It would be great if we could invite TV gardeners into our patches, or afford substantial, mature plants to create an instant garden. However there is huge satisfaction in creating and nurturing a garden into maturity, so why not take time to learn about your soil type and what will and won't grow while the plants mature with you.
This beauty is prunus serrula, also known as a Tibetan cherry. It has the most gorgeous conker coloured bark that will look great in the winter. We bought it online as a bare root tree from Ashridge Trees. It's not the first time we've bought plants online and while I much prefer to check plants thoroughly before buying them, we couldn't find this tree locally. The staff at Ashridge kept us fully informed of the process at each stage and let us know that there was a delay in dispatch due to their suppliers not lifting them until the right time as the longer summer meant they weren't yet ready. As luck would have it, this couldn't have been timed better as work on the removal of the huge conifer hedge began this week.
It's a long drop into the garden at the rear - 5 or so feet!
This pair of brothers worked through two typically wet November days to remove the hedge and erect a fence which when dry enough will receive a lick of dark paint.
They left the Yen and Pink Gardens very messy - but it was dark when they finished and it was only the small scrubby stuff to clear.
The Man That Can spent a good few hours cleaning the drive and patio on Friday afternoon. Which meant the weekend could be spent concentrating on the Yen Garden.
Firstly the beautiful prunus serrula went in at the rear of the arch into the Yen Garden. As this matures, the trunk girth will increase and will provide a vibrancy against winter snow. We purchased as large a specimen as we could afford which gave us a good thickness and height. In the spring the foliage will go some way to provide some privacy from the houses at the rear, and that will increase as the tree grows of course, but in the low winter light will not block out light from their windows as it is deciduous.
All the containers were returned to their original spots to enclose the Yen Garden.
Next to be planted was the liquidamber styraciflua Lane Roberts. Now bereft of its vivid autumn overcoat, it's amber coloured trunk will eventually stand out against the fence once painted a darker colour (however, that will likely wait until the spring). It's not as far along as the prunus serrula, but it'll soon grow and again provide privacy during the months we spend most time in the garden.
A large haul of bulbs have been planted in the sunniest part of the Pink Garden, and I've marked them with some leftover sticks so we can mind them when it comes to replanting. These include pink tinged narcissi, bright pink alliums and tulips in various shades of pink.
There's still a lot to put into order, including clearing away the detritus left on the gravel of the Pink Garden and erecting the Folly door but now the lantern is back in position and rhododendron Christmas Cheer looks great through the moon window of the pergola, at least the view from our house is ready for winter.
