This blog has been going a few months now and I feel as though it is time to reintroduce aspects of the garden that I have already talked about. In this post I will discuss the pond area, what I have been up to and some future plans that I have.
Present
The first shoots of spring bulbs are always welcomed in my garden as a sign that (hopefully) better weather is around the corner. In my garden I have daffodils, crocus, tulips and many others coming up all over the garden, both in borders and in the grass. This has been a main focus of mine since I started gardening as the sight of hundreds of bulbs in flower is truly amazing. To achieve this, I have planted hundreds in the grass to create a wave of daffodils which lead people down towards the spring border and pond area. This week, I have also been working in the pond, clearing away old plants, and planting up new pots. Below are pictures from a couple of angles, which should help you picture it better. This part of the garden is one of my favourite bits and I enjoy sitting by the pond in the summer watching the fish catch bugs and dragonflies swooping around.
This picture is taken from the top of the garden, looking down towards the pond. The border in the centre of the screen is the spring border, which will be discussed over the next few posts as the bulbs start to flower.
This picture is taken from the orchard, looking across towards the pond. As already highlighted, I have a selection of fruit trees including Pears, Apples, Cherries and Plums.
This picture is taken from next to the pond, looking across towards the orchard, allotment and greenhouse areas. In spring the pond is surrounded by daffodils, snowdrops and crocus. In the summer, the grass around the pond is allowed to grow long and forms a meadow edging.
Future
This week has seen the first real sunshine of the year which has enabled me to finish a few jobs left over from last year. In addition to this, I have been able to prepare my allotment area ready to receive the hundreds of plants I hope to grow. My main aim for this year is to increase the amount of sweet peas I grow, both from a visual aspect and also from the scents they have. I have purchased 9 different types, 7 from Roger Parsons Sweet Peas (www.rpsweetpeas.co.uk). The site has a large variety of heritage and newer species and I will keep you updated regarding how they go. The varieties are listed below:
Black Knight
Monty Don
Zorija Rose
Border Beauty
Brook Hall
Restormel
Pips Maroon
Recipe Idea
Although you cannot beat the taste of fresh fruit and veg and I am an advocate of seasonal cooking, sometimes I give in. This is one of those recipes which I struggle to refuse, although I do use frozen rhubarb and raspberries from my garden. My favourite pudding has to be rhubarb crumble and I always make sure I have some frozen ready for this time of year. I find this can almost fill the time until the forced rhubarb is ready.
Over the next few posts, I will be discussing how I go about deciding what to do in the garden including how I plan various areas. However, I will leave it there for this time and will speak again soon. As always I look forward to hearing your thoughts and own gardening stories. I would love to hear from you if you are starting on your own journey or have started. Take care and happy gardening.
CG.
Present
The first shoots of spring bulbs are always welcomed in my garden as a sign that (hopefully) better weather is around the corner. In my garden I have daffodils, crocus, tulips and many others coming up all over the garden, both in borders and in the grass. This has been a main focus of mine since I started gardening as the sight of hundreds of bulbs in flower is truly amazing. To achieve this, I have planted hundreds in the grass to create a wave of daffodils which lead people down towards the spring border and pond area. This week, I have also been working in the pond, clearing away old plants, and planting up new pots. Below are pictures from a couple of angles, which should help you picture it better. This part of the garden is one of my favourite bits and I enjoy sitting by the pond in the summer watching the fish catch bugs and dragonflies swooping around.
This picture is taken from the top of the garden, looking down towards the pond. The border in the centre of the screen is the spring border, which will be discussed over the next few posts as the bulbs start to flower.
Future
This week has seen the first real sunshine of the year which has enabled me to finish a few jobs left over from last year. In addition to this, I have been able to prepare my allotment area ready to receive the hundreds of plants I hope to grow. My main aim for this year is to increase the amount of sweet peas I grow, both from a visual aspect and also from the scents they have. I have purchased 9 different types, 7 from Roger Parsons Sweet Peas (www.rpsweetpeas.co.uk). The site has a large variety of heritage and newer species and I will keep you updated regarding how they go. The varieties are listed below:
Black Knight
Monty Don
Zorija Rose
Border Beauty
Brook Hall
Restormel
Pips Maroon
Recipe Idea
Although you cannot beat the taste of fresh fruit and veg and I am an advocate of seasonal cooking, sometimes I give in. This is one of those recipes which I struggle to refuse, although I do use frozen rhubarb and raspberries from my garden. My favourite pudding has to be rhubarb crumble and I always make sure I have some frozen ready for this time of year. I find this can almost fill the time until the forced rhubarb is ready.
Over the next few posts, I will be discussing how I go about deciding what to do in the garden including how I plan various areas. However, I will leave it there for this time and will speak again soon. As always I look forward to hearing your thoughts and own gardening stories. I would love to hear from you if you are starting on your own journey or have started. Take care and happy gardening.
CG.
