I cannot wait

They say you should live with your new garden for a full 12 months before making any changes to see what treasures you have inherited, but I have visited this garden in the winter and again in spring and looking at it in the summer now, there isn't a great deal in it that I want to keep. 

The overgrown trees and shrubs have been dealt with, and now I am eager to get on with making my own mark on my new patch.

A closer look now at the plants in the garden.

 

Mountain Ash.  Nice shape.  The tree surgeons have raised the canopy and it makes the perfect place for a bench below.

 

 

 

Either side of the gated arch above the steps winds a honeysuckle.  This one is named and yet to flower...

 

...the other side is scented and pale yellow, but no label was found.

 

An apple tree I think, trained against the fence at the bottom of the garden.  I've never grown fruit trees before so this should be interesting.

 

Various plants in the bed behind the mountain ash, viewed from the bottom of the garden.  This has a couple of foxgloves and some Lonicera nitida that will be removed along with some of the swamping ivy.

 

I have yet to discover what this is...it can stay for now.



Interesting opportunities for planting various ferns and trailing plants in the retaining wall

 

The label says clematis, but I can't actually see it for the honeysuckle at the moment.  More investigating needed.

 

The same bed viewed from the steps

 

The opposite side of the steps and the back of the shed at the bottom of the garden.  The weeds growing out of the gutter needs grubbing out.  I wonder if I can set up a water but here.

 



Yet more Lonicera nitida to rip out.  I can see they were trying to create a hedge to screen the shed, but this plant is just not my cup of tea.  We had it in the previous garden and it needed a lot of trimming to keep it looking good.  I have other plans for this area.

 



 

It appears that there are poppies, aquilegia and a clump of what looks like Crocosmia to the left side of the arch.  I will let these flower before deciding their fate. 

More conifers.  What is it with conifers?

Needs a blooming good prune, but this fuchsia can stay. 



 

Another conifer, another for the bin.

While I do not want any of the conifers, this particular one is not destined for the heap - it has a home with a friend's mother in its future.

 

All the Clematis can stay for now.  I will give them a good prune and train them in correctly and then wait to see how they perform.

 

This hellebore will also have a stay of execution while I see how it performs.

It so exciting to see how things pan out in a new garden.  The plants have all been 'bunged in' with little thought it seems.  There has been very little in the way of attention after planting and the soil in the back garden at least doesn't appear to have been improved in some time.

Waiting in the wings, although some of them have passed their best, these are the lovelies I divided from plants in my old garden.  Most of them should perform well here as the conditions (once improved a little) are similar, with the exception of the front garden which looking at neighbouring properties appears to be acidic.  This will be perfect for my blue hydrangea.

Ah a rare glimpse of the Lesser Spotted Toad.  He has weeded the patio and is setting up our compost bin (beside the previous owners bin which is already rotting down nicely).

With some luck, the next step of the clearance should begin in the next day or two.
 

The First Cut is the Deepest

Along with the overgrown front garden, there are 3 conifers in the back garden that have been allowed to get out of hand.  The first job, even before a lick of paint is applied inside our new home was to get a tree surgeon round to clear some space.  I cannot understand why home owners allow their plants to take over.

At the beginning of our second week in our new patch the tree surgeons arrived to clear out the offending overgrown plants and pruned the Rheus in the front garden.  The latter is going to be a work in progress as it will need pruning properly in the winter.

The adjoining neighbour has cut back his Elder that was overhanging our front garden and I called out the council to cut back a street tree that was also blocking out much valued natural light.  The neighbour has also cut back some branches of his eucalyptus that were encroaching my windows at the back.

Job's a good un. The difference is astounding.  Let the planting begin!
 

New Beginnings

Welcome to my new patch. 

I will take you on a brief tour if you would like to follow me...

The view from the kitchen sink

 

and from the steps back.

 



 

 

The deck:

 

 

The other side of the deck filled with plants from my old garden waiting their new homes:

 

 

 

Follow me as I take the steps down to the bottom of the garden.  The previous owners let this large space be taken over by their hens. 

 

 



 

 

The front garden is very overgrown with trees and shrubs that have been very neglected.  Most of these need removing.  I haven't taken pictures, but there is a large Rheus that has been left to grow into attractive stags horns.  Unfortunately it is very leggy and needs a good prune.  There is also a huge variegated holly bush a couple of conifers and a beautiful Acer.  This will have to be removed because it hampers access to the steps at the side of the steep drive.

 

And so it begins.