Strawberry Plants for the Birds

We need to keep a walkway clear just at the back of the caravan, but I couldn't help saving more plants and have moved some of the little strawberry plants to this area. Hopefully they will fill out and spread. Summer Update: they have definitely taken over and I have seen the little chaffinches eating the strawberries:)!

Before

After

Little Step Project

Just a small revamp of the steps going up to the sun house. I used some rocks that were in the garden and some leftover shingle from the caravan pathway. Certainly tidies it up a bit and is a lot safer for mum.

Before on the Left Side

Before on the Right Side

After Photo

Finishing the Leftover Turf

Lee used up the rest of the turf by laying this on the very worn out pathway by the Beech Hedge. It was also on a slope so we've tried to level it out a bit. The area wasn't prepared as much as the Vegetable patch but fingers crossed, breaking and raking the soil a bit will be enough to get it going. The slabs have been lifted from the main lawn area and placed here where the soil gets a bit compacted in the Winter.

What a difference, so glad we started to take photos of our progress.

Before (Springtime)

After (Summertime)

Garden Clearing Continues

The patch by the Caravan is another project that we are doing and another very messy corner that needs sorting out.

Lee has been busy tidying and burning the rotten wood and we are trying to save everything from the garden to make a new square border here. I have quite a few Climbing Roses saved from the Vegetable plot ready in pots so this new border should look really nice when it's ready for planting. You might have to use your imagination.

Loads of Wood under Tarpaulin

Greenhouse No.2, now gone

Wood Pile Cleared, new border will be here

Materials Salvaged

Lee and his Man Bonfire

Burning Rotten Wood

Messed Up on the Grass Order

So I ordered the grass for our vegetable patch. Thought we would be getting 16 square metres to cover the whole patch but we ended up with 16 metre rolls :) not quite what we were expecting so another order is in for next week.  On the plus side Lee has managed to fix all the awkward patches and I've been smashing slate tiles to go around the Rowan Trees.

Lee Watering the Patches in the Rain

Awkward Patching

Nice green corner

Two Rowan Trees with Wooden Edging

Painted Wooden Edging

Smashed Slate Tiles

As we have loads of old wood, these are being put to use to edge the borders, fix fences are other useful things.

The Vegetable Patch

We were putting this off as it is such a big job. The whole lot needs to be cleared as we are laying down grass for low maintenance ... but I need to save the plants first and dig out all those weeds.

One side of the Vegetable Patch 

Section of the Vegetable Patch 

The Beginning

Another Section Clear

And Another

Almost Done

Finished and Levelled

... and 2 Rowan Trees planted

Plants saved and most went to good homes including the local garden centre.

Rose Border

We chopped back the Beech Trees so that we could extend the height of the chicken wire, it will probably take a few years to come back but it really needed to be done. We still have the top to do but that's for another day as all the hedges around the garden need trimming back too.

This border was very overgrown and the existing Roses were just smothered with bluebells (most without any flowers) and crocosmia. Mum and I cleaned this border and made it a bit narrower and I attempted to make a drystone wall using most of the rocks from around the garden.

Working our way up

The start of the Drystone Wall

Have done my shoulder in moving these :(

We cleaned the border and took out some of the Crocosmia and Bluebells. We found some Ferns and Irises struggling to be seen. There's also some Aquilegia, Foxgloves, Hollyhocks, Solomon's Seal and a Gladioli. We planted 5 small Pyracantha (with orange berries for the birds), 3 Apple Blossom, Lillies, Alliums, some Perennials and Roses. We also planted some Elephant's ears to fill the border with evergreen ground cover.

The Roses that I ordered from J Parkers were pitiful and I was really disappointed I won't be ordering from them again.

Look how tiny my Roses are! Little Sticks!

Something Lives in this Hole under the Fern

Before

... and After

Behind the Caravan

This isn't a very exciting area at the moment. I've cleared it and raked it all over and put carpet down to stop some of the weeds coming through until we are ready to turf it when the frosts are gone.

At the back of the caravan I've just plonked some Laurel stems in the ground and I'm hoping for some heavenly intervention. Lee has planted a couple of lovely old honeysuckles from the Little Orchard fingers crossed they recover and grow in their new place.

Before Photo

Carpet Down

Back of Caravan

Nice Clean Path

A couple of Llamas having a look

Old Garden Chairs and Table to be Painted

Have Counted 8 Llamas altogether