Dysfunctional Planner

Hello, hope you are all enjoying the sunshine. I feel so far behind compared to all the garden accounts I follow. My alliums are tiny and won’t flower this year but you never know. My lupins are stunted by the small container I have left them in so I need to repot them this weekend.

Although I won’t be making any drastic changes to the garden until after the extension is built however it doesn’t stop me from dreaming and planing. So I thought I would show you some of my Pinterest inspiration and how I plan to use it either now or after the building work.

This is something I can start achieving now. I want to make my borders wider so we have less grass and more bee friendly plants. The beauty of these is that they come back every year. I will have to be clever with my planting as one side is shady and one side is full sun. Herbaceous borders flower at different times over the summer, offer shade, seed and refuge for wildlife.

Gavin just bought me a beautiful wisteria so I am going to let it root at the top of the rockery, then train it over an arch, onto the garage, along then up and over another arch. It will have to be pruned twice a year and maintained but for a whole month I will have the most gorgeous view from my future kitchen window. I will plant her in the next few weeks and make sure her roots are looked after. I do have a few posts in the garden that I could reuse so maybe I can give it some extra support. Next year I will have more flowers and more tendrils.

This house, creating my home is all about making spaces for friends and family to gather.

We already have a beautiful oak dining table that I want to put outside. I would love to build a pergola about this size, over Moroccan terracotta tiles with fairy lights citronella candles, growing clematis, roses and Jasmin up the posts. I want chandeliers, lanterns friends and family. With climate change we know the that summers will be hotter so creating shade is so important.

I am in a couple of gardening groups and we talk about the importance of flowers over lawns and although I do want to keep patches of lawn, for Frank, for picnics on the lawn. Pergolas offer dappled light, semi shade romance and drama. I can’t wait to experience this beautiful space in my garden.

I am planting my David Austin rose in the ground. I-finally found a perfect place for it so it gets full sun and I can plant the base with tons of small salvias and other herbaceous plants. When clearing the garden I have found so many roses that Gavin’s mum and aunt planted over 30 years ago. They need a bit of pruning and treatment for black spot, lots of watering in this weather and feeding once a week.

We have a pond in the middle of the garden. It’s in a slightly awkward place but it’s lovely. Every month new plants and flowers spring up. I have seen Star of Bethlehem, alpines and now 3 cornered leek pictures. Also the lily pads do flower and we have newts. I would like to create a pond that a bit different, a space for the birds and bugs with some playful bits as well. I want to creat clear beds around it and plant some irises for next year.

I am not afraid of colour nor shape when it come to plants. I want to create something welcoming to everyone. It’s going to take time, lots of money eek, and patience.

So that’s it, my plans, my garden hopes and dreams. Watch this space because they will come true in some shape or form.

So tell the people you love, you love them and check your stool, it may save your life.