At the weekend, as it was raining and we wanted to all get out of the house, we popped along to a garden centre. This was extremely fortuitous, as they had a 70% sale on their outdoor plants – I was happy! Clearly, when faced with such a proposition, I had absolutely no choice but to make a few purchases. I got us a new acer, a syringa red pixie and a honeysuckle. My mum’s also been on the lookout for a certain David Austin rose, Jude the Obscure, and I spotted the very last one in the sale so picked that up for her, too – she 
deserves a treat for all services rendered in Project Garden! All in, it was just under £20, and it should have cost £66 pre-sale – brilliant! They also had a lovely lady there helping children to plant up a daffodil in a pot, and giving them that as a gift, along with an activity sheet, badge and balloon – Boo was delighted! So, a successful trip all round.
With plants purchased, and this being our last week of garden rubbish collections here, we knew we had to get out there and do a little more work on the project. Help was at hand, in the shape of the children!
Little Man was, admittedly, more hindrance than help, but Boo was great raking up those leaves and helped with some planting, too.
We now have our new acer planted up in a pot..
And my mum did a fantastic job practically finishing clearing the rockery, while I was wrangling with Little Man!
As you’d expect, it being a rockery, we’ve now a pile of unused rocks available, which we think will make for a wonderful fairy garden structure..
And here are a few of my favourite plants out there at the moment..
Now that the area’s getting cleared, it’s time to start making a few structural decisions, as although I’m clear about wanting a wildlife garden, cut-flower patch and a fruit and veg area, how that will all look is still a little hazy in my mind. I’m hoping that the more progress we make, the more clear that will become!
How’s your garden doing?
Wow, you really picked up some bargains there! Looks like your garden is progressing well and great that you’ve still got some colour there even this late in the autumn.
Yes, I was very pleased! I’m surprised by how much colour I do still have out there, as it is lovely.
Lots of lovely colours in the plants you have there, the garden is really beginning to take shape! I can’t wait to actually have my own garden again one day once we have finished this travelling around lark. 😀
We’re getting there – slowly, but surely!
Your garden centre purchases sound bargainous!! And at 70% off, how could you not? 🙂 Looks like between you all, you got alot done in a day. Your plans sound similar to mine – I know what I want to do but I’m not sure how it all slots into place just yet.
I really had no choice! It’s nice to know we’re at a similar stage together 🙂
i love getting a good garden deal!! i am happy to see some color in your garden still
It was great! Yes, nice to still see some out there
Sounds like our minds are very similar – I too have clear ideas of what I want in our garden but no idea how to do it so it all looks ‘good’ together. Love your little helpers and hooray for garden centres – we always go to our local one on rainy days. So much to see and friendly people who know exactly what they are talking about – great for noobs like me who ask for ‘something purple’!
Thanks for joining in and sharing your bargains! x
I just struggle to see how it’ll come together, but remain unerringly optimistic that ‘it just will’! Garden centres tend to be our rainy day go-to outings here – nice place to browse. Thanks for hosting x
Love it!
Our garden is shamelessly in need of love, but I’m a bit too pregnant for the heavy lifting and intensive cardio required argh!
That is an excellent excuse, though! Direct others?!
Do love a bargain 🙂 Great to get all that clearing done – looking forward to seeing it take shape. I’ve seen lots of photos of Acers recently – I now want one!
I was pleased! I do love acers, and it was impossible to miss out on one at such a bargain price 😉 x
I am so pleased for your bargains! I bought my two red acers as little twig babies for £6 years ago. I honestly didn’t think they would survive, but they are thriving now. I wouldn’t have been able to afford a more established tree! Love the helpers! Nothing like raking the leaves in Autumn!
Thank you. They can be so costly, so to get one for just under a fiver was fantastic. Just hoping the winter is kind to it now!
What incredible bargains you picked up, I bet they will all look amazing once they get settled in. It’s a great feeling when you can pick up things you really want from the garden centre at half the usual price.
Your garden is looking brilliant and it definitely look like you have all been busy, mine is a bit windswept looking right now.
It was in desperate need of a tidy up and there’s still so much to do out there – getting there, though!
Aww your garden is so pretty already! Ours needs SO much work, it’s really daunting :(. And what a great garden centre, our local ones are part of big chains and never have great deals (or cool daffodil planting for little ones!)
Thank you. There’s still a fair bit to do, but it has already got some shape to it. I was really pleased with my garden centre buys and that little planting demo – very sweet
Well done on the bargains, that’s brilliant and how wonderful to get an Acer. I love them. We have one in the garden that’s suddenly gone red in a matter of days! The rockery area is going to look just wonderful, you’re doing such a fantastic job with it all 🙂
We’re getting their, thanks! Love acers, the colours are just gorgeous.
Sounds like you have grand plans for the garden. Your new acer looks good in the pot. Your garden colours look very similar to mine – its been a great autumn so far
It really has, lovely to see so many colour still out there 🙂
Wow, great bargains from the garden centre! Love the sound of Project Garden and looks like it is going really well. We really need to do our own garden project as it is such a mess out there but we just never find the time (or inspiration). We’ve done the front as there was less to do, but just don’t know where to start in the back, need a digger to just take it all away I think! Hopefully we will start it next spring, but we shall see what happens I guess. If I keep reading about you project it may motivate me to get ours going!
Nice to think I could get you started on your own Project Garden. You should start in the spring and we can blog our progress together 🙂
I really want to sort my garden out, it gets terribly waterlogged which is a pain.. Yours looking great, can’t wait to see it in spring
That must be so frustrating for you. Hard to summon the enthusiasm when it keeps doing that, I imagine? Thanks, I’ll certainly be posting updates x