Summer has been hot this year. Ok when it rained it rained hard, but the sun has shone equally hard. It has been very similar to summers I remember as a child. Quite different from your average British Summer - but lets keep it to ourselves eh? I don't want to tempt fate...
So the Berberis had to go. Beautiful deep purple as it was, it just kept snagging on the dogs' coats.
The plants have been planted into improved soil. Here a couple of ferns, a small fuchsia and a Japanese Anemone.
The clematis have been tidied up and attached to the trellis. They will need a better prune at the correct time. A Dicentra and another fern have been planted here.
In place of the Berberis, Pinks, a small grass, Hemerocallis, Eryngium and Crocosmia. I think this bed is going to take a while to establish, as it is full or roots and the soil needs topping up a great deal.
The box hedging has been planted this side....
...and being planted this side by the Man That Can
Angel looking on after the planting gets a good shower.
Much to be done in the front garden. Bergenias and hardy Geraniums in the foreground with one of the Hydrangeas behind
The other Hydrangea far left joins the other hardy Geraniums
Nothing too impressive yet.
The decking getting a proper scrub and brush up before having a new lick of protection.
A month in, and the plants are beginning to shine, here a 'Pink'
Clematis. I think this might be the Comtesse de Bouchard
First blooms on my 'red' Hydrangea
A new addition. A scented white rose - r. Tall Story
Shared View. This is the view through the neighbour's Eucalyptus tree during a summer storm. Red leaves turn green, but they seem to have spent most of the summer shedding all over our decking...
Since the heavy summer rain has been spoiling the lilies, I've brought some in to enjoy their scent.
The Man That Can up a ladder - trying to bring the bottom hedge down a wee bit. Unfortunately the chainsaw didn't want to play, so he had to do it the hard way. It's still a bit too high, but I think for now this will suffice.
The Ash is fruiting up nicely
Inherited Crocosmia. Ours has yet to flower, but I do like the bright red ones.
Stunning scented Honeysuckle. The other side is brighter coloured, but despite the label saying it's scented, I couldn't smell anything. Not sure it will be allowed to stay. It's a bit of a brute.
Something is eating the Japanese Anemone
Thinking space.
We have each drawn up a plan for the space at the bottom of the garden. So far we have a willow den (Bumblebee's idea of a Hobbit home), an outdoor pool table and basketball hoop (The Toad) and a big clump of rhubarb in the raised bed (The Man That Can). I think a bench beneath a Silver Birch with scented roses climbing and rambling along all the fencing. It's going to be a long time in the making, so watch this space...
A bit of research so far tells me to summer prune out the apple tree and I have thinned out some of the fruit. I cannot wait for it to ripen and try it!
