The front garden

As is obvious front previous posts, the front garden wasn't very interesting. Its most exciting feature was the stream running across the front in a 6ft culvert so my driveway is a bridge (more on the stream later!). When she first saw it, my daughter described it as 'the house with the moat'.

The borders under the front windows were full of spikey shrubs which quickly got out of control so I decided the best policy was to clear them completely and start again. The climbing hydranga had already gone and been replaced with a Wisteria. It is growing well - to the extent I can't remove its pot - but after 5 years has yet to flower. I only found out last year that you are supposed to cut them back twice a year so I'm adopting that approach this year and keeping my fingers crossed. On the other side of the door, I've planted a virginia creeper which of course heads for the skies every year, turns a beautiful red in the autumn then is severely discouraged (cut back) only to repeat the next year.

I extended the beds over the front paths by edging with sleepers and raising the levels of soil though it is still quite shallow right at the front and almost completely replanted. I say almost because although I dug out 2 bucket loads of crocosmia corms, there's no stopping it! The final effect looked quite neat if I say so myself! Sadly its now gone wild again and is due for serious attention over this winter and next spring.

The lawn area backs onto the stream and the path down to the foot-bridge. Again it was largely uninteresting and pretty much out of control. To add to the fun(!) we had bad flooding in the winter of 2017 (more later) which got into the front garden.

Again it was a matter of clearing everything - starting with a large, boring green bush requiring several tip runs! It did get pink flowers on it which were quite pretty but they were overshadowed by its greeness! Once cleared, the beds were lined on both sides (as a flood deterent) with sleepers and replanted. There's a section near the drive which still needs attention but I need more sleepers before I can complete that. Again the replanted borders look quite smart with bamboo replacing the green bush. The bamboo is growing very well. Not sure yet whether it might prove to be a mistake. This year it was full of foxgloves and looked amazing.

More developments due over the winter. I park my little camper, Dobby, on the lawn so the grass is pretty much dead. I am seriously considering digging it up and gravelling it and just adding pots. I will still have the beds of course. The shrubs at the far end have now been cut down and await more sleepers before I can finish that bit off. I did have a idea for building gabions (wire cages full of rocks) to go along the stream side as they would make a nice wall and act as a flood barrier. I'm still thinking on that one.