A Bit On The Side - 1

Posted on 15 May, 2009 18 comments

Twenty-four years ago, when I moved to this house, my neighbour had a huge garden. As well as extending a hundred feet from the back of the house, it then ran west behind neighbouring properties. Over the years, as old age and ill health caught up with him, I watched enviously as parts of it were sold off (I live on the east side so had no access to it). After he died, the last section was sold and the opportunity to acquire more ground seemed to have gone.

Last August, his widow had a major operation and is slowly making a recovery but is struggling with the garden. I broached the subject with her just before Christmas and, after thinking it over and discussing it with her family, she has agreed to sell me the top section of her plot. The area is about twenty-five feet square and borders the end of my garden on the left hand side. By removing two fence panels and digging out a viburnum tinus, I will have access to it.

Access will be here – another job for Bruno

It is currently overgrown with self-sown geraniums, brambles and other weeds. There are also a couple of winter-flowering viburnums, a weigela, kerria, a small apple tree (grown from a pip I suspect] and a cotoneaster franchettii (the latter courtesy of a bird) plus a forty foot tall contorted willow which she planted as a small tree fifty years ago but which is now slowly dying. On the northern boundary is a leylandii hedge, currently nearly twenty feet high that had the tops cut out several years ago. The area is very sheltered but is partly shaded by another large conifer and a mature acer on the southern side so will only get sun for part of the day.

The area in question

View over the fence from my garden

The purchase, seemingly a simple task, got bogged down. Firstly, her solicitors seemed to be charging an exorbitant amount for the sale, their fees being double what mine were charging. Then it transpired that when my neighbours bought their house some fifty years ago, the land that went with it was not registered in their names. Although they were able to sell parts of it before by means of an interim form from the Land Registry, the law has subsequently been changed and this method is no longer available.

We have discussed the boundary between the area and the rest of her garden (she does not want to look out at a tall fence) and what I plan to do with the leylandii (it currently hides a house behind). She realises the willow will have to come down but I have offered to give her a piece for one of her children to grow a new tree.

Finally, yesterday all the paperwork was signed, money paid and solicitors happy and the new piece of garden is mine. What will I do with the new area once it has been cleared? Watch this space!

Comments

Treesandthi..

I wish i had the opportunity to get more land.
Im sure it will all look fantastic once youve got started.
Good luck.

15 May, 2009

Bluespruce

look forward to it Andrew, what sort of Acer is there, and what if any, plants will you retain ?

15 May, 2009

Andrewr

I'm not sure if there is anything worth retaining as it is all so overgrown. But there may be the odd treasure lurking in there somewhere.
Not sure what the acer is but it has been there since before I moved in - it's now about fifteen feet tall and a bit wider. A lovely tree and of course there is good autumn colour from it too. Both it and the large conifer (that hosts my wisterias) are on land that still belongs to the neighbour

15 May, 2009

Angiedoherty

great blog would love to get stuck in there

15 May, 2009

Arlene

Lucky you !enjoy!

15 May, 2009

Mookins

wow a huge project for you, how exciting looking forward to lots of pics

x x x

15 May, 2009

Mageth

Perseverence pays off. looking forward to seeing it develop

15 May, 2009

Spritzhenry

I'm glad it's all gone through now, Andrew. You must be pleased! What fun to design a new section of garden... :-D

15 May, 2009

Sanbaz

sounds great, cant wait to see it changing :o)

15 May, 2009

Dottydaisy2

Lucky you....everything comes to those who wait, would love extra garden, will look forward to seeing your progress.

15 May, 2009

Clarice

Good for you, enjoy it, looking forward to seeing it in the future.

16 May, 2009

Sewingkilla

Oh how exciting bet you can't wait to get stuck in, and how nice you can give the lady a cutting of the tree, i have a contorted hazel i didn't realise though they got that big!!!

16 May, 2009