My place in West Sussex

Well, I reckon it's safe to say that I am a raving fan Aaron. You have the same Anemones as I have, vibrant purply blue??




I love your garden, it says a great deal about you-you ole romantic you.

 

It is always good to see other member's gardens large or small. Yours has come along really well with so much colour.:gnthb:

 

thanks Arron, will serious think about it.

 

Let's not pretend they don't escape...................they do.



There is a small farm across the road from me, and I regularly find the bu88ers pecking away at my seedlings.-And it is one of those mad major village roads the boy ( aren't they all??) racers use to go nowhere, they have to cross.................I'm sure they use the pelican crossing further down for the kids going to school!!

 

Wonderful garden you have there, you've done alot more to yours in three years than I have in mine in 9

Lollipop, I've only had 2 escapes and they were down to me, maybe thay've seen the new happy egg advert and think roaming around is the 'in' thing for chickens

 

Ours are good at escaping - who would have thought a small chicken could fly up 4 feet onto the top of the hen house, walk along its length and down into the garden? Two of them seem to think it's their right to wander around on the lawn and get very annoyed when they are picked up and put back! Fortunately our chickens are the feathery feet variety so their scratching ability is limited and they're usually happy to eat the grass instead...in fact we let them out for a bit under a watchful eye to cut the grass.

 

Lovely pictures - thanks for sharing

Be interested to know what the last two photos are of ? Is the purple one Angelica ? We have them in the green opposite work so I look out on them all day and must admit they are nice! How long do they flower for ?

Also, would you mind me asking how wide your borders are ? I dont think mine are very wide cause I only seem to get one plant in, side by side but love the way they look when you have plants behind and in front.

Shame your other half isnt into the garden, shes very lucky though to have someone creating such a nice space

 

The flowers in the last two pics are alliums and anemone de caen. Alliums flower with huge globe like flower heads that still look good for months, even when they go to seed - you plant the bulbs in autumn and they last for years. The anemones are tiny little bulbs that look like dried rabbit turds - no idea how long they flower as it's my first year growing them, but I've more in the beds for a long succession of blooms over summer.

The main border is only about 4 foot deep, but the border dividing the garden is almost 6 foot. I'd love a proper herbaceous border, 7-9 foot deep, but it would look wrong in that size of garden. he secret is to squash them in, with a succession of flowering times, so they aren't completely swamped all at once.

Other half is a he, by the way!:wink:

 

Will have a look for them next time I visit the garden centre then as they look lovely

Without measuring my borders, I think they are probably about 2 foot which is way too small but the landscape gardener made them that size when he did all the decking so nothing I can do to change it now sadly.

...... and he is very lucky also :wink:

 

Stagger plant your perennials, in a diagonal fashion, to squeeze more in.

The anemone are available in pound shops now! Alliums won't be available to buy as bulbs until autumn...

 

Yes thats something we are definately thinking about doing this year once the summer is out the way, as other half had already said he didnt like the way everything was in a line .... plus I am running out of space and plenty more plants I want to buy :hehe:

I must admit when we had the decking done, I just brought random plants and dotted them in a line .... not knowing anything about gardening (I still dont know much mind!).

I think thats why this site is so good. Not only is everyone willing to give advice but just looking at other peoples photos etc can give you such good ideas

I definately have alliums and anemone de caen on my list to buy now and also erysimum which i seen at my mums today. Been to the poundshop already today but no plants at all :( (did pick up some lupins last week from there) .... will have to see what the GC has at the weekend !!

"Alliums won't be available to buy as bulbs until autumn..."

Does that mean they arent available at all to buy now until autumn ? Or you pay more for them cause they are plants not bulbs as such ?

 

You'll probably find them as perennials now in GCs but the price you pay for one plant is the same as what you'll pay for a packet of bulbs, if not more. They are dead easy to grow, so save your money for now and plant a whole load of them in autumn when they're on sale with all the other bulbs. The trick I find is to plant them in groups, sneaked in amongst other perennials or low shrubs, because as they grow, the foliage dies away and you're left with the huge flower head on a slender stem, poking out amongst other plants.

I have loads but intend to get more this autumn. I love them.

 

tut .... thats going to involve that word "patience" again lol

 

A few more (this might become a routine all summer!)

Astrantia - unfortunately it blends in a bit too well with other stuff but very pretty



Polemonium



Irises - I planted the lost the package the bulbs came in, so I've no idea what they're called!



And just because the lupins look so statuesque...





I also let the chickens out for a mooch around the garden...

 

great pics sussexgardener, just love them irises lovely colours, your chickens are so sweet and cute thanks for sharing