The garden *is* my project!

Spendid erection @'M', I love the chicken too . Your garden is looking fab, I do like some trellis with some climbers, I've not got any.....yet but I'd rather like some to grow a Passion flower up , please post us some more photos when you have your shineyland plants in place!

 

Our posts crossed 'M' you have done incredibly well, brilliant transformation in the garden

 

Ahem .... it's a boy (and, to make it worst, I had to be driven home with him between my knees for an hour .. with his head poking out of the window - the things we do for our passions, eh )

Oh definitely I'll be posting pictures of my Shiney Land hebes, hebes, hebes, hebes and hebes

 

Thank you @Beckie76

 

What a transformation "M", you've certainly worked hard on it! I can already picture the climbers on the trellis.

 

Wow, that's given me food for thought, well done. It looks great

 

Great transformation @"M" ,love the trellis

 

First big task for 2016: created a new border today (in front of the trellis) so I could get those clematis into their final position. It never happened last year and I was determined it *would* happen this year.

So, have spade, got digging ...



... the sod was given to the girls to play with ...





Next, dug a deep hole for the potted clematis; the soil was easy enough to work, but had been compacted with lawn for goodness knows how long but, once worked seems good to go ... oh yes and I found a shilling in there ...




... just look at the roots on this bad boy! It wasn't root bound, but I can see it would have been if I'd left it another year ...




A few hours later ... TADA!!!



Doesn't look much quite at the moment (well, it wouldn't at this time of year ) but, in that border I have put:-

1. Rosemary
2. 2 clematis
3. Aqualigea
4. 2 roses
5. The Bee plant - phlomis (shineyland stock)
6. Iris (shineyland stock)
7. geraniuim (shineyland stock)
8. 2 heuchera
9. 2 hydrangea (cuttings from previous garden courtesy of Kristen's excellent advice)
10. 2 varieties of Day Lily
11. Bowles Mauve (cutting from previous garden)
12. Hebe "Rhubard & Custard" (which I thought had died on me last year but seems to be coming back into its own now)
13. Geum Mrs J Bradshaw

Think that is everything?

All nicely bedded/firmed in and given a "blanket" of thick bark chips, a healthy sprinkle of B,F&BM and a thorough watering.

Can't wait for it all to fill out and find its own balance


ETA: OMG!! How could I forget That piece of garden (now border) is also home to ... The Triffid

 

Looking v good!

One word of caution. You won't be able to get those climbing support things out when the clematis get really going. They could end up being pulled all over by the clematis too and looking scruffy. I'm suffering the same thing with what the previous owner of my garden did.

 

Thank you, @nFrost - Valid point and well presented!
The clematis have been in large tubs for a good couple of years. When I went to transfer them today, they were still clinging to the little metal "starter" trellis I'd begun with
My thought pattern is, clems can take a severe cutting back annually; so, even if they devour the supports *this* year ... no problem, because once I cut them back hard, I'll simply remove the supports

 

Good thinking. My clematis has a fair few years of growth running through the support so I can't solve the problem without making it look awful. Just don't leave it too long like the previous owner did here!

 

I'm wondering ... could you not cut it back anyway (depending on when it flowers, of course). It may look "awful" for a short while, but, it will thank you for it in the end, I'm sure. That way you could then tackle the supports and get a fresh looking clematis back into the bargain.

ETA: The very worst that could happen is, it dies. But Morrisons sell clematis at great prices. So, if the worst happened ... you would be able to replace it with one of *your* choosing

 

With climbing plants that have been around supports for a long time, instead of cutting the plant you cut the support
Especially if you dont like it.

 

It's looking good "M". Of course we'll need progress pictures as the year wears on.

 

Thank you @Sheal kind of you to say so - it's a slow process due to the house needing more attention than we first thought
HA! Progress pictures will simply be how the border fills out - but, you will definitely get those