It's been a while since I've shown some overviews of the garden, so time to remedy that I think, and to make myself a promise that I'll post these every month. It's always great to look back and see the garden through the year. So, here is late July.
After all my revamping, some areas are looking a lot better, but some are looking a little bare. I removed a massive amount of plants, straggly Lavenders (why do I bother with them!), too many large Sedums (I get carried away with cuttings), hundreds of Crocosmia that were threatening to take over the garden (they are EVERYWHERE!) and various other plants that I'd either fallen out of love with or weren't looking that great. Truthfully, it's nice to have some new space to play around with, despite all the back breaking work and being so exhausted I fell asleep at 6.00pm one day!
The Bamboo got a really good thinning out as the stems were gradually creeping forwards and sideways. It has such lovely form and I'm so glad I planted one in the first few years of starting this garden, as it's really had a chance to mature and just loves it's shady space.
You can actually see the stepping stone path now. It was completely overrun with plants before my latest work, my legs kept getting whipped by stems as I walked past!
The Sedum in the shed border survived my hacking job, as did two at the back of the garden, but if I can find suitable replacements for them they might go as well. Despite giving them the Chelsea chop back in May, they are still really tall and flopping all over the place. I do like them once they burst into colour, but am not sure the room they take up and their short time of looking pretty are worthy plants for my small garden. We'll see!
My idea of growing enough plants at the back here to completely smother the wall is starting to come together and... 'I love it when a plan comes together' ;-) . I'll soon be able to seamlessly borrow from the plants and trees in the nature reserve behind the wall to make the garden look bigger.
One thing I don't wish to borrow from is my neighbour to the lefts garden, or for garden see the definition of jungle/junk yard! I'm having to stop couch grass from coming under the fences, bindweed and nettles over the fences and this giant Elderflower from overshadowing the patio! I've trimmed it back three times already this year, but it's a really fast grower. You can see how much taller than the fence it is, a real monster, so it's out with the platform ladders this weekend for a proper cut back right into the branches that are overhanging. What a shame not everyone respects the precious piece of land they are given.
I'll leave you with some other overviews of the garden, but not too much of the top right corner, as I'm saving that for my next post.
The next areas on my hitlist for a bit of a spruce up are the island bed and far left border behind the shed as they seem to have merged into one! Think I need a rest first though.
It's all looking really lovely. I do think that a plant has to earn its place in a small garden, there's so much choice that there's always something else which could easily take the place of something not working so well. I have the same problem with lavender, they always grow so straggly and woody.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm not the only one then Jo. I was beginning to think I had some weird effect on Lavenders!!
DeleteIt's looking lovely so jam packed wit plants. We have dug up oir bamboos.
ReplyDeleteThat must have been quite a task Sue, I can't even get a fork into the roots of our one!
DeleteI enjoyed seeing this overview. You have a lovely, full garden!
ReplyDeleteThank you Alison :-) .
DeleteI know what you mean about Crocosmia getting everywhere. I have been battling with it for three years and still not won!
ReplyDeleteThey're a nightmare, I wish I'd never planted them.
DeleteWow your garden is looking terrific so full of plants - I agree about neighbours gardens what a shame they don't put as much effort into it as you do - such a waste. Your July overview is stunning Paula - keep up the good work - after you've had a rest, that is!
ReplyDeleteThanks Elaine. Yes, I think a rest is definitely in order, although...I can see other jobs that need doing out there, lol!
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ReplyDeleteA most enjoyable post and lovely pictures. It looks full of interest and colour. I've got two lots of crocosmia on the plot that are beginning to get out of hand.
ReplyDeleteHappy gardening. Flighty xx
Dig them up now Flighty, or you'll be fighting them for years!!
DeletePaula, your space is small? When I saw the first few photos, I was thinking it was enormous! You have so many plants, and everything looks so lush and beautiful. I always appreciate when a blogger shows some of the longer views. You deserve some rest! Bamboo really is beautiful. Do you have clumping or running bamboo? If the type with runners, I hope you have some sort of metal underground boundaries to keep it within limits, as eventually it will become horribly invasive.
ReplyDeleteLol, it is small Deb, or compared to most peoples gardens it is anyway. One of these days I'll get it measured as I really have no idea of it's true dimensions.
DeleteThe bamboo has been in for about 8 years now and this is the first time I've had to cut it back, so not too high on maintenance. I'm pretty sure it is clump forming, as all the new shoots always come up right by the parent plant, not out into the garden. Fingers crossed it stays that way or I could be in trouble!
Wow! Everywhere looks lush and gorgeous! Crocosmia is lovely but as you say it's horrendously invasive, I have battled it for years, some clumps are so well established I can't even get my spade through them.xxx
ReplyDeleteOh, I can imagine that, especially the way the bulbs mat themselves together. I've been ruthless in pulling them up while I still can!
DeleteLovely garden, I can see you have put a lot of thought into it.
ReplyDeleteBamboo is great, a really lovely feature. I have to thin mine regularly, not a job I particularly like but feel it is something that just has to be done.
Also love your unique water feature :)
I understand your problem with your neighbours garden. I have blackberry, nettles and willow coming though the fence. Like you I keep cutting back to no avail.
I find it very frustrating...........
The water feature is my fish pond Cheryl, you just can't see them at the moment as there is so much hornwort in there!
DeleteHi Paula girl ... that is a lot of work indeed! no wonder you feel asleep so early! haha
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the difference and seeing the foot path is really nice .. some times we think we want the garden to be very lush and over grown a bit .. then we get that tidy up feeling so we have to FIX things to look right and once you get in that mode .. well, it is a lot of work ! but you are doing a great job of it : )
Joy
PS ... should I ship the raccoon mafia over to help you ?? LOL
Lol Joy. No, you can definitely keep the little critters over there, I have enough pests to contend with in the garden ;-) .
DeleteI love your overview of the garden. There is so much of interest. The crocosmias are invasive but they provide a lovely splash of colour. The yellow one is not such a pest and Emily McKenzie is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a yellow Crocosmia, Chloris, I'll have to keep my eye out for it.
DeleteWhat a lovely garden! I like a jam-packed garden, too, but mine has also gotten to the point where I need to do some selective thinning out. I can't even walk through some parts. Your garden looks so inviting with the pathway and all the garden art beckoning you to explore a little further.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rose. Yes, it's a bit of a nightmare when it gets overgrown like that isn't it, and it tends to creep up on you as well. I'm glad all my hard work is done now.
DeleteHi Paula, Your July garden looks terrific. You have quite a large garden so I can well imagine that you would come in at the end of the day exhausted and ready for an early bedtime. I didn't give my sedums a "Chelsea chop", because I was so busy, and am wondering now if I will be very sorry.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed for non floppy sedums Jennifer!
DeleteYour garden is BEAUTIFUL! I love, love, love the circle stepping stone pathway.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mindy :-) .
DeleteYou've been working very hard, there! Very impressive! I really like your ponds and your paths. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteThank you, hard work but worth it!
DeleteIt’s looking great! Your pruning job has made wonders, it is amazing how much we carry OUT of our gardens every year, I do too, and as my garden gets more and more mature I also take stock and get rid. I have got rid of ALL my sedums, no more floppy sedums. I have however thought about getting some miniature sedums, surely they can’t flop?!
ReplyDeleteAnd I hear you regarding neighbours….I am watching a monster ivy creeping closer and closer to my garden, I have no idea what to do when it enters my part of the 4m tall back wall!
I hope you enjoy the amazing weather, long may it last!
My council compost heap must be overflowing with my offerings this month Helene, it's just been bag after bag after bag of prunings and removed plants for them!
DeleteI have a little wooden box of mini sedums near my door and it's delightful, definitely better looking than their taller brothers. Hear hear for the sunny weather, I love it and hope it continues on through August.
Your garden is looking really well Paula, I think the thing with thing with bamboo is that it so often gets planted in the wrong place, in my case I have ripped out two of the four that I had after a couple of years as they were just not right where they were. I noticed the comments about lavender, personally I think they are a waste of time and very difficult to grow correctly, you might as well grow cat-mint which makes a great substitute.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the cat mint would last five minutes here Rick, my cats would be rolling around in it! Lavenders are definitely out now though, I won't be bothering with them again.
DeleteOh lovely! I love it when a garden really comes together like this. All the plants look so healthy and happy.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could get lavender to stick around, straggly or otherwise. They take one whiff of our humid, tropical air and just keel over and die . Disgusting! :D
Oh dear, I wonder where they would be happy then, they're very fussy plants!
DeleteSometimes you just have to be brutal. The garden can get so out of control and wild without our help. I had help getting mine under control when we had a particularly brutal winter. It did the pruning for me, and now some of the crazy big roses are more normal sized. Not to mention that many of my most straggly roses were actually killed by that same winter, so they've been replaced with much better models.
ReplyDeleteI wish nature could have helped me out Robin, it would have saved me a lot of hard work over the last fortnight ;-) .
DeleteIt really looks beautiful! I love your little pond. I tried to make one but it just became a mosquito farm since I couldn't hook up a pump/filer or any way to keep the water moving. I have several plants that are being edited out of my garden this fall. But taking out the ones that don't work just gives us an excuse to find the ones that do!
ReplyDeleteAww, shame about the pond. I guess we're lucky here in not having a mosquito problem.
DeleteIt is great fun to see an overview of someones garden. It is difficult to get a grip on various spaces without seeing this from time to time. Your garden is jam packed. Fun. I can't grow lavender either. I love the thought of doing so. I like to make lavender sticks and have some for scent inside. It just doesn't like it here. Must be my soil since I have always blamed not enough sun for it and it looks like you have plenty of sun. I think you are brave to grow bamboo. I am afraid it would take over. You must have a clumper.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is a clumping bamboo Lisa, although it's been there for a number of years now and I can't remember what type it was. It hasn't taken over though, it grows a little each year and giving it a good cut back every few years seems to keep it in check. Glad you enjoyed seeing the overviews :-) .
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