Our garden

Beautiful @Sienna's Blossom

 

An update on our garden. We were trying to decide at the beginning of the year whether to put the house on the market and move or not. Thankfully we decided to stay put before the whole Coronavirus nightmare so we've been quite settled. But, we decided it would be a good time to re-vamp the garden and make some improvements.
We used to have a privet hedge all the way down one side of the garden, but our neighbour next door is not a keen gardener at all and honestly the hedge was just too much to maintain and absolutely full of bind weed. But the sparrows loved using the hedge for cover so we were a little bit torn about removing it, as we really like gardening for wildlife.

We decided that the hedge really did need to go as it was impossible to keep it maintained and bind weed free from just our side so the hedge has now gone, but to keep our feathered friends happy, we've been making sure to re-plant plenty of bird friendly plants in its place. So we now have 5x guelder rose, a hawthorn tree, a spindle tree, 2 new rose arches and we are in the process of adding a wildlife pond. Taking down the hedge has also freed up space for a new greenhouse and cold frame so we've been happily sowing seeds and growing veg etc with the kids throughout lockdown which has been great.

I've also got 4x hanging baskets with lavender in them on the new fence, and a row of lavender plants to line that pathway that leads to the greenhouse.

It's been so lovely seeing the garden coming along so nicely and being able to spend lots of time together outside during lockdown. It's going to be a while before the new bird friendly plants have matured but thankfully we already have some mature trees and shrubs in the rest of the garden, and they haven't deserted us! We had a pair of nesting great tits, but sadly, we think the male parent died. The female worked so hard feeding the chicks, and we helped her out by providing live mealworms. The chicks all successfully fledged which was brilliant to see.





Rose Tottering-By-Gently ( I loved the name!) Yellow roses are my absolute favourite.



Rose Francis E. Lester



Sienna's angel surrounded by beautiful Geum flowers, so pretty.



Photo from the decking showing the new rose arches



And a view from the bedroom window showing the new fencing down the right hand side of the garden, and the new greenhouse at the back. The pond is going on the patio bordering the bottom right of the photo. Photos to follow when we get the liner in and get the pond filled and planted. I'll also try to get a photo of the guelder roses etc. in as you can't see them in this photo. They are to the right of the pampas grass and in front of the new fence.



I have never been more grateful for this little haven.

 

Wow looking really good @Sienna's Blossom, have to agree with you ...Tottering By Gentle.....what a fab name!!

Your garden is a true haven...they certainly give the mind the right environment to heal.....in time. Thankfully with careful and thought provoking plantings...we never forget.
Hugs x

 

A few more pics to keep them all in one place.

 

Wrong place, sorry