The Garden Community for Garden Lovers

Our Changed View - and my New Acquisition!

12 comments


Thank you all so much for your sympathetic and helpful comments following the installation of the new fence which has spoilt the view from our garden.

There was, as I have been hinting elsewhere, a small bonus for me when our new neighbours decided to define their boundary. The line went straight across part of a flowerbed in their garden!

That’s it, the part to the left of the 5-bar gate. You can just see a couple of very old roses, not pruned or fed for years. Well, they made the decision – so that bed is now in MY garden! You can guess what I did, those of you who are familiar with my ways of working and how I plan my garden…

Yes, I extended it! I couldn’t take it outwards any further than the curve in the photo, as the old stone bridge runs under the grass from that point – there’s only about 3-4" of soil on the top of the bridge.

I suppose I gained at least a foot round the edge – which of course I curved! You may know that I don’t go in for straight lines in my garden! Then I had a look to see if there was anything in there worth saving. Oh dear – nettles and couch grass. The roses had a lot of dead wood on them and I decided to dig everything out, but save a few of the ‘Honesty’ plants and a trailing Campanula at the edge.

Then it was time to dig, dig again, and bring down a barrow-load of compost from the bin. More digging! Of course, as usual, I hit several lumps of blue lias stone, and needed husband + pickaxe to lever them out. One piece, I couldn’t even lift! However, I got it cleared eventually and ready for planting.

I did put back a large clump of native primroses and four or five Honesty plants. I had been planning what to put in there, and decided that the colour scheme would be shades of pink and white.

While I was buying all those primulas for the boxes, I had been looking around to see if the GC had what I wanted. I found a Hibiscus syriacus ‘White Chiffon’ for the centre-piece, two miniature roses in different shades of pink (planted well away from where the old rose was!) another Skimmia ‘Magic Marlot’ like the one I bought in the autumn, some pretty pink primulas to edge the bed for the moment, two tiny pots of Anemone Blanda (pink) and two pots of Aubrieta to soften the edges by the path. Oh, yes, and the little Euonymus that Gee has in her garden! Thanks, Gee, for the introduction to this little shrub.

My friend had given me a small Sorbaria when my Mum died, and this seemed the perfect place for it, as she works in the next-door garden for our neighbours. She will see it whenever she goes in or out of the new gate.

So there we are! A new flowerbed. It looks a bit sparse at the moment of course, but things will grow and spread (I hope) and in the summer, it should be blooming! Hmm. I forgot two other plants which aren’t in as yet and won’t be for a while.

I have had two Clematis ‘Early Sensation’ bought as real babies and being potted on as required. They are safely tucked away in my cold frame, and I shall plant them out next month to hide the ugly wire fence. I may have to install a small trellis for them…we’ll see.

Here’s to my new flower bed! At least one good thing came from that fence across the gardens. What’s that saying? ‘Every cloud has a silver lining?’ – well, a pink-and-white one, anyway, in my case!

More blog posts by spritzhenry

Previous post: Our Changed View.

Next post: Winter Interest in the Garden - part 5 - Architectural Plants



Comments

 

Oh Spritz you are naughty but we like you. Hope you were both wearing masks and camouflaged garden wear and you undertook the work under the cover of darkness!!! xx

30 Jan, 2009

 

Absolutely not, Grenville - head held high (unless I was digging, of course) and BLATANT about it!

Our neighbours did know what I was doing and why I had to dig it all out.

30 Jan, 2009

 

It's great, you've gained a new flower bed. It'll look lovely once everything settles in. Well done!

30 Jan, 2009

 

Glad to hear Spritz that your neighbours have approved as we got the impression from the Blog that this area originally belonged to next door!

It's nice to hear that they approve of your latest efforts too. Obviously their view over their garden and into your area has also been dramatically altered since they erected the fence and gate as well, so lets hope all is sorted amicably and rapidly for all of you.

30 Jan, 2009

 

Well, Grenville, as you are aware, the two gardens 'flowed' into each other. Now that the boundary has been defined, a part of the path is also 'our side' as well as that piece of flowerbed that the neighbours previously maintained. We had never thought of 'theirs' and 'ours' before this happened.

30 Jan, 2009

amy
Amy
 

At least some good has come out of it Spritz .you have gained a piece of garden , hopefully it wont be too long before the wall is built so that you can make it your individual style .
I,m puzzled why do you have a 5 bar gate and a small gate leading from your garden into theirs , is it an access point ? sorry if it,s nosy !

30 Jan, 2009

 

Our neighbours decided to define the boundary between the gardens - the small gate is across the path that leads to their front door, and the five-bar gate is to allow access for their gardener to cut their lawn.

They have to use our gate to the lane and walk across our garden to their path.

30 Jan, 2009

amy
Amy
 

Oh Thanks Spritz .. that makes it clearer :o) I thought we were at the back , sorry .....

30 Jan, 2009

 

Good for you Spritz, I admire the way you have handled the whole situation,one hears of so many neighbours falling out over boundary disputes.In a couple of months you will be admiring the colour and the fence will fade out of your vision.Lets hope the little ministry men dont keep you waiting too long before they allow you to build your wall.........

30 Jan, 2009

 

your gain , their loss , i hope your new neighbours do try and fit in with the village way of life you seem to have there , it looks idylic..............steve

31 Jan, 2009

 

Lovely solution Spritz! Looks a picture!

31 Jan, 2009

 

Lovely Spritz, job well done, gonna look great in the summer, look forward to seeing the progress. i have some lovely Sweet pea seeds that may just fit in with this theme.

31 Jan, 2009

Add a comment

Recent posts by spritzhenry

Members who like this blog

  • Gardening with friends since
    22 Oct, 2008

  • Gardening with friends since
    18 Oct, 2007

  • Gardening with friends since
    18 Sep, 2008

  • Gardening with friends since
    30 Jan, 2009

  • Gardening with friends since
    9 Nov, 2007

  • Gardening with friends since
    1 Apr, 2009

  • Gardening with friends since
    20 May, 2009

  • Gardening with friends since
    3 May, 2010