New Year - new country - new project!

Hi Sian, I have only just caught up with this thread. You certainly have a big project ahead of you but it should be great when finished, I doubt you have had any time for your art.

 

Hello there, I hope you don't mind a 'newbie' here dropping in. Well, a newbie compared to all of you.
What a perfectly lovely area you have and your parents would, I'm sure be delighted with the work done to reclaim and restore it to its former glory.
Looking forward to seeing progress.

 

Hi Victoria!

Yes, the area to the right of the greenhouse is part of the property…

this is from the bottom garden, looking up


from the bit of the garden “around the corner”, again towards the greenhouse, with the newly planted plum, greengage and apple tree.



The other three apple trees we planted this winter. They are above the normal high watermark for a flood, when the river is at 5.5 metres. (The highest recorded flood reached the greenhouse, just)


You’ve gotta love a silver birch! Looking across the bottom garden, from the corner gate). The bare ground in front of the birch is where a small patch of dogwood had become a vast thicket, as branches touched the soil, rooted, then repeated the progress up the garden!


The “younger” established Brambley apple, at just 50 years old.
Standing where I took the first photo of the greenhouse and fruit trees, but looking around the corner at the two established apple trees, Brambley to the left, older tree (we are guessing around 80-100 years old), which might be a crispin?
Underneath are snowdrops, and later will be cowslips. It looks quite magical for a couple of months, and then becomes a thicket of nettles, borage and wild arum.

 

Thank you Michael. The house needs a lot of work, but we hope with time, effort and (the house), money, it will become a lovely home again.

we are not fond of lawns either. The grass around the hazel is probably going to change to all borders, with paths through.

 

So true - I see him so many times as I work in it. I’ll probably start talking to him!!

We are only just starting, but yes, it’s eating hours of my time!

Hi Penny! Thank you! I like to think that they would be happy with it being taken on, and developed. It does help to know what is underneath the brambles, as well as why there is a strange wall running around the edge of the upper garden!

 

Wow Sian that is an impressive property. If I remember correctly, your Brussels property was/is large. Have you sold it and are permanently back in the UK?

I admire you taking on such a big project but appreciate it is the family home. I never had a family home as my father moved about a lot, countries and states. Same with Jim's family (states not countries). We are here in our paradise in the orchards for good. I have had five major operations here and Jim one so have no fear in that respect.

I hope your health keeps up to continue with your projects so you can relax and enjoy. I loo forward to following your progress.

 

We are still living in Belgium, whilst the building work on this property is undertaken. Lots and LOTS of internal walls being removed, so we thought it best to stay away!
The building work should be (mostly) done by the end of the year, but a lot of the garden will not be impacted, so we thought it made sense to make a start, during our visits to see architects, etc.

I have to admit I’m a bit daunted by the scale, and have already found a gardener to help me!

 

Makes perfect sense to me. We stayed in the UK till this home was habitable. Started the garden on visits to get the infrastructure done.

 

I thought I'd better give an update...

The top levels

From the front door to the road


the gravel garden between the house and the road
From the front door towards the main garden and view


The patio


The area where I envisage a waterfall and pond

Across up the upper garden (not our boundary fence)


Across and down the upper garden (our new boundary fence)

 

...and the bottom garden that floods regularly

the raised veg beds, greenhouse and newly planted fruit trees


looking down to the lower hedge


the newly planted hedge is starting to sprout!

across from the greenhouse to the apple trees


Down to the other corner, with newly planted apple trees


The bottom hedge, with the cleared area where the dogwood jungle used to be


towards the two established apple trees, compost area and shed

 

It's a nice garden, I think you'll enjoy working on it