Hobbies and Crafts

Thank you Ann

Have now heard from the designer who will go ahead and draw up a suggested planting plan based on things we said we liked. Then we can fiddle with it as much as we want.

I'm impatient to get started now.

Just had a look at your photos Vera.
Garden looks great and I bet you can't wait to get planting. :-D :-D :-D

Vera, I have just looked at all the work done in your garden and the finished result looks really good. You are sure to be very happy with it now. Good luck with all the planting which will soon transform your garden.

Ann, thank you for all the photo's that you put on the blog. All are very interesting.

It's going to look absolutely lovely Vera.

Thanks for sharing your photos.

M.

Vera have you had your planting plan yet? We are all looking forward to the next stage!! :-D

Ooh w had 2 peacock butterflies on the Buddleia today, first we have seen. :-)

It may be a week or two before we get the full planting plans Ann though the designer has been in touch to check that our brief hasn't changed at all. In fact we had had second thoughts about one area. She is also bearing in mind that we want to use some plants, particularly grasses, that we have in pots at the moment.

When we moved here we brought with us two witch hazels in big half barrels. We planted one into the garden when we first arrived and that hasn't been moved. We had agreed with the designer a spot for the second one and OH has planted that out today. The table, six chairs and parasol we had on order also arrived today and are set up on one of the paved bits. It's surprising how much difference these have made - they've given the whole thing a bit of height.

It is coming together Vera :-)

I have a problem with my new lawn can anyone help?
Since its been laid we have had loads of rain here in
Aberdeen.
The problem lies in the drainage, it's not draining at all
even though we have forked it and swept loads of water
off it.

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you.

Edit..googled and spiking to a depth of six inches and spreading
horticultural sand, anyone tried it?

Hi Emma. Not had that problem but that solution sounds reasonable. Can't hurt to try it. :-)

Thanks Ann :-)

We are still waiting for our planting plan so I think we are going to have to chivy the designer along a bit.

Today I've been to Sandringham Flower Show. OH didn't want to come so I went on a coach trip with a couple of girl friends. We were really lucky with the weather, just one shower while we were there. The plants for sale on all the stands were mostly very reasonably priced and I was sorry not to buy anything but thought I should wait till we have this dratted planting plan. One of my friends bought some lovely grasses and the other bought a couple of grasses and the tallest verbena I have ever seen. No problem as the coach driver laid it on its side in the compartment for suitcases. It was only when we were nearly back that we realised that, once off the coach, she would have to get it into her tiny car. As the other friend and I got off at an earlier dropping off point I have no idea if she managed it OK. :-D

I did bring one plant home. I won a coreopsis in a raffle on the coach :-D and at Sandringham I did buy a pretty scarf.

It's been a good day.

P.S. I think kandj mentioned Humphrey the frog the other day. We haven't seen him for a while but I am hoping that when we have some plants in the garden for him to shelter behind or under he will come back.

I have just put four lots of photos on the blog. Our garden, Highnam court garden Gloucester, Lake District and our canal cream tea cruise.

Spent two hours dead heading this afternoon, well a bit of weeding and cutting back as well. OH was also out there, luckily it has been a lovely day today so a pleasure to be out in the garden.

Lovely photos as always Ann and your garden looks stunning - so pretty. Thank you for putting them up for us to see.

Our garden designer came this morning with the planting plan, all beautifully printed. All the suggested plants were listed on a spreadsheet with quantities required etc. and there were a couple of sheets of pictures of the various plants and a CD with all the pictures, plans, information etc.

We really like her suggestions and everything has been chosen for a reason, depending on whether it is in sun, shade, damp etc. and what is around it to blend or contrast. It's all precisely measured with different size circles indicating different planting distances.

She has suggested that we approach a couple of the better garden centres and nurseries with our list and get quotes from them and start actual planting around October time. It will really be next year before it fully geta going but we're under way.

We want to put in several fairly mature plants, including a couple of small trees. As we are getting older I don't feel I want to wait years for everything to grow but, of course, the more mature the plant, the more it will cost. So I am expecting a bill the size of the national debt. ;-)

Can't wait to see it all take shape :-D :-D

Glad you liked the photos Vera, we are pleased with the garden now, a couple of weeks ago we thought it was not so good, plants had gone over but it is pretty again yet we have had no rain to speak of and a lot of wind. The dahlias had to be staked todaybecause with a combination of wind and weight they were falling over.

Our garden planting is underway now. OH put in 4 Stipa Gigantea that he had grown from seed and brought with us from our old house and the designer had incorporated them into her plan. He measured everything to the last millimetre to be sure they are in the right places.

We've spent half the week touring round nurseries, garden centres and other plant places and have bought seven shrubs and they will hopefully go in tomorrow. We've also got another six shrubs and two trees (a hawthorn and a crab apple) on order for delivery at the beginning of September. Then there are just another 175 plants (not all different, the 175 are split between about 24 varieties) and 136 bulbs (3 varieties) to buy to complete her list!! I've managed to find online suppliers for all but four, so I will have to ask her to tell us of a supplier for these or to suggest alternatives.

So, if any of you have nothing to do and fancy a day digging holes and planting things, you will be very welcome at our house :-D

Exciting times Vera, good luck, it is hard work but will be worth it. It is going to be lovely.

Vera sounds really exciting. Really looking forward to seeing photos.
Take care with all the digging though. :-D

That is the dead heading done again. that is a never ending job!! Still it does keep the baskets and other petunias and Buddleia looking good.

I have just been out in the garden, I had not really appreciated before ehat a lovely perfume Buddleia has, it must be stronger in the evenings.