Garden work

 Looking down the garden at the gable end with our future bedroom windows just visible.






Looking back at that same window, and the across the view from it - weeded by Mum so now the lavenders are visible.

We had a few days of fun in the garden with my parents - they provided the knowledge and the stick-to-it-iveness, and Clare and I did the running round and some of the work. The garden is made up of lots of separate beds and we've cleared a couple out, so we can start some planting - garlic is in line for the first planting (we love it, and now's the time, I gather).We plan the ones near the to-be-expanded balcony to have most of the veg and herbs, but we'll bung some raspberry canes in a bit further down. all very exciting!


Mum was able to name lots of plants, and drew us a plan of the garden with labelled areas and so on. We seem to have lots of repeats - can't remember all the names, but several Cotoneasters, Euonymous (?sp?) and other stuff, including some possible little Leylandii (ssssssssss....) which need to come out asap.

Dad dug out several shrubs that were right in our way (and rather moth-eaten, too). This is one of his major fields of expertise - and he started training C! She and I cut lots out of an overgrown Fatsia japonica which left more light on the situation, much needed.


We created a massive pile of stuff-to-be-composted - way more than we can handle right now, so it'll be a gradual drip feed into the garden waste bin.


And lots of bits of wood to dry for next winter when we'll be living here!

We're lucky enough to have a shed that will work as a greenhouse in the future, we hope.

We met our neighbour show seems lovely and is a fount of knowledge about the area and the people who live here. He's been here since about 1970. We'll have to show him the paperwork that came form our solicitor yesterday - goes back to 1876 and the details of ownership of the big house, Malvern House, to which our house (the coach house and stables) and his (the Lodge - shown as having a vinery and plant houses in what is now his beautiful garden) belonged.

On another note, Gil (the architect) came round and was pleased with how we've started on the destruction of the decorative beauties. We'll try to get the rest of it done over the next few weeks.

And, excitingly for us, the structural engineer is coming on Tuesday - so we should soon know what we can and cannot just knock down. Gil's sent the proposals to the planning office to get their views on our plans re windows, balcony etc.

(Don't think we showed the glories of the electrics in our last post, did we? Rather scary!)