I was lucky to find bare-root hedge plants so late in the season and they are now in and watered.
Month: March 2015
The Patio Bed
The bed in the patio is important because it is next to seating and so has to look good all year. While it is light, it is also partially shady, and snails are a problem. The Bergenia ‘Abendglut’ will turn dark burgundy in the winter and will look striking against Helleborus Niger. Then deep pink/purple bergenia flowers will follow. Ferns would soften the effect.
Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ will come next, with variegated leaves and blue flowers, and even bigger variegated leaves when the flowers are over, and finally Anenome ‘Honorine Joubert’ will flower in late summer.
Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’
Or perhaps I should aim to cover the entire bed with Bergenia ‘Abendglut’ and ‘Honorine Joubert’?
Sunlight in the garden
The garden is empty apart from three trees, but the walls and fence and surrounding buildings cast shade. So I have a light garden, but a little direct sunlight.I thought the best way of monitoring the sunshine would be to take photographs at intervals during the day. The planting plan is going to be quite tricky!
Around 8.30am
Around 11.00am
Around 3.00pm
Late afternoon
Front Garden Makeover
Nearly finished and looking good! Phoebe’s Garden Centre in Catford, London, have done a wonderful construction job. Now I need to plant hedging.
And this is where we started. 
Counterpoint in weather
There it is still snowing.
Front Garden Makeover
We are making good progress. When the construction work is finished I will clean the steps (!) and repaint the walls, and then the garden is ready for a new hedge, either box or privet.
London Garden Makeover – the front garden
The house has a very narrow front ‘garden’ and by clearing it step by step it became clear a radical change is needed. Once the ivy had been cut down we could properly see the railings, and their pretty ending at pavement level, but clearly those posts and the chain need to go. The railings and the wall will have to be painted, and the vitis cognitiae will be cut down to the level of the painted wall. I am planning a box hedge.
Garden Makeover – the Steps Beds
There is a small bed outside the steps leading from the dining into the garden and it has sun most of the day – probably the warmest place in the garden! The planting, however, has to be low to let light into the dining room.
Libertia Grandiflora
And on the other side of the bed steps lead into the ‘fernery’ with another small bed against the new fence – and a sunny spot!
Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’
London Garden Makeover after four weeks
I have been away for a week and the transformation has been amazing!
