We're opening our garden - 8 weeks to go!

sobie

Lovely Photos & Garden, looks like all your hard work is paying off.

Just one little thing though (as a garden centre owner I'm being biased) but why not buy your plants from a local nursery? At least you'll know exactly what your getting without getting sent cuttings (re honeysuckle). Look online to get an idea of price and available varieties.

Be careful with summer bedding frosts forecast for this weekend, and right into the first week of May over most of the UK. Last frost date here is third week of May (Norfolk) although frosts are not unheard of in the first week of June here.

I love Ceanothus (the blue flowering shrub - you're using as a climber). Mine was only that size when planted 2 years ago. Its now 7ft tall and 2ft wide (I cannot remember what variety it is) I'm thinking about turning it into a standard because theirs one main stem at the base so it would work well.

I'd say the tree is Flowering currant too. You can cut it back as hard as you like after its finshed flowering.

Keep posting the pictures

savingpennies

antw23uk wrote: »

I lied ... I found one ... Its the tree in the middle of the pic. Sadly it doesnt flower much anymore after it was pruned hard a couple of years ago and its kept trussed up with supports through the middle which are black so you cant really see them to keep its 'domed' shape.

Part of me says its had its day and needs to come out but its so big and gives great height in the garden .... and the cats love climbing it and if it was taken out the neighbours would seem a hell of a lot closer!!! :eek:

Pic was taken a couple of days ago so garden is still springing into life

[/QUOTE
How about planting something that will grow up into it like a climber of some sort? i have a tree that looks a little boring but does a good job of filling a space and I've got a clematis growing through it which looks lovely in summer. A neighbour has a clambering rose going through one of his old trees. It's a lovely garden and I am sure you will get many years of pleasure from it.

bownyboy

sobie wrote: »

Lovely Photos & Garden, looks like all your hard work is paying off.

Just one little thing though (as a garden centre owner I'm being biased) but why not buy your plants from a local nursery? At least you'll know exactly what your getting without getting sent cuttings (re honeysuckle). Look online to get an idea of price and available varieties.

Be careful with summer bedding frosts forecast for this weekend, and right into the first week of May over most of the UK. Last frost date here is third week of May (Norfolk) although frosts are not unheard of in the first week of June here.

Keep posting the pictures

Thanks for the feedback. I also use many of the local nursery's around there and in fact found a fantastic one near cobham on the recommendation of a friend yesterday. But as we have a 2 seater car, I order larger tree's and climbers online.

More pics to come from this weekends hard work!

bownyboy

So this weekend I focused on the smaller rockery as it was quite overgrown and had lots of grass covering everything. I cleared it up and planted some new bedding plants as well as covering with a layer of compost.

South side of the rockery:


North side looking towards where I planted the 3 tree's 4 weekends ago:


Looking down and across, still some work to do:


Tulips all out:

D&DD

It's looking lovely hope all goes well with the opening

bownyboy

Planted another wisteria on against the front trellis yesterday. Its north / east facing (gets lots of sun late afternoon), so hoping that will be enough sun for it to grow well. Its about 2 meters tall and lavender flowers (just trunk and some branches at the moment).

I've got Friday off so a long weekend of gardening ahead. Also my girlfriend got talking to a retired guy who was gardening a few doors up who happens to be a gardener and works on 20 gardens in our village. He's coming round for 2 hours on Saturday to give me some advice and help with the front part of the garden.

Got a load of mixed wildflower / cottage garden seeds at wilko's (50% off at the moment) and will scatter these around some of the borders / lawn edges and also the 'wild' section of the garden.

gallygirl

You're really going for it, well done :T

bownyboy

Thanks gallygirl! 5 more weekends to go now. I'm really hoping the garden will suddenly awake over the next few weeks, espicially with temperatures between 15c-20c forecast.

Still lots to do, our friends said they will sing for a couple of hours (acoustic set) and we're looking at putting up some bunting and serving tea and cake in 1950s inspired aprons (the garden was set-up by the previous owners about 50 years ago).

harrys_nan

Just seen this thread and have to say how nice your garden is :T
Hope all goes well for your open day.

Cally_Smart

Did you get chance to do any more to the garden over the Bank Holiday? The beautiful weather brought a lot of things on in my garden in Gloucestershire.If you need any help naming any plants ,put the pictures on & between us all, we will do our best to help!