Things have been happening here! The big event has been the replacement of the fence. This is the first big part of Project Garden, as introduced here, as it should free up space to allow many of the plants on the rockery to be moved over to the bed along the fence. Here’s the before and after pics:
There’s so much space now! We’ve spent today cutting back shrubs, getting rid of remnants of ivy and generally clearing out. It all looks bare and begging me for plants:
I want to get plenty of climbers to cover the fence – jasmine, clematis, honeysuckle, and of course my favourite, roses. I’ve a bare root rose ordered ready to put against the fence panel nearest to the back door. It’s highly fragrant, so it’s scent should find it’s way to me in the warm summer months next year, when we live with the doors open.
But we do have some planting progress here – the herb garden is now up and running! This is an entire hand-me-down box, as my mum has cultivated all of the cuttings. We also popped a couple or marigolds in there to brighten it up whilst it’s still in it’s infancy.
Regular readers will know that as well as the actual garden project, there is also something of a finance project (in that we’ve no money set aside to do all of this), so in budget news, Gumtree has served me well again this week, as I’ve another £20 in the pot from selling more baby equipment. We’ve a car boot planned for a couple of weeks time, too. Hand-me-down cuttings will only take me so far, and having been to my favourite garden centre, Planters, again today, I’ve been eyeing up plenty more that I’d like to buy and show you! Once we’ve got the beds dug out, and moved plants from the rockery, I’ll be able to make some shopping decisions…
As always, I like to link up Project Garden posts with the fabulous How Does Your Garden Grow? linky over at Mammasaurus, despite doing more decimation than growing this week! Got to start that growing somewhere, though, and there is the herb garden 🙂
That must have taken some work to dig out all of that! Exciting to see how it will change.
It looks so empty! The fencers were brilliant as they ripped all of the ivy out, so we were left with just a few hours more work to do then. Soon be planting time 🙂
Wow what a difference the new fence makes 🙂 Loving the herb garden as well!
I know – I keep just looking at it!! Lots of space for planting now 🙂
Ah ivy and I are old enemies, many afternoons I have battled pulling it up and digging it out in years gone by – that must have been knackering but how worth it! Ivy does look quite nice but it’s a feral beast that gets everywhere if left to its own devices.
Love that hand-me-down box – how cool? Must be great to have some clear space and be making plans for what to grow. Next year I’ll be doing the same – I am so excited but have bee totally spoiled by seeing everyones fab gardens so I have big ideas that extend far beyond my budget!
Thanks for joining in again and sharing your garden!
That is the problem, isn’t it? I read all of these each week, and more and more things are adding to my wish lost, and I’m pretty sure I’ll have neither the budget or the space to have it all! Still, it’s fun planning and I’m sure to get some of it 🙂 Thanks for hosting x
We spent the weekend hacking Ivy off the trunks of our trees, it has spread so quickly and it just ends up pulling the tree down eventually, so it got massacred! Your garden is looking brilliant and the new fence really does open it all up. I’m loving seeing it all progress for you x
It does all look so open now – feels a bit like a blank canvas, which is very exciting! Loving sharing the progress, so glad you’re enjoying seeing it, too. Thanks for reading 🙂
I would love a herb garden, but our garden is a little too small. My dad has a lovely garden and he has a great one very similar to yours. This is a lovely idea, to share your progress week by week. It will be great to look back on. x
Thank you. I’m really enjoying charting the progress so far, and it’s really only just starting. I do like my little herb garden 🙂
What a difference that fence makes!
I know! Such a simple thing and yet now it can be all systems go!!
oh wow!!! what a difference and what great plans you have. it is going to take a lot of work but it will be so worth it!
Oh, I really hope so! It’ll be done in stages, and there’s no rush, so I’m hoping I won’t notice the work too much!
its so great seeing the garden come on and i bet you were so glad to get rid of the dreaded ivy
It just takes over! I don’t mind a bit of it, but happy to see the back of it now. Frees up lots of room for new plants 🙂
What a transformation! It must have been seriously hard work too – ivy is a stubborn bugger. Used to have it everywhere in our garden in London, nightmare! Loving your herb garden too. Project garden is looking mighty fine 🙂
Thank you! It’s coming on now, I think. We didn’t have to move the ivy, luckily! The fencers took a chain saw to the lot and off it went. We were left with one panel to do & just that one took us an hour!
Getting rid of all that ivy has given you a nice depth of garden to work with. Looks a lot cleaner without the ivy too. Are you leaving the fence as it is or planning to paint/stain it?
Good question! That’d be the husband’s domain (painting fences while watching a baby & 3yo could be tricky for me!) and he’s saying its treated so he’ll leave it. I plan to cover it with all sorts of climbers anyway, but still pondering whether I want it green…