LISTLESS

I promised to show you the other side of my garden, but a feeling of listlessness has delayed our walk and July has only a week left. We’ll do it today. The weather has been very changeable, so some of my photos – taken this afternoon – are less colourful than I would have hoped. Let’s stroll down the lawn and through the arch…

The lawn stretches out in front of us to left and right, ending at the long fence which marks the boundary between us and our neighbour. I am not a fan of this fence: old, somewhat rickety and apt to blow backwards and forwards in the wind, it needs replacing. We can’t afford to do so all at once, but we managed two panels last year, and hope to put in a couple more in the Autumn. I particularly detest the colour, but I guess it could be worse!

To the right, the Devon bank stretches down to the corner where a bent old conifer used to grow at an alarming angle. We took this out a couple of years ago, deeming it a potential hazard in high winds.

The site is shady and damp, so we planted Rhododendrons and Laurel, with Hostas and a little box border. Much to our surprise they have thrived, although a sharp frost caught the Rhododendrons early this year and they did not flower. They also hated the drought in May, but I watered them copiously and fed them, and they are now showing signs of a late flowering! Watch this space…

Moving left and back up a steep part of the garden, the lawn curves round the edge of the terrace bordered by a rockery.

We planted two apples and one pear tree in 2018 and hope for fruit next year. We had some blossom in the Spring, but the birds appear to have put paid to any resulting fruit!

From this point you can see my ‘Buddleia Corner’ where – more by accident than design – I have put in cuttings from other Buddleia plants which had grown profusely, along with one which I found against the house wall when we moved here, and which I have encouraged.

Looking back up the garden from the fruit trees is one of my favourite views.

In the photo, every plant you see except for the Camelia on the left and the fern in the rockery (which has put itself there), has been planted by us. I even replanted the rockery with Persicaria (the pink spiky flowers, brought with me in a pot and first acquired from a nursery in Penrith), Hebes and the low spreading conifer whose name eludes me. When we came there were no other flower beds, no arch and no trees – the lawn was bare and a blank canvas!

Moving back towards the arch we are finishing our walk. You are looking back up the lawn at the greenhouse and the shed - which is fast disintegrating! We have taken the plunge and ordered a new shed which - because of the pandemic fall-out and thus a national shortage of sheds, will not arrive until September or October. There goes the money paid for the holiday we were unable to take in April, and fingers crossed we will get our refund as promised next month!

I can't bring the walk to an end without showing you some of the lovely flowers which have graced the garden this month. Thank you for your company, I have thoroughly enjoyed taking you round my garden and I feel less listless for so doing!

This particular blog is dedicated to our friend and neighbour Yvette, who died earlier this week aged ninety, and for whom gardens made life worth living...