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.

The Old Railway

It's so lovely having this at the back of our house. The previous owner used to maintain it and just kept it clear so we have decided to carry this on. Lee spent quite some time strimming back the overgrowth so that there is a nice walkway through. It goes quite far and backs onto the Llama fields. Luna loves it and it's like a secret escape in the Summer, our own private walkway even though it isn't ours. In the Winter it is totally flooded so not really usable, I believe that is one of the main reasons why the Railway was discontinued. A lot of the land was sold off and we think that this was bought by a neighbour but it is not registered at the Land Registry Office so who knows. We all absolutely love it.

To the Railway

Lee's Strimming

The Path to the Railway Bridge

Secret Steps

The Railway Bridge

Back of Garden

Fairy Skulls

Whenever a child says "I don't believe in fairies" there's a little fairy somewhere that falls right down dead
J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan (1904)

I bought a plant last Summer just because I wanted to see what the seed heads looked like. So sad, they look like little fairy skulls. 

Fairy Skulls
Antirrhinum Seed Heads or 'The Bunny Rabbit Plant'

Maria's Sweatshop

Such a glorious day again and managed to snap a few photos of Lee working in the garden. Besides numerous trips to the tip to get rid of the garden rubbish, Lee has been picking Dandelions, mowing the Lawn and Sweeping the Tarmac :)

Dandelion Clock Picking

So Romantic

Pretty Little Dandelions

Mowing the Rough Patch

New Sweeper

Lee's New Toy

Pots and Wheelbarrow

All that digging and moving rocks has done my shoulder in, but the weather was so gorgeous I decided to sort out our pots with mum. Replanting, splitting and generally giving them a bit of TLC. They are nothing great but will be happy in their new homes for a few years now. I can't wait to see what the black pussy willow looks like and I'm looking forward to seeing the lovely white lillies that came with us from London from my Aunty Nieves.

Old Wheelbarrow

Fixed and Painted by Lee

Plant Stand with Pots on

More Pots

Mum certainly likes her Pots

Need to level out the lawn area now ...

Little Orchard Update #1

The Magnolia tree is out of it's pot with a little brute force from Lee. John the Gargoyle is guarding the patch and the little Robin likes to perch on his head. Dividing fence is down which opens it up a lot. Weed surpressing membrane is down and wood bark has been spread. I've bought a Cherry Tree and my favourite Eating Apple 'Egremont Russet'. So hopefully we can just leave this patch until we are ready to trim the hedge. We now have 9 Fruit Trees, 7 Fruit Bushes, a Magnolia and Little Weeping Cherry. I'm not sure what the bushes are, the leaves are just coming out but I think we have a Gooseberry Bush and some Blackcurrants.

Half Done, then I ran out of bark

Here we go again

All Done

Edges left clear for wood border

Left Side

Right Side

Before Left

Before Right

After

The Dumping Ground

At the moment with all the fences and trellis falling down we are putting it all in the middle of the Vegetable patch as this is going to be cleared for our Archery range ... we are making a big mess! The paving slabs will be re-used for the patio area off the conservatory ... and I am trying to save all the plants.

I've also planted about 80 willow sticks around the fence line at the back to fill in all the gaps. The buds are just coming out so hopefully we will have a nice boundary overlooking the old Railway and the Llamas and Bison!

Vegetable Patch just on the right.

This is what it looked liked in the Summer and what it looks like now.

Lots of mess

I think that blue shed might need painting BLACK.

Vegetable patch

Caravan

Two of these large tubs were in the garden and the other two were on the grass verge by the road. They didn't really look very nice where they were so I planted them up with some of the climbing roses that were in the garden, bought some cheap obelisks and put them by the caravan as a privacy screen. I just need to paint the planters black but this looks a lot better. Lee painted the bottom of the caravan black - so much nicer.

Planters looking a bit rough

Nice and Tidy

Need to paint those tubs!

Big Messy Corner

The photos below are different views around the caravan. We've certainly got our work cut out over the Summer. Haven't worked out why we have so many road cones yet.

Greenhouse will have a new home

Maggi's Greenhouse

This area will be grassed

Border cleared, plants in
place and planting to follow