Wednesday 28 May 2014

'like every English seaside family holiday you ever remembered....'

The rain has bucketed down at times these past two weeks. Like every English seaside family
holiday you ever remembered.

And this has rather slowed my development of the first of our garden beds. This bed is directly outside our bedroom. We expect to open the curtains in the spring to a beautiful, white magnolia denudata. Now I know that magnolias themselves aren't heap big fun for bees but beetles like 'em. And the white of the magnolia will be joined by lots of simple flowers that are 'perfect for pollinators' such as white astrantias, violas, cistus, bergenias and hydrangea Annabelle all interwoven with decorative grasses. There'll be hints of blues and creams within the planting too. We have been growing euonymous on for use as topiary subjects and have an 'Emerald Gaiety' that will bring out my inner Edward Scissorhands in this part. Hidden within and shaded from the sun will be a small pond to meet the needs of the local wildlife such as our local frog and toad population. I'm aiming on building mini-ponds into lots of our garden corners. Mr Happy here says it will all look a picture.

' free rubble with every delivery of soil...'
But until then, there's a mountain of soggy sopsoil laced with couch grass and rubble to sort and to move.

But let's be positive here people and say that stage one is finished.

The bed has been dug over to a spades' depth. Bricks, stones, glass, bottles, metal and wood have been removed. Heavy soil has been turned and broken.

Stage 2 - barrow soil across to raise level. This where we've got to. I'm sitting inside typing while outside curtains of rain occasionally open to show a drenched lawn. I really want to get this work finished today but it's not looking promising.

Stage 3 - rotavate the bed. Despite digging the ground over, beneath the recently added topsoil the ground remains in chunks that need to be disciplined. Roger has been fine-tuning Tony's rotavator. My string like arms look forward to having their joints dislocated as I rotavate across the contours of the new bed like a city boy on a bucking bronco.

Then stage 4 - lets get planting...

We have a few plants in pots that can be planted when my shoulder joints have been relocated. Other plants will have to wait until they become dormant before being moved.

Stage 5 - another barrowthon as I mulch the planted area to create a perfect hens' playground...

No comments: