A garden restoration project (nothing fancy)

Rosa_Damascena

Katiehound said:

You want bees?
may I suggest a buddleia? Once established you cut down to the main trunk each year. Insects love the bog standard one, no need to buy a named variety- mine was smothered with butterflies earlier in the year.

Again I cannot stand buddleia - ugly looking weed that needs pulling out of my borders. I found this growing kerbside the other day which I think is fascinating but apparently quite dangerous:

ArbitraryRandom

Indian pokeweed? If so, it's great for birds and pollinators.

I wouldn't recommend eating it, but I'm not sure I'd call it 'dangerous' 

Rosa_Damascena

^^ What I call the Ugly Bud.

Katiehound

Rosa_Damascena said:

 

Again I cannot stand buddleia - ugly looking weed that needs pulling out of my borders. I found this growing kerbside the other day which I think is fascinating but apparently quite dangerous:

never seen one of those- it looks positively amazing. Wouldn't mind it growing in the gutters round here!

FreeBear

Nepita is good for attracting bees if you can get it to flower - I have a pot of the stuff out on the patio, and it never seems to grow more than an inch high.

Working_Mum

I have stained my long brown fence black and it looks wonderful! My plants colours  just pop against the darkness of the fence. I paid £41 for a huge drum of the stain and have gone on to stain my garden furniture too (very MSE :-) ) 
I think you have a lovely project there Rose - good luck with it and please post pics of your progress as I always love to see gardens taking shape 

wort

@Working_Mum I painted mine black a couple of years ago they were red concrete when we moved in (new build) BIL told me paint them white. But I love them black, the green pops and they fade into the shadows now mine are virtually covered . By the way a lovely garden.

Rosa_Damascena

Painted fences do look smart but every brushmark becomes evident as it fades, so I would imagine this translates into regular maintenance?

I've had some much-needed time off work and am whipping the garden into shape now. Its neat and relatively blank canvas for all things bright and sunny next summer. I am not a fan of winter which I consider to be from the point we revert to GMT, but this extended summer is lovely! I am trying to rationalise things - only 8 weeks to the solstice after the clocks go back, 9 to the end of the year...but a full 22 until we can set them forward again. Which at least gives me some time to plan another project over the dreary months.

My next task will be planting the daffs and tulips to give me something to appreciate during January and February!

Dustyevsky

Rosa_Damascena said:

^^ What I call the Ugly Bud.

Perhaps if you'd pruned it.....

Rosa_Damascena

Dustyevsky said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

^^ What I call the Ugly Bud.

Perhaps if you'd pruned it.....

It went straight after I posted the pic, in fact the whole border is now looking short and neat. Except the hawthorn has developed nasty red berries that I need to get rid of before they plant themselves.