Plans for the garden
Thu. March 15, 2012
We have lived at our new home for little over a year and the garden, formally known as the jungle, during that time has been cut back and cleared (although not completely) of bindweed and the self seeded grasses which thrive in our estuary hillside location. The garden is set on a steep hill and was previously tended by someonee who knew something of plants. There are paths around large beds which are edged with small stone walls supplied mostly from the beach and probably the remains of the partially demolished mansion next door. The paths are mostly earth, although they may have been paved with stones in places, which sadly have now collapsed.
The garden is well shaded by a huge beach tree and several other smaller trees which have all been cut back in the past few months. A fantastically fragrant white skimmia dominates the top left hand corner and there are unusual varieties of rhododendron, azaleas (a particularly fragrant yellow one by the house) and the most enormous pieris.
My plans are still in their early stages but I hope to plant some yew and box to give the garden some form in the bleaker months, and plants lots of hellebores, primulas, cyclamen and hopefully a few Cardiocrinum giganteum (see image) which I fell in love with at Aberglasney gardens. Although I do love poppies and far too many herbaceous perennials to name here, I must be sensible and remember the maintenance.
My plant collection is growing rapidly and I can’t wait to start planting. However I know I will probably have to wait until the autumn, by which time, I hopefully will have got rid of the bindweed and more importantly, have had some chicken proofing built to prevent the girls from scratching up my well tended beds. Any gardening and planting advice is very welcome…