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Get your garden out

Hi all,
Spent some time in the garden today watching bees enjoy the lavender. It's literally buzzing with them.
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I <"love Lavender">. I always say to people that making your garden more wildlife friendly doesn't necessarily mean getting rid of all your non-native plants. If you have a sunny, dry spot? Grow a Lavender <"or some Marjoram">.

This ornamental Marjoram (Origanum laevigatum) is just wonderful, it flowers from now until the frost and the bees (and butterflies) love it.

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From earlier today, when the sun peeped out <"Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus)"> on the Marjoram, <"Common Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)"> on Inula hookeri and <"European Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io)"> on Red Valerian.

All non-natives, all attractive to Bees and Butterflies and all incredibly tough and easy to grow. None of them are where I planted them and now they are all intermingled.

cheers Darrel
 
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Last summer, I decided to give my garden a bit of a makeover. It was quite the project - cleared out some old shrubs, laid down fresh sod, and installed new fencing for a cleaner look. For furniture, I opted for something durable and low-maintenance and bought this rattan dining set. Really transformed the space into a cosy outdoor area perfect for relaxation.
My garden looks minimalist on the plant front, but I'm planning to add a touch of greenery. I've been eyeing some perennial blooms and a few herbs since they tend to be hardier, and I love the idea of having a bit of homegrown seasoning at my fingertips.

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Not the best picture, but always good to see my magnolia tree in flower. It's been so mild this winter it flowered 2 weeks earlier than last year.
I'm also hoping for a bumper bluebell display, there is literally a lawn of them growing in the boarder below the tree.

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Been a beautiful day, the first really dry and warm day of the year here. Took the opportunity to tidy up the front garden a bit.
Don't forget the clocks go forward tonight. Love this time of year 🙂

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Been a beautiful day, the first really dry and warm day of the year here. Took the opportunity to tidy up the front garden a bit.
Don't forget the clocks go forward tonight. Love this time of year
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Been gorgeous here too. Cut the grass and planted a rose. Looks like a nice old stone wall, btw.
 
hypnogogia said:
Looks like a nice old stone wall, btw.
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Thanks. It's made from local granite, formed 450 million years BP. Its use as a building material is a fairly common sight in the area, not just the material but also the method of construction. The geology around here is both ancient and complex dating back some 600 million years to the precambrian. It gives rise to a surprisingly rugged and scenic landscape, unique in the region.
 
Rhododendron back in bloom. It was crowded out by other plants and weeds and was in desperate need of a prune.
Really pleased to see it bounce back so well. There are twice as many flowers than last year.

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So far I've only posted pics of the front garden. The back garden hasn't really been much to look at. When we moved in 18 months ago it was a complete jungle dominated by ivy and overgrown shrubs and trees. It took four of us a week to clear the undergrowth, and then I got busy with the chainsaw and started on the trees. I've got a garage full of logs that'll be used to fuel the stove and heat the house. The bald spot in the middle of the lawn is where the rest was burnt.

Not much went on the following spring/summer, but something fairly magical has happened this time around. Things have started to regenerate. It's still a chaotic mess but I quite like it and it'll do until we finish renovating the house and can sort it out properly.

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And finally, some shots of the bluebell horde in the front garden. They're still opening

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Another bluebell image. This time pretty much all out in full force

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I have been working on our back garden over the last few years (off and on) starting with planting a long border of shrubs, trees and perennials. It's about about 80 meters long. The first picture is looking down the border. The second is looking up the garden over the same area two years ago.

I am organic so haven't been able to use herbicides and rely on cardboard and woodchip multch + black membrane and a mattock and crowbar. The soil is acid and poor. It's full of waste and rocks so no dig just isn't possible. It's an exposed site in the Pennines.

The main issues are rabbits and sheep that are 'born with carabiners'. On the right we have put in a second rabbit proof fence to protect the veg plot.

Everything has been done 'on the cheap' (it's in Yorkshire) so either grown from seed or cuttings.

It is still very much a work in progress.

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