Garden Tour – What to do next?

Garden Mar 9

The weather on Sunday was glorious, and instead of going out and about as we usually do on a sunny Sunday, we decided to have chilled day at home and in the garden. And i’m so glad we did, as even though gardening wasn’t on my agenda, we actually ended up getting lots of tidying done whilst the children played, and began to have a think about what we want to do with the garden now. It’s largely been ignored the last two years since we moved in, bar some turf replacing some raised vegetable beds *wails*, so this year is THE year to get sorted.

So, please do come on a tour of our neglected garden!

I am no gardener, although i’m tentatively starting to really enjoy spending time working out here. I think i’ve resisted gardening so long as I always think of it as an (whispers) old pastime. But when you’re fortunate enough to have a 60ft, south-facing garden, I guess you really do need to start looking after it! It has so much potential, and our aim is to turn it into both a child, and adult friendly space.

As you can see from the picture above, we have a big area of decking which leads from our kitchen doors, and is shared by our utility room. The utility room is a godsend, and we’re used to it being there, but looking at this photo I can see how ugly it actually looks. I’m in two minds whether or not to paint it another colour, or grow something up/around it, because unfortunately, it ain’t moving anywhere else. The decking area was fenced off by the previous owners (see below pic), and whilst this has been extremely useful for containing two toddlers and creating an all-year-round play area, it really ‘cuts off’ the garden and makes it appear a lot smaller than it really is. We will be taking the fence down now Sasha is older, and when we have made the rest of the garden safer. Which I can’t wait for, as the whole space will really ‘flow’ then.

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Just behind the utility room, off the decking and into the garden, is a small concrete area where our ancient, and extremely dangerous shed used to be. We’re lucky that we don’t need a shed anymore, as we can store any garden implements in our garage. Over the winter is has been home to some largely abandoned pots & growbags of mine (that last year houses raspberries, sweet peas, sun flowers and tomatoes), and until Sunday the whole area looked in a right state, not helped by the storms of recent weeks:

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^^^Whilst Adam mowed the lawns, My mum and I cleared and swept this area free of leaves and general ‘dead plant’ debris, and then set about weeding the pots, and chucking any un-salvageable plants. I was really pleased (and surprised!) to see that one of the raspberry plants has started shooting again, so that gives me hope that my plant-management skills aren’t completely shite!

The pots are now ready to go, but i’m yet to decide what should go in them. Any ideas?

Garden Mar 12

We are unsure whether this area should be re-tiled (ideally with some nice terracotta tiles, or some ornate patterned ones, like these *swoon*), and house some plant pots and a nice new BBQ, OR if it should be home to a wooden playhouse for Freddie & Sasha, with some pots at the side. Decisions…

Our garden has beds down both sides. On one side, we have what is, come summer, a lucious redcurrant bush, that has provided LOADS of fruit for me to freeze for crumbles and jam the last two years, and also a small apple tree, that provided fruit just last year:

Garden Mar 4

We will keep this bed largely as it is, but will add some fresh soil, as it’s rather dry at the moment, despite all the rain of the last winter. I’m not sure what soil type this makes it? I’m guessing not clay? I may just add some other plants, but again, badly need advice as to what might flourish near fruit bushes/trees.

The other bed is quite overgrown, and the bushes could do with cutting back, along with a few trees, and http://www.fortworthtreeexperts.com/springtown/ are a great company to help with tree removal, if you’re ever thinking of chopping some down! It is also over-run by mint, and since that spreads like wildfire, i’m inclined to dig the whole bed up and start again. Then I think i’ll just grow mint in a pot in a small herb garden. I’d love to grow some veggies on this side if the area is suitable:

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At the bottom of the garden, there is this awkward space between the garage and next door:

Garden Mar 6

I’m wondering if this could be turned into some sort of play/exploration area for the children i.e. add some soil for digging, and some pots, or if a playhouse could even go up here? We just don’t want to waste the space, but at the moment it’s looking quite unattractive!

Lastly, back to the decking.

At the moment, a lot of Freddie and Sasha’s garden toys and cars live on here, which is fine, but i’d also like to make the space a nice, adult-friendly zone that doesn’t involve battling with the slide everytime you want to sit down. My dream is a Moroccan-themed area, with comfy seating, ambient lighting come the evening, and one of these Chimneas.

There is also a small, currently fugly space of fence between the house and the utility room:

Garden Mar 14

No one really notices it, but I do every time I take a trip to fetch washing, and it really needs cheering up. I reckon some of these planters attached to it would perk it right up, and also might provide me with the herb garden that I want, without the need for pots.

So there you have it, that’s our garden.

Needs work, right?!

Over the next couple of months we really hope to crack on with it and make progress, so expect to see more posts involving ‘Operation Garden Makeover’.

What would YOU do with our garden, oh green-fingered ones?  I’d love to hear any suggestions of what to plant, or what to grow in plants, or hear about any great gardening blogs you know of!

I’m hoping to add to my Gardening Pintrest Board 

Thanks,

Becky x

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