How the garden evolved

October 1987

Much of the success of a garden can depend on how well the soil was prepared. Although we planted a lawn,we left the borders fallow for the first winter.This gave us time to work in lots of well rotted farmyard manure and to dig out the roots of perennial weeds such as couch grass and dandelions. The frost made a good job of breaking down the soil,making it easier to dig in the spring.

It also gave us chance to understand the layout of the garden. For instance,where did the sun rise and set?..vital information for knowing which areas will be in shade and for how long. By living with the garden in this way I have avoided placing many plants in positions which did not suit them.It also helped in making major decisions about where to site sheds, patios, ponds and paths...things which are difficult to move if you get it wrong.

Another useful thing to do is to walk around the area and notice which plants are thriving in the neighbourhood.This will give an indication of the sort of growing conditions which exist there and help you plan what to grow in your own garden...and what to avoid!

Time to pour over the seed catalogues and decide on your planting scheme.Dont expect to get it right first time and do remember how big everything will eventually get. Advice which I should have followed myself!


		How the garden evolved
		March 1987. The house footings are dug on the former site of 4 rows of back-to-back miners houses, revealing all the debris left from their demolition and removal.The garden is just the same and is still revealing new artefacts whenever it is dug.The trees give an indication of how windswept we are and the North Sea can be seen in the distance.
		June 1987 Not so much a garden....more a builders yard!
		August 1987 A magical moment as the topsoil (and a few unwanted extras) are delivered. Now we can start gardening... but that does not mean buying plants...yet.
			October 1987 Much of the success of a garden can depend on how well the soil was prepared. Although we planted a lawn,we left the borders fallow for the first winter.This gave us time to work in lots of well rotted farmyard manure and to dig out the roots of perennial weeds such as couch grass and dandelions. The frost made a good job of breaking down the soil,making it easier to dig in the spring. It also gave us chance to understand the layout of the garden. For instance,where did the sun rise and set?..vital information for knowing which areas will be in shade and for how long. By living with the garden in this way I have avoided placing many plants in positions which did not suit them.It also helped in making major decisions about where to site sheds, patios, ponds and paths...things which are difficult to move if you get it wrong. Another useful thing to do is to walk around the area and notice which plants are thriving in the neighbourhood.This will give an indication of the sort of growing conditions which exist there and help you plan what to grow in your own garden...and what to avoid! Time to pour over the seed catalogues and decide on your planting scheme.Dont expect to get it right first time and do remember how big everything will eventually get. Advice which I should have followed myself!



	March 1989 We were skint after moving house and so we made use of any materials which were lying around in the heaps of soil from the house footings.Over the winter I set about providing the backbone of the garden and getting rid of straight lines. I salvaged sandstone from the soil to create a rockery. The granite setts from the builders rubble were used to make the main path and the walls of a makeshift cold frame, while pea gravel provided other walkways.They wouldn`t win prizes at Chelsea but they served their purpose. The colour in the borders was provided by plants from 3 packets of seeds which I had sown in the autumn, so that they flowered in their first year....delphiniums, aquilegia and lupins.The garden looked terrific in June and July but then there was nothing to look forward to. This was when I truly appreciated the importance of year round interest and made sure that the next year would have new plants peaking every month of the year. One extravagance was a wrought iron gate to make the garden feel more cosy and then a packet of aubretia seeds was all that was needed to soften the edges and provide spring colour.

			March1993 At last, we were in a position to do some proper hard landscaping. Hubby went on a brick laying course and made a fine job of constructing a pond, patio and barbeque,where it caught the sun until late evening. More and more of the lawn was being removed to accomodate the ever expanding borders! June 1997 Just a few years on and the patio looked like this.

Gradually,over the years the number and variety of plants has increased.It has been a gradual process,as i have often replaced existing plants with better cultivars as my knowledge and experience grew. With bulbs to complement the perennial plants, climbers scrambling through trees and large shrubs, and tubs on hand to fill the odd gap, I feel I have pretty much succeeded in my goal of having a garden I can enjoy all year round.. ...and share with friends.

Click hereto visit the garden and weather lore Click here to view weather data July borders 2004
				...and helpers?

Work still in progress.Hope to see you again soon. Home