The Front Garden Developments
11 comments
Since the back garden is pretty much done, and we are now just waiting for some decent weather to get it growing, we have moved on to making some changes at the front.
This is our West-facing aspect where we can enjoy the sunset and the birdsong from the nearby woodland and shrubs. I heard a Nightingale in there several times this spring which was an absolute thrill for me!
So…the builders left us with nasty slabs that were a horrible yellow colour and impossible to keep clean. There wasn’t enough space there for our chairs and also to get to the door. There was a strange bit of border with hebes in it which attracted a ton of bees (lovely but not ideal for the front door). They have been relocated to the new path side at the other side of the drive.
We just need to dig these bricks in to make a better edge…or not, we’ll see. Anyway, the Hebes are much better here. It used to be turf which was pretty useless.
Then we lifted the slabs (I should say the landscapers did, not us), and using bricks left over from the back garden renovations, we had a bigger area paved there which will allow us to have a bench or a bistro set and still be able to get in and out.
Last night, after the landscapers had gone, we set about removing turf and digging a better shaped border. I have planted a few things but left space for 2 David Austin roses I have ordered. They are Roald Dahl and the Lark Ascending. The clematis is Nubia and she is attracting a lot of compliments at the moment.
We also had the slabbed path up the side of the drive, to our back door lifted and replaced using some better grey slabs surrounded with more bricks. It’s quite unique now, and so pretty it’s a shame we have to leave the bins on it!
So now we have said goodbye to the landscapers. What a relief. But today, dear readers, we have had the insulation people doing remedial work on our back house wall, drilling holes and pumping in the insulation that should already be there. So more mess and upheaval. 🙄 They have gone now, so it’s peace at last!
I’ll post a photo when the planting is finished! Thanks for looking in. K x
13 Jun, 2024
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Comments
wonderful changes. Great that nothing is so set in stone that it is 'relatively' easy to move around.
13 Jun, 2024
Very true! Thanks SBG
13 Jun, 2024
So many interesting changes being made, Karen. The house must start to feel more like home now. I like the idea of sundowners. I might just have to join you, but it will have to be in a sou'wester at the moment ;-)
15 Jun, 2024
Oh yes Ange. I’ve just been out to remove a chair that blew a ross the patio! Next week looks a lot better, but still very cool for the south in mid June.
15 Jun, 2024
You've really made it your own, haven't you! Looks really lovely, smashing plant choices out front too. You must be pretty happy with it all now.
16 Jun, 2024
Very happy Kate. I am very much at home here now! We’ve only been in for 4 months too! It’s been a whirlwind. I still don’t have my Dining table and chairs, which got stuck in the Middle East debacle. But hopefully next month. I’ve just pre ordered a small growing Birch tree for the back too. It will come in August. So we have plenty to look forward to, and then a trip to Scotland in early September.
16 Jun, 2024
It’s looking good Karen. I can see that you have much more space at the front now. It will be nice to sit there if the sun ever shines in that spot. The view out of the garden( front), seems very pleasant. Are they roads, like on a private estate? I hope all your plants thrive. Please continue to keep us posted, it’s nice to see a new garden taking shape.
16 Jun, 2024
We live right on the edge of the development Feverfew, on a corner plot. There are three houses along from us and two on the other side of the access road. After the end of our row of four it is a massive landscaped recreation area with a viewpoint across the valley and play areas for children. A five minute stroll across that is my daughter’s house. In front of us is the access road and a pumping station. There’s access for the farmer that owns the sheep fields that slope steeply down to the valley. The slope is mostly wooded, so we see the tops of the trees as the woodland slopes steeply away from our houses. It’s only about 30m away from us so the birdsong is lovely. At the moment the builders are encamped opposite our neighbours, but in a few months they will be gone and it will all be landscaped. I can’t wait!
16 Jun, 2024
It sounds quite rural. Nice to be so close to your daughter too.
17 Jun, 2024
It’s a nice ‘edge of town’ situation. There’s only one drawback…we can’t walk into town without going along a very busy road. You can’t have everything.
17 Jun, 2024
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P.s. soil at the front not too bad at all. Just needed forking and breaking up. Much better than the back garden. Phew!
13 Jun, 2024