MARCH 2009

Well, it is the last day of March, so technically speaking I am still able to label this blog March. The weather has been a bit wild and windy this week, after a lovely few days the week before. Very little rain to be had, so the garden is drying out very nicely. I have dug out a few more bits of the beds by the pergola and been watching the hostas closely to see if I can dig them up and divide them yet.

The bulbs from last year are starting to look lovely on the bank opposite the conservatory, so I am making sure I know where the gaps are; I may not forget by the autumn and end up bunging bulbs wherever - a plan perhaps? The large buddleia to the left of the picture is the yellow globe variety and I did not prune it properly last year - hence it is too big now. I will cut it back when it has flowered and give others a chance to shine. The large bush on the right was ENORMOUS when we first moved in, a lovely red escalonia. Unfortunately it was taking over the garden there and had to be cut back by about 3 quarters. Husband reckoned anything cut back that hard would never want to grow again, but grow it has and may even flower this year (it sulked last year and refused even one little flower). I stuck a couple of the "freebie" clematis plants around it, for a bit of company. The one in front got eaten by a rabbit last year, but the one nearest the steps had a couple of large flowers - maybe both will put on a show this year. I bought a job lot of pink heathers from the garden centre and one sits nicely on the slope with the mini-daffs (tete a tetes I think). The foxgloves will look pretty up the slope behind the escalonia and towards the sorbus. The little wood anemones are gorgeous and almost glow int he dark, which seems to be the only time I got to see the garden after work at times! I tried clearing some of the wild raspberries along the slope and the ivy, which seems to have roots of steel. Hard work when you are also trying to balance, then a large root gives and you are away down the hill!

There is a Gardener's World programme on about vertical gardening, so maybe I will get round to watching that this week and see if they have any saftey tips....

WINTER 2008

Well, as winters go, that was a cold one! We even has a deal of snow, although the children didn't get their desired time off school because they were already on holiday. I gave them lots of sympathy though. Obviously. Much fun was had with the toboggans on the slopies, for more information see youtube I understand.

I am now the proud owner of a pergola. Husband kindly used some of the materials left over from the bridge as the uprights and we improvised to get the "rustic" logs across the top using branches from some of the trees we have lopped.

The pergola was, of course, required because in one of the windy spells the cheap rose arch was not so much cheerful as completely horizontal. So, not being in the spirit of the vertical garden any more, it had to go. I also had a few of the pots I had brought from England which needed something doing with and this was the something. A beautiful dark pink rose, paired with a dark pink clematis is on the corner nearest the bridge, with a couple of day lillies and a kaffir lily (I did get to the point where I was bunging what I could into pots whilst packing so please don't frown). The pot with the honeysuckle and red clematis is on the side nearest the ladder. I have used some of the stone from the wall to build up the slope a little as the cherry tree roots made digging that section a bit of a struggle. There is also a pretty little abutilon mixed in with that lot and I am hoping it will survive there. The yellow rose and the jasmine with the pink rose and pink that were already there will need pruning properly and it should be gorgeous. I am apparently going to have another two poles, nearer the bridge but will have to move the clothes drier. Can't wait.

In the mean time, I have been extending the beds round the pergola, when fingers aren't frozen. My goodness it has been cold. Mind you, I am starting to see a resurgence of the slug so I have been ruthless in flinging the little b******s to the birds. Some of the "free" bulbs I got in the autumn are coming up now, and the ones I put in pots when I ran out of time/inspiration/inclination have been planted into this new section too - for the future. We'll see what they look like shall we! I have also been sowing like mad for the wild flowers on the bank and waiting for the plants by the bog garden to peep through so that I can lift and divide them. So many plans.....

AUTUMN 2008

I decided to start doing a little planning for the next bit of gardening - looking forward to 2009 and all its glory. So, like all best laid and all that....
The bog garden section with the hostas needs the larger parts dividing. I would love to put more going up the slope behind the leycestria but it gets quite dark up there as there are tall trees all around so in the past that has not worked. I tried a few things last year which didn't work so have chucked some more in this year of the more traditional waterside plants and see what 2009 brings. I also wondered if the fact that the water from the road above probably drains into this section and in the winter that is loaded with the gritting stuff and might be a bit of a killer. One fatsia pegged it, but the other was okay. Not sure why! Rodgersia at the front needs moving back as it is far too dominant.

The bank on the far side of the bridge also needs something doing with it. It is quite dark there too as the sun only gets there on summer mornings. I popped a few foxgloves in there going up last year and they have flowered well, hopefully seeding too for years to come. That gave me the idea of a few more wild flowers. I put some campion and ragged robin to the right of the swing tree and we'll see what they do. They also flowered this year. Again, mild amounts of wincing when children swing, but I suppose it is their garden too!

I have been extending the beds towards this end of the bridge and getting odd plants in there as I rescue them. A garden centre about 10 minutes from here does a good line in half price plants when they are "finished" so a treasure trove for me! I found a "deep secret" red rose there which Husband gave me in the last house and I didn't have the heart to dig it up. The leaves have all fallen off, but there is still a little sign of life. Fingers crossed. Maybe that's a better name for my garden in retrospect! I did my usual trick of finding larger plants that are pot bound and then digging a hole for them in the middle of the lawn to give them space, knowing I will "catch up with them" when digging out the bed later. Drives the lawn mowing person mad. Not the intention, honestly. I found a cheap rose arch in argos and put a bedraggled "china" yellow rose to grow up it, with a small other climber I can't remember the name of. I will regret the cheap arch later. I know.

SUMMER 2008 - NO BETTER THAN 2007!

We all hoped that the summer of 2008 would be better than 2007 - and we were wrong! I am so glad that the first summer we were here was fantastic or I might have been tempted to think we had made a mistake by moving here and my garden would be fine. We have a dry stane wall at the top of the garden where we look down to the Basin. We eventually want to put a summerhouse up here and need to move the wall to get the best position for it. So, this is the wall moving summer. A lovely Czech girl is going to do the moving and all I can say is - good luck! The weather has been pretty average and everything looks green and lush. The colours are coming gradually, but about a couple of weeks behind what I thought.

Husband also decided to build a bridge, definitely on the sloping scale rather than vertical, but hey, little acorns.

The bridge is at the far end of the garden, just in front of the copper beech. I tried to look away when feet were perilously close to naturalised daffs, will only weep if they don't come up next spring! A major feat of engineering, to which I contributed very little. Even advice. But mid-august, the opening ceremony was performed with some friends in attendance - thanks Mae for the glittery elastic and Aileen for the bubbly! Isn't is fantastic! I know it goes to a brick wall, but that will change. Give it time.

So despite my complaining, there were a few sunny days and we did get some jobs done. I cleared a huge amount of overgrown ivy and grass off the slope in front of the greenhouse and loads of grassy self-seeded stuff out of the bog garden. I planted some hostas and a couple of fatsias there, with a rodgersia and gave in to some persicaria. Some of the primulas I planted last year have come up again - hopefully they will self seed. Other trials have not been as successful, primarily the ligularia, which I have moved to another part of the garden to see if it can be saved - bloody slugs! The tomato plants got blight - and I have NEVER had that before. Husband had even constructed a frame for growing some of the toms outside in front of the greenhouse, but even they were taken from us. Not a good year for chutney then.

We were however, thrilled to see a couple of huge moths one night as we sat in the conservatory, and just managed to get a photo or two.

THE WEATHER IS GETTING BETTER!

The hellebores that Shirley gave me, along with the little pots of mini daffs and a couple of other bits have gone into the vertical garden opposite the conservatory. I agonised a little over this because the garden round the side of the house where the conifers were looks pretty bare and I thought they might go there, but then I bought a "job lot" of very small hellebores and put those in at the side - they'll grow - eventually. So the bank where we sit and look out was the best place - and the whole thing looks lovely. The hellebores are dotted about, with a double one I bought by the old steps. I put little daffodils in with a leucomis and some aconites amongst the snowdrops to make up what I hope will be a colourful spring display. Husband has now left his old job in England and is no longer travelling. Some friends were very kind and gave him a bench as a leaving gift which has now been placed on the patio looking over to the Basin. Thank you Tim, Lynda and Sally. I planted a couple of pots with new zealand flax in and some ivy to add a little interest at each side of the bench. In a fit of activity we cut down the conifer at the beginning of the steps to the top so that we could actually get past. It has opened up the whole section of the garden and I will do something with it at some point.... The primulas are flowering on the bank to the left of the steps and almost look like another waterfall when they are all out. I have pupt some snowdrops here, as well as some heathers to see if they survive the rabbits. The lilac tree is also about to flower and when the sun shines it is just heaven.

SPRING 2008

When the spring came in 2008, there was so much hope that we would have a better year than 2007. I decided to attack some of the less horizontal areas of the garden and see what could be done. My friend Shirley came up to stay and we headed off to the glory that is the snowdrop walk at Cambo in Fife for some timely inspiration.
It was absolutely lovely, although we were slightly early for the major carpets of white, we wandered down through the woods to the sea. After a warming lunch and restorative shopping, Shirley surprised me with some beautiful hellebores to go with the plants I bought. Only thing is, where to put them. The hellebores should be somewhere where the heads can be looked up into - vertical gardening at its most obvious! I had also been keeping my eyes peeled for bargains (as you do) and during various shopping trips and tesco there were some pots of mini daffs, so those found their way into my trolley and then the loveliest thing happened. My neighbour who is above us on the burn was out digging up his snowdrops and offered me some. I, needless to say, accepted in a flash, expecting a clump or so. He came back with a bin bag with loads of snowdrops in. Apparently his auntie gave the original ones to him and made him promise to divide them so I was the beneficiary! A million thanks Robert. A dose of backache for the planting, but very, very much worth it. Robert's bank by his garden is glorious with the snowdrops and he has planted them all along the road - they really cheer you up of a winter's day. We had some snow, but not enough for the children as they didn't miss any school, but we had a fair bit of rain and the burn was pretty high! The icicles were sweet on the side of the waterfall and it took ages to melt a hole in the fishpond with a pot of hot water; all in all I prefer the cold to the wet. And just for a change, instead of the sunsets, here's a sunrise! The view to the glens with the snow on the hills and a beautiful pink sunrise.... brrrrrr!

AUTUMN 2007

So, moving on from the awful summer of 2007. Didn't we all want to, honestly. This is the dug up section going towards the waterfall, many of the pots from England are in here now and I sowed loads of annuals, mainly nicotiana and cosmos. They have done really well, and in the slight gloom of the autumn evening, keep everything bright. The cotoneaster mini-tree with the red berries makes a lovely contrast. A couple of the alliums came up and stayed, lovely green heads that rturned very bright pink! The bed going towards the greenhouse is also coming along nicely. I have decided to put more of the red, yellow orange spectrum in this side of the garden. No real reason, just thought it might be a bit of a change. I had so many of the white tobacco plants they got put in here too, so that rather watered down the yellow/orange effect.

The main thing you notice about this bit of garden development is the distinct lack of vertical nature! This is not to say I chickened out at all, but I did not really know if anything was going to grow in those bits, whereas I was pretty sure not a lot would come up through the grass. And I was right. The section from the green house is on a slight slope though and very sandy, so I think I will be able to grow different things there perhaps. I put in a lovely orange miniature climbing rose which simply flowers away all year really. A lovely plant. It is now just behind the lamp near the edge of the burn and glows when the light is on - gorgeous!

This is one of the loveliest parts of the sheltered garden - the wildlife. We used some of the cut down bits of the beech branches slung behind the leaning tree to provide a bit of shelter for living things. If you look really carefully you can see a rabbit in the middle of the branches. Mind you, if it eats much more of the garden, the wild bit will be rethought! The pheasant is fabulous and pops up into the hidden part of the slope when Husband puts the seed out, running back down moments later. I love this place.

SUMMER 2007 LESS SAID THE BETTER

What more can you say about summer 2007 than this photo? Wet, wet and more wet! Actually, the hailstones feature in there somewhere too, along with the 132 slugs we found one night and the complete annihilation of any crops I sowed food wise.

Mind you, the waterfall looks pretty impressive, doesn't it!

I planted some of the previously sown foxgloves by the edge of the waterfall - much to Husband's disgust as he had organised a light to be dramatic at night outside over the water. The foxgloves got in the way and created wierd shadows. The foxgloves will be a one-summer wonder.

There were some parts of the garden that progressed though, so although I am sounding as gloomy as that summer was, beds were dug and cuttings taken from friends (thank you Mae!) as well as some of the pots from England re-homed.

And there were the obligatory sunsets...

MORE SPRING 2007

We were very busy bunnies that springtime. Or rather we managed to get other people to help with being busy. The next major project for this time was the extermination of the conifers in the front of the house to let more light in and open up the whole area. This was vertical gardening at its limit! We knew we were beaten with this one and called in the professionals and they did more wonderful a job than I could have imagined. The largest of the conifers must have been at least 40 feet and twin trunked. Not only did our tree man cut them down, but he left me with these unbelievable mushrooms. A true craftsman. Then he let loose on the rest of the trees and hey presto! SPACE I planted a couple of acid loving bits there, dug up an azalea from the back and put in a rhododendron which I bought with a gift from the lovely Elaine. When we left England, Elaine's daughter had some of our roses and made up a "memorial garden" for us - glad to know we are creating something similar for here here!

SPRING 2007

The main thing about the next stage of the garden was the cold! I waited, in said cold, for anything to grow. I had no idea what bulbs were in the garden, beyond the daffs I saw in the photos of the house particulars. They looked lovely, but was there anything else? Answer: A bit. I had some pots which helped add a little colour and kept waiting. The second picture shows the more "naked" bank in the back near the waterfall. That is going to be a challenge and a half. There are loads of wild raspberries growing there, so I am torn about pulling them out as I want the birds to have the berries. Ho hum, thinking to do. This really is very high gardening and I will need to be tethered, goat-like I suspect, somehow. Tall ladders? Leave till next year was the decision.

Those summer days of putting on wellies and keeping my feet cool in the burn were long gone, and it was freezing in the water now. The earth was too solid to dig so it was back to wrapping up warm and sowing a few seeds. The seeds I sorted out during the summer were doing well and would provide a good splash of colour in this summer.

I looked at lovely pictures in the gardening books and watched countless back episodes of odd gardening programmes to try and see what people did with high gardens - but there wasn't much about really. Short of terracing - not really an option for the vertical gardener - the advice was top of the sadly lacking list.

Much of the work that needed to be done that spring was clearing, clearing and cutting. The copper beech tree was so beautiful and like the shy little sister, hidden behind a larger specimen. So, with the help of wonderful, strong, and willing friends (thank you Alan and James for the strong, thank you Elaine for the willingness to lend them and open the wine!) the green beech met its maker during the Easter holiday.

And then we were left with this glorious specimen, which literally glows when the sunset is behind it. Okay in this picture we have jumped ahead a few months, but it is worth it to show the difference.

Every good gardener starts by drawing up a plan of the garden, does soil testing and then looking at the potential for hidden spaces and so on.

I am not a good gardener.

I looked at the garden, cleared a bit here, dug a bit there, watered my little pots and sowed a few seeds. I measured nothing. I drew nothing. I was heroic in my intention, weedy in my application. Do I regret this haphazard approach? A little bit sometimes, but then my friends would all recognise the less than tidy nature of my thinking. However, I just love my garden and that's enough for me. So, starting in front of the rather grandly named conservatory (nothing oak and glass, slate and blinds, more a lean-to, but great functionally) I decided to dig a bit and put in some of the pots I brought with me from England. Husband cut down the conifer at the top of the waterfall and I cleared half a ton of green stuff, making room for the water to flow - eventually. We also spent lots of time lookig at more fab sunsets. Life didn't get much better than this.

WORK!

Now we get to the part where it starts to get more interesting. The changes. Apart from sounding like a sad old Bowie fan (which I am not) changes had to be made. Husband wondered why, but Husbands generally do.

The summer of 2006 was the most idyllic summer of my life. I do not say this lightly, but I llok back on that time as magical. The weather was fantastic, so the doors and windows were open all the time. The light in Scotland is amazing and you can work until midnight if you wish. And I wished. The children were on holiday and so was I. No work. All play. Poor Husband did have to work, but with such a place to come back to it didn't seem so bad.

I cleared some of the overgrown weeds around the trunks of the trees by the bog garden. The resulting knarled roots and trunks which came through are fantastic. There are all kinds of little holes where I am sure creatures live. I did regret starting with this section when many, many bugs were disturbed and ate me alive. But it was very rewarding. I also sowed tons of seeds for next year, foxgloves, verbascum, oriental poppies and the like, hoping to plant out in the autumn. Also spent many hours looking at the sunsets with a glass of well-deserved wine. As Alan T says, you have to enjoy the garden too...

This is the last section from the "when we moved in" period. This is the sort of front of the house really. Otherwise known as the car park, rugby kicking place, football posts, stilt walking area and shouting space - as in "if you kick that ball against the window one more time" place. Quite a boring area and very dark. The surveyor says we need more light and air in where the banks of - yes - conifers are so - yes again - the saw gets another airing.

Through the gate at the front is the septic tank area (another joy of living in the country) and greenhouse. The oil tank is another feature, though not one for the saw! A lovely cherry tree sits in the middle here and someone clearly did some gardening in the past as there is an old cold frame at the back of the garage wall. Unfortunately it is the only thing holding up the garage, so that will stay for the moment!

Now for the messy bit - the muddy section. To the back of the garden is a slope (the top picture) where it seems a trickle of water comes down from who knows where. This trickle makes the entire section a mud bath and so much green is in there I couldn't find out what was happening. Wellies would be girded for this bit. You know that schlup noise of wet goo - loads of that then.

The bottom picture moves through goo to dry with loads of rocks and trees. This is the back of the house and has a pond where the fish hide. There are four we think and having neverkept fish before, a new experience.

Okay, here we go with my waterfall. It doesn't look like much, but it is fantastic in the flesh. A bit like the scotland rugby team really. Fantastic in the flesh I mean.

Anyway, back to the garden. The waterfall is pretty overgrown and has the usual conifers and ivy all over the place, but the potential is just amazing. Husband thinks pound signs for running the national grid, I think sun glinting off clear water with primulas and hostas reflected in the pools. The summer has been dry and so the water doesn't so much rush as trickle, but I suspect that will change come winter.

I am doing this posting bit whilst at work, in between what I am meant to do! So there may be odd bits of posts with the pictures of what it was like when we moved in. Here are some more of the "round and round the garden" section....

Don't be frightened children! Yes, the top picture is actually up a near vertical slope. There are various conifers and huge amounts of ivy growing up/down. More sawing. The picture on the bottom shows part of the reason for buying the house: there is a fabulous burn running through the garden and (she says, teasingly) in the next post I will show why I wanted this house...

To start at the very beginning...

This is probably the most gentle slope in the garden, all uphill from here. The picture was taken when we moved in, during the lovely summer of 2006. The "leaning tree" is a hawthorn, above the bird table a lilac and a wigeleia on the left hand side. All in the garden is lovely and lushly green. Particularly the beech tree on the left hand side, neatly covering a copper beech planted four foot behind. A bit of sawing obviously required.



This bit is getting to the nitty gritty of the vertical stuff. Behind the wigeleia are some steep steps leading to the top of the garden. No visible means of support for the climber, crampons required in winter. The grass on the slope is growing round some promising primulas, past their season now, but hopeful for the spring.

The blue conifer attacks the climber on the shallow steps ... shh but its days are numbered. Campion gives a lift of colour in this spot which is very welcome.

OMYGOODNESS! I have now got a blog. I just want to record somewhere the garden I am building so when I look back I will see what all the bother was about.

Being new to this blog stuff means a lot of what appears on here will be experimental on screen as well as in the garden. I guess what I need is a teenager to do this bit for me, but my semi-tame teenager will fill it with cars and guns and sport so I will have to do it myself. Well, I always say you should learn something new every day. This is today's learn....