Mr Grinch's Garden

My mistake...

I do think that Mr Grinch's garden does lack height and trees would work to fix this. Perhaps a pair of trees either side of the small path to the back patio would still keep the garden formal, while adding height and a bit privacy on the way. Perhaps also they could add a box like structure when the foliage meets and then could be trimmed into a neat ball like shape.

I think also that it's a shame that you can see all the garden at once. If you had a pair of trees masking the patio area that would add some mystery to the garden too. Something which low growing box won't really do. I'm trying not to sound harsh here but to me it does scream out for some height and a bit of mystery to it.

My father in law's garden suffers from drainage problems and he has a salix in his garden. Not the weeping kind but Salix Intregra I think it is. He has trained it so the tree has grown on a central trunk then trimmed it back every year to give it shape. He has lots of Hydrangeas too of course, but that's pretty obvious recommendation.

 

Some interesting thoughts there Jane. Even though ive been gardening for a good 10 years properly, this is only my first real garden with any size and its all a learning curve.
I must admit, i have suffered with getting height into my garden. Shrubs up until recently were completely unknown to me. I obsessed with herbaceous perennials to the extent that it looked amazing during June/July/Aug/Sept but other than that, a bit barren. Ive only now really come to appreciate what a shrub or tree can do. I agree, another two tree's are a must. I have one already and that will go in my new extended border on the left. I want to buy another that will either go in my wet right hand corner or in the area next to the play area that im digging now, which is also wet. I am also planting a Hornbeam hedge up against the back trellis on both sides. I hope this will provide a screen for the back when they get to 8 feet or so.
As far as the "mystery", i like the formal look, im trying to be as symmetrical as possible which is difficult in this place, as nothing in the garden or house is. So even if things in the garden are perfect, they dont look that way as the rest (garden not level, fences dont run in a straight lines etc etc) isn’t. I had planned to break the lawn up with a surrounding Box hedge, about 3 feet high, with four entry points, one to the patio, one at either side and one to the path at the bottom, i then had planned to add more path slabs either side to the fence and have a terracotta pot with a Box ball at the end, with the drainage now as it is, this maybe a problem.
I do agree though, height is a must but all of this will not look mature for at least 4/5 years i think.
I need patience, which is not one of my strong points.
G

 

Weather Watch
Horrible. Feels like October. Cloudy, drizzle and windy
Mr G's Garden Watch
Nothing will be done today. I heard today that my area got two thirds of a months rainfall in 12 hours on Saturday, no-wonder the place was wet. In 24 hours, the water at the back had gone down by one and half inches. The visible water on the surface of the border had gone. Tomorrow, i plan to lay the last pieces of new turf and dig out some more of the stuff tomorrow.

G

 

Weather Watch
Overcast and showers
Mr G's Garden Watch
Laid the little bit of turf that was given to me helping me to reduce the height on one side of the lawn. Dug out some of the remaining turf from the top right corner and took it all down the dump. 40 bags in total. I will be buying two more tree's, that gives me three to plant over the coming weeks, one another Sorbus and the other a Silver Birch. Ive decided to go for Betula utilis 'Moonbeam' and Sorbus ‘Copper Kettle’ or Sorbus aucuparia 'Croft Coral'. All are small/medium size tree's and both will fit hopefully in my garden. The Sorbus i like as it doesnt have a dense canopy, has lovely autumn colour and berries for birds. The Silver birch again does not have a dense canopy and has lovely white bark in winter.
I dug up the Ribes sanguineum today and potted it up. It was failing fast in the border. It was just too wet and the roots were rotting. I have another spot for it which is dryer.

G

 

They do look stunning shiney. Just think walking around that path in winter when its dark. You wont need the moon. Very eerie but stunning

 

Thats so beautiful Shiney.

 

Weather Watch
Sunshine with the odd shower.
Mr G's Garden Watch
Everything seems to be drying out. I seeded some patches on the lawn. Big day Saturday as i plan to do the remainder of the digging out.

G

 

Weather Watch
Heavy rain overnight. Cloudy the odd shower today.
Mr G's Garden Watch
Flood. Its underwater again.

G

 

It's hard to stay upbeat isn't it Mr G BUT...no worries you'll be able to crack on tomorrow.....SUMMER starts.....

 

So ive heard loli. Fingers crossed. Its the very heavy consistant rain that buggers it all up. "Normal" rain, its seems to be ok.
Ive decided to dig another drainage trench. I know i swore not to do another but the two that ive already done really helps to drain that part of the garden so, i will be putting in another from that VERY wet and underwater t-junction area where the paths meet, straight up to the drainage trench that i have in the middle of the lawn. Hopefully this will help feed the water into my middle drain and away to the dryer side. It only will be short, around 2.5m long so will only take an hour or so.

Another thing to do tomorrow

 

Right, we have armageddon here. Its just stopped raining after a shower (monsoon downpour) that lasted an hour. Ive got a river running from the top of the garden to the bottom then running down the side of the house. Everywhere even the dryer parts are under water, the lawn is a paddling pool, all the grass seed has floated away !!!

I canna take anymore of this !!!

G