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The rockery

9 comments


The rockery finishes off the pond and leads into the ‘acid bed’. Went and go a few more pieces of the pink granite for along the front of the pond and the edge of the rockery and planted up with a couple of ferns and the Zantedischia and some heathers (which I’ve never grown before). I was going to have an alpine rockery with sedums, sempervivum etc but heathers seemed right with the granite. I had to dig put the rancid soil and use ericaceous compost for the camellia (E.G. Waterhouse). Oh and masonry paint was on half price offer so the back wall got painted!

I dragged the brewery sink out of storage and turned this into an ‘alpine’ trough. I’m not sure about it’s location I might move it once I’ve done the paving.

Some perennials, the £1.99 pink hydrangea and a Clematis (The Bride) finish off that bed and I have spring bulbs on order (to under plant the camellia)

Pictures also show part of the water problem, with the current paving draining towards the raised beds. (re-paving is the next stage)

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Comments

 

That is quite some transformation. Well done

23 Aug, 2014

 

It's really amazing what can be done in such a small space. You've done a marvelous job. Next time you are up in Edinburgh, feel free to pop in and redesign my garden for me .....lol :)

23 Aug, 2014

 

Thank you.
I've got the paving to do next - there are about 200 blue bricks stacked up outside and as many old quarry tiles in my hall way. I want to do an off-centre circle pattern - trying to find an old dustbin lid to use as a mould for the centre 'stone'.

23 Aug, 2014

 

Your plan sounds good - will be looking forward to seeing it develop.
Am I right in thinking Urbanite that you mentioned before that you like to visit Binny Plants (I think it was you) when you are up here - I was there today (haven't been much lately) and they've put in 2 new raised scree beds. They look great. Wish I had taken my phone with me to take pictures.

23 Aug, 2014

 

I do like what you have done here. If it were mine I would try a garden mirror at the back to give the illusion of a bigger pond.
Did you know in places like Japan they employ water fall tuners to reposition stones until the water fall sounds just right.

23 Aug, 2014

 

Thanks Drc - I have some mirrors - bathroom (very creepily) had one wall covered with mirror and I managed to salvage some to use in the garden. They need frames making and that hasn't been high on my list.

I like the idea of a tuner - I tend to move the stones about and have taken away quite a bit of the gravel on the shelves to give a different sound. I'm also looking at making a Japanese rain water chain to take water from the shed roof into the sink pond.

24 Aug, 2014

 

You've utterly transformed it already. Did you know what you were going to do or is it growing as you do it? I would never have thought a pond was possible in that space - brilliant! You are fortunate to have an old wall too - so much nicer than a brash new one.

24 Aug, 2014

 

I bought the pond last summer, while still negotiating the house. I planned on removing the raised beds but that just proved problematic, so the ideas for borders have been lifted up to knee height. And I've wanted to change the big concrete paving slabs for blue bricks and landed on a good batch on eBay - not enough for the whole yard though, so came up with the idea of laying them in circles rather than a line and filling the gaps with fine gravel. Not sure when that will get done though as work starts getting busy in a couple of weeks and I'll only have an hour or so of daylight in the evenings.
I love the old wall at the side. The back wall was new that's why I painted it and it reflects what little light there is.
The area at the side of the kitchen is full of old pallets at the moment to be chopped up for firewood after I was given three big blue ones for the wood and bin stores. They're works in progress.

24 Aug, 2014

 

Scottish - yes, I'm a fan of Binney's. Unfortunately my trips North have been curtailed this year (other calls on time and funds after moving house) - hope to resume next spring.

25 Aug, 2014

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