Mr Grinch's Garden

Yes, I suppose with a large garden and only 2 chickens I don't notice their "mess" ...

 

Off topic Kristan but i very much enjoyed reading through your "blog" website but i see it hasnt been updated for ages. Will you be updating it as i would be very interested.

cheers
G

 

Yay Kristen me too please,
Jenny

 

No pressure, then!

 

Its an annual, late Autumn, job. I make a "guided tour" for folk who have read it before, so that you can just visit the pages I amend.

Still not finished this year's construction - was going to hire the JCB last weekend, but lucky I didn't given how much it rained - would have made a huge mess. Hopefully we'll get a bit of dry, enough for me to get some machinery in ...

... and then I can blog about it

 

Bought my new tree's today. They are coming on Thursday.
The Sorbus was magnificant, perfect and a handsome thing. The Betula was a little thin in girth from what i wanted but will have to do.

G

 

Ive decided today that next spring, i will lay turf in the middle of the "square" on either side to the fence. It will only be about 2 feet wide but divide the borders from two long ones to four smaller sections. I'm hoping just to add a bit of interest in the garden. I may put the two Buxus Ball tubs at the end of each mini turf path. Then later when the kids are older, the side entrances to the lawn created by the new Box hedge will match.
If that makes sense.

G

 

My babies have arrived.



Sorbus



Betula



Now, middle or back of the border ?

G

 

Middle of border for my vote Mr G,

 

Middle provides a little width before its branches are over-the-fence. If your neighbour (now or in the future) cuts them off "at the boundary" it would probably be better that there is something left to balance the tree, rather than them being cut right back to the trunk and all the branches then being on one side.

You could plant them into the lawn - so that the edge of the border goes "behind" them ... just chucking that out in case it has any merit - I'm sat on the fence on that one !!

 

Not sure about the lawn idea. Got to lave some for the kids
I was just concerned that have them both in the middle would look too "clinical". Perverse i know with a very clinical garden

 

Ah I see now, from the first photo.

I wonder if I would put the Mountain Ash furthest from the house, and the Birch closest - not sure you would see the Birch behind the Mountain Ash, but the other way round should have the Mountain Ash sufficiently visible beyond the Birch

How far apart are they? Looks to be only about 1.5 fence panel widths - 10'? I would have thought that was a bit close - given space each can grow to be its own specimen, rather than them growing into each other. Provides some daylight for things between them too, otherwise it will become a shady area (but that may be your intention of course)

Got some stakes for them? They ought to go into the hole before the plan, to avoid spearing the rootball later on

 

At the moment they are 12 feet apart but havnt been planted yet. They are the smallest versions of these tree's so im hoping they wont get too large. I did think about having the Sorbus further down but ive read that this Birch can handle a wetter soil which it is in that corner.
It was the height the garden needed i was cocerned about so a bit of shade im not too bothered about at the moment. Its a South East facing garden so gets lots of sun. I think its going to be a while before they get big.

Im in it for the long haul.

G