Operation 'Recover' has begun..........

Yesterday and today, I got some of the best physiotherapy that there is - a bit of gardening! Yes, Mrs C did the bulk of the work and I was more of an assistant (nuisance) and advisor (nuisance), but it was time outside and time in the garden. The upside is that the recovery process for the garden has started - these photos were taken at the end of yesterdays session:


There was a cape fuchsia and a hydrangea (Strong Annabelle) hiding under a huge load of brambles in this bit of border - - the cape fuchsia itself had gotten right out of hand (again) and to be honest I think it is going to have to go permanently now as has turned into a green thug with few flowers. I am sad to say that my hydrangea was suffocated and is a complete loss - blank canvass for next year.

Closer view of the same border, and the greenhouse - a buddleia had grown out of the patio at the back corner of the greenhouse, and was huge! A couple of bits of it can still be seen, as we couldn't quite reach them yet; I will get the blighter one way or another though. We still need to deal with the blackberries in front of the greenhouse - again, I think the time has come for these to go, as we have had them a few years now and had no more than a few berries off them.

The grass is in a hell of a state, so that will have to be scarified, mulched, reseeded and generally pampered next year. The two heaps of branches etc were cleared today - we dug the shredder out and got shredding, filling the compost bins in the process. When they overflowed, we chucked the shreddings directly onto the borders, as there is nothing growing there at the moment and looking at the soil it is screaming for organic material -- I am reckoning that it will rot some through autumn, and we will be able to fork it into the soil next spring.


This will be the next area to tackle - overgrown loganberry, interlaced with blackberries. They must be self seeders, as they are at the opposite end of the gardne to where we planted the blackberries. Popping up out of the lawn are suckers from the plum tree next door. The lavatera to the left was as dead as a doornail until last year, and now look at it!


This is to the right of the loganberry - you can just see our dalek composters peeking out fron behind the foliage! I think, in the fullness of time, the left of the three evergreens needs to go - it is looking awful at the bottom, and is squished inbetween its neighbour and a lilac tree; my worry is what the side of the middle tree will look like if/when we cut it down.

The laurel to the left (which lives to the right of the three evergreens pictured above is in need of a good haircut too. Out of sight is a red leaved fellow (can't remember the name) that I got at shineyland last year - - I will need tips as to how to bring it back to full health. I will get a pic of it, and post back.

My dear friend @wiseowl has already advised on the rose, and it will get a heavy pruning shortly; I am not sure what to do with the persicaria (I think that is what it is) - I want to keep it, but this past two years it seems to have developed a flat patch at the back. If I didn't know better, I would say a fox was camping out in it, but our dog would chase it if it was?

The shrub on the left - no idea what it is (can get closer image if needed) - bears red berries, has waxy, mottled leaves. Should I trim it back or not?

Well, there you go - that is how bad a garden can get inside a year when it is not being tended.

 

You're good wishes are a helping hand @CanadianLori

 

Did someone call?

Well done FC . It will all come together gradually - but don't overdo it (look who's talking!!!)

 

I must admit that I have 'paid' for it all night - put in one hell of a night last night, so looks unlikely that I will be doing anything today Frustrating, as we weren't out there that long, especially when I think that I used to be lost out there for up to ten hours without even blinking an eye. Still, we have made a start, and it was good to be out there in the sun.

 

Bless, Mrs C is an absolute trooper and has taken to doing the hard work like a duck to water, whilst I can merely assist at the moment. I come in handy for knowing what to chop and what not to chop.

The bare patch is currently not as bare as it first looks - it has loads of cape fuchsia roots that want digging out, and whilst Mrs C is going to have a go at it at some point, I don't want her hurting herself (she is petite - good things come in small packages!), so I might have to wait until mother in law's boyfriend comes round (they do regularly) and he will do it for me.

The Persecaria - glad to hear that it is probably only needing refreshed, but I will still split it a bit I think, and nick some of it for elsewhere in the garden, as I quite like it; how tolerant is it of a dryish area (I am thinking of putting it next to the laurel)

I am not sure about the shrub - I have never seen flowers on it, so don't know when it blooms, and it 'hides' its berries under the foliage. As we have loads of birds and squirrels (almost pets!) I might leave it alone until next year.

 

We may have an indoor project to start dealing with today. Long story, but it involves relatives moving home a bit sharpish, and cannot take a 4ft fish tank with them. We've wanted one for nearly 20 years, so like a muppet, last night I said that we would have it - - - and then we had to frantically measure things to see if it would fit in. Whilst it will be empty to start with for a while, it will have to be put 'in place' as we don't have any other place to store it.

I really should think things through before saying yes

 

Thanks Verdun - sadly, my Strong Annabelle is no longer A combination of being stuck under a plethora of brambles, and then being dryer than a dry mans dry thing all summer, and there is little evidence that it was ever there. I will leave it until I am back on my feet, and maybe next year I can treat myself to a new one (or two!)

I like the idea of dividing the Persecaria as I am looking to put in some more perennials to make things easier.