I moved primarily because I wanted a garden. The two bedroom flat was plenty big enough for me, but I was desperate to get a dog and craved having some outdoor space. I used to spend my summer evenings on my picnic blanket in the park at the top of the road and whilst it was lovely, it just made me realise even more that I needed my own slice of earth.
When I first viewed the house I wasn't overwhelmed with the garden. I'd fallen in love with another house that had a huge garden that had so much potential, and compared to that, this one was long, thin, overgrown and hilly.
Here's the picture that the estate agent took...
To be fair, it does look gorgeous in the photo, but unfortunately by the time I got the keys 6 months later, the previous owner had given up on the garden and it was very overgrown and a bit (lot) sorrowful.
I'm so annoyed that I didn't take any photos, but in the two and a bit years I've been here the garden has been a love/hate affair... mainly hate. Now the house is pretty much done, it's time to move outside and get this space how I want it to look.
I have already;
- moved the shed from the terrace on to a duff patch of grass that was never going to grow nicely. This opened up the terrace and made it a real 'space' in the garden, it also means I get more sun!
- Halved the height of the bushes on the left hand side. They were very overgrown, taking up around 3 foot of the grass and standing at 6-7 foot tall. It was surprisingly quick, with Mum and Grandad's help we had them cut right back in an afternoon. We did this in early Spring last year, so whilst they were a bit 'trunky' for last summer, they've now grown back in to more of a box hedge. I continued to level them throughout the summer, and will give them a spring cut this year too.
- removed a lot of the right hand side. These were all bushes and shrubs that had grown way out of control. I had a 5 foot rosemary bush, that smelt delicious, but it was just out of control! I'll be working to clear what's left of this so that I can prepare the ground for something new.
- Removed whatever was growing along the wall. It was ugly.
- Laid artificial turf on the terrace and made my pallet sofa.
- removed the long washing line that went the length of the garden, it feels so much bigger without it there and I can very easily remove the rotary line when I want to use the grass - win!
I have some plans for the coming weeks including sprucing up some pretty flower pots to sit along the wall and planting up some pretty flowers so that they can grow over time. I love the IKEA step ladder that I spruced up for the terrace, so making this pretty is high on my agenda, I'd love to get a trailing plant growing around it...
A few weeks ago I dug a flower bed along the wall to plant some lavender, hoping that over time it would bush up and not only smell lovely but bring some gorgeous purple colour in to the garden. Unfortunately the slimy slugs got at it and I'm fairly sure it's dead...
It's then on to the right hand side and probably getting a fence in to separate my garden from next door a bit more.
This is going to be a big focus for me this year, trying to create a usable and pretty outdoor space that I can really enjoy on balmy evenings and sunny summer weekends (please be some...!)
I'll do some more progress blogs on this space as it comes along, it's definitely a long haul!
Any hints and tips are gratefully received!
Ems xx
When I first viewed the house I wasn't overwhelmed with the garden. I'd fallen in love with another house that had a huge garden that had so much potential, and compared to that, this one was long, thin, overgrown and hilly.
Here's the picture that the estate agent took...
To be fair, it does look gorgeous in the photo, but unfortunately by the time I got the keys 6 months later, the previous owner had given up on the garden and it was very overgrown and a bit (lot) sorrowful.
I'm so annoyed that I didn't take any photos, but in the two and a bit years I've been here the garden has been a love/hate affair... mainly hate. Now the house is pretty much done, it's time to move outside and get this space how I want it to look.
I have already;
- moved the shed from the terrace on to a duff patch of grass that was never going to grow nicely. This opened up the terrace and made it a real 'space' in the garden, it also means I get more sun!
- Halved the height of the bushes on the left hand side. They were very overgrown, taking up around 3 foot of the grass and standing at 6-7 foot tall. It was surprisingly quick, with Mum and Grandad's help we had them cut right back in an afternoon. We did this in early Spring last year, so whilst they were a bit 'trunky' for last summer, they've now grown back in to more of a box hedge. I continued to level them throughout the summer, and will give them a spring cut this year too.
- removed a lot of the right hand side. These were all bushes and shrubs that had grown way out of control. I had a 5 foot rosemary bush, that smelt delicious, but it was just out of control! I'll be working to clear what's left of this so that I can prepare the ground for something new.
- Removed whatever was growing along the wall. It was ugly.
- Laid artificial turf on the terrace and made my pallet sofa.
- removed the long washing line that went the length of the garden, it feels so much bigger without it there and I can very easily remove the rotary line when I want to use the grass - win!
 |
| This started out so well... until they all died. |
A few weeks ago I dug a flower bed along the wall to plant some lavender, hoping that over time it would bush up and not only smell lovely but bring some gorgeous purple colour in to the garden. Unfortunately the slimy slugs got at it and I'm fairly sure it's dead...
It's then on to the right hand side and probably getting a fence in to separate my garden from next door a bit more.
This is going to be a big focus for me this year, trying to create a usable and pretty outdoor space that I can really enjoy on balmy evenings and sunny summer weekends (please be some...!)
I'll do some more progress blogs on this space as it comes along, it's definitely a long haul!
Any hints and tips are gratefully received!
Ems xx
1 comment:
Hi Emma........another great blog! You make even me wish to leave the confines of my home! 💋
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