My Old Cottage Garden....

So, I've called my thread, My Old Cottage Garden and whilst the name of my house is indeed Old Cottage, garden is stretching the imagination somewhat.
We've been here for nigh on 16 years and really the garden should be so much more than it is. I had intentions of creating and doing much more the last few years but life, dealing with family issues and time just ran away from me. So, my Old Cottage Garden plans were put on hold.
However, I now have more control over my time, family issues and I'm running head first over the coming years to put my stamp on our garden.
At the moment, I only have 3 borders, the lawn dominates the garden, something which IS changing through the autumn and spring of next year. I have copious planters on the patios and on the courtyard by the kitchen.

Over the years my hubby, (bless his socks) has always been very reluctant to let me go mad with the spade to create more borders, he doesn't do gardening, aside from mowing the lawn and didn't want me to make life complicated for him on his ride on mower. hahahaha... However, I've finally beat him down (nagged until he caved, ) and I am now planning the slight move and enlargement of the one long border and the creation of another. Hooorah! Bout time n all!!!

Watch out Mr Joolz.... the garden is about to change...... WOOOHOOOOO!

Piccies now of how my garden, patios and courtyard look atm... Wonder what it'll be like in 12 months time!!

 

This one border at the back of our garage had really gone to ground over the last few years as I hadn't been able to do any gardening for 12 months or so due to being ill.. However, all is well now and I have been able to change it to bring it more in line with the one that flanks the other side of the doors. It's gone from this....


To this!


I've now got very soggy slippers after dashing out to take the above photo! T'is rather wet outside.. Flaming June my eye.......

I've managed to save one of the Lupins but sadly the other one has been munched away by the local snail and slug population. Little blighters.

I've given the Euphorbia to my mother in law but the rest was badly diseased so they've made their way to the great compost bin in the sky.

In the border from left to right are,
Emma Hamilton DA Roses. Galardinias, a Mrs Bradshaw geum, Echinacea, Lady of Shallot DA Roses, Aquilegias and forming ground cover at the front are Erigeron which I've grown from seed. There's a pulsatilla vulgaris in there too.

 

I've always loved my courtyard area. Sitting down outside by my sewing room window and looking up and out towards the garden. Due to high winds in February this year we lost our gorgeous dwarf standard rose, so I've re-dug the well out. Re-laid (yes, me; I did it!) the top layer of sandstone and replanted it with a rather thorny bugger of a rose called Alexander from David Austin Roses. (Doesn't help at all that I only live 5 mins away from their gorgeous garden centre!) and have also planted Erigeron around the edge.

This is what the well looked like last year.

Raspberry Ripple dwarf standard rose, flanked by geraniums and trailing lobelia. You can see the uneven levels at the top of the well to the right.

This is the well after reconstruction.



And this is how the well looks now.



It'll take a couple of years for Alexander to really come into his own, but I'm hoping he thrives there. The soil/compost he was planted in was completely replaced as I know Roses don't like being planted in previous rose soils. He was a bare root plant and is doing exceptionally well for his first season growing I think.

 

Nice to see the gardening bug biting again and your health back on track

I am keen on the DA shrub rose to, I am not sure if its a blessing or a curse living so close to DA garden centre , a rose / plants person and their money are easily parted in those conditions

 

Looking "loved " and pretty Joolz.Yes, a bit of ambient weather wouldn't go amiss. That Raspberry Ripple rose is earning his keep...
thank you for sharing Joolz

 

Thanks @JWK . I still can't decide how I'm going to progress with the slight change of angle and enlargement of the long border. The top end of it is close to where our oil tank is sited, so I need to make sure that when it's changed I haven't compromised access to it for the chap delivering oil. I keep sketching out ideas but haven't come up trumps yet. lol

Thanks @Perki yes, living so close to David Austin is fabulous, but also sends hub into a fit of panic when I go, (which is often,lol) I'm eyeing up their new Eustacia Vye this year and contemplating another Desdemona. I've got roughly 23 roses atm... Always room for more!

Aww, thanks @Jenny namaste
Fingers crossed we might have a bit of dryness today. My Surfinias do not like all the wet so need to go around my annual planters and remove all their very soggy heads to encourage new flowers.

 

@Jenny namaste Sadly, the Raspberry Ripple dwarf standard rose was snapped in half this February, when we had some exceptionally strong winds. I will miss having that rose as it was absolutely heavenly and such a frequent bloomer. I loved it. It took a while to find just the right replacement for it but I'm hoping Alexander will fit the bill.Alexander | Hybrid Tea | David Austin Roses

 

Last Sunday saw my mother in laws old greenhouse finally get built. I've had it for the last 3 years but we've just not gotten around to building it. We extended the base by my existing greenhouse in readiness for it last year but time ran away from us. But now we're on the case. Glazing is going in today. Yay!! Bout time too!!!

 

We never did manage to get the glass in yesterday. We decided to replace all the rubber seal. Oh my lordy, that took ages as the existing seal had hardened and was a bugger to remove. So, the glazing WILL be done tomorrow!


I hope..........


Did some tidying up of the long border, cut back a Geum Rivale, aquilegias and a couple of perennial geraniums. The colours are really starting to come out now in the planters and borders and I'm over the moon with the Dahlias that I've grown from seed. A variety called Yankee Doodle Dandy. I shall be growing these again!!