondsey convent garden and travelled home in a large sack by bus, train and taxi. I potted them into large pots and they survived the winter without rotting - hurrah! For his birthday in March 2011, Husband received three pots of alliums that can go in as soon as possible (he probably really wanted Screwfix life membership or a garden shed but alliums is what he got!).

View front the front door, December 2010

Opposite the front door is a manky bit of fence enclosing some telephone company gubbins. Grandpa L had been growing cuttings of climbing hydrangea and kindly gave us two, one of which has taken off up the fence (the other is in the back garden against the wall next to where the elder was removed). A large box has been planted in a dark corner (thank you Auntie Margaret and Dad L) which will also help to improve the view into the front garden from the kitchen.


Climbing hydrangea, March 2011