Today’s meander around the garden turned into a point and shoot out of the landing window as this is our Easter Monday weather…

…snow, again!!

Despite the inclement weather this week I have managed to spend a bit of time working on the garden most days. Invariably once I’m out there, all wrapped up, the weather isn’t actually that bad. Anyway, if you believe the weather forecasts (with a pinch of salt if you ask me!!) after a wet week the weather should improve next weekend!

I have managed this week to formulate a few plans in my mind of how I want to plant up the new beds in the garden. In the gravel garden I’ll stick to the amber and amethyst colour scheme I had before, I liked that. However I’m planning more of a backbone of small shrubs, like hebes, azaleas, skimmia, I need to make the garden lower maintenance…I’ve started buying a few on the market and in our little nursery in Otley. I’ve got a hebe and also a sarcococca, which is Christmas box, it’s an evergreen which flowers in winter, the flowers look insignificant but they have the most amazing scent.

I also treated myself to a tree peony (well it was purple!) and a gorgeous hellebore in a deep wine colour. I’ve just trimmed all the old leaves off my hellebores round the pond so they look particularly good now.

The top area where the chickens used to be has been cleared, we just need to rotavate it once the weather dries up a bit. The compost heaps will be there, but they will be hidden by an Autumn colour border. I’m going to plant shrubs and small trees such as acer, amelanchia and eunonymous alatus (spindle tree), I’ve got one in the front garden and in the autumn it turns an amazing fiery red! I’ll pop some all year ground cover shrubs in between them for winter interest. The Christmas box might go in this area as well. I’m going to grow clematis up the old fence posts too.

I’ve also ordered some paint for our big fence. Our neighbours have spent the last year completely revamping their garden. It makes me smile when I see it as you couldn’t have two gardens more different, theirs is all paving, gambions, decking and artificial grass with some raised beds and all wooden tall fence all round the edges. I’m embracing the big fence as an opportunity to grow lots of climbers, roses, clematis, honeysuckle…but first it needs painting. It’s a big block of colour so I’ve thought long and hard about it. Our back fence has been painted dark brown, thinking it will blend in with the wooded path behind. Having looked at next-doors, I definitely don’t want dark brown. I’ve decided on a colour called willow, which looks like it will be a slightly darker shade than the summerhouse. I’ve ordered the paint so hopefully when this dry spell arrives I can get it done before everything starts to grow. I’ll probably paint the back fence too for a bit of continuity.

I think I’ll be busy this year!!