Given to me by David for my 50th Birthday and planted in the ‘park area’. Currently it is a little taller than me – lets see how big it grows!

While we were away in Brittany Lois and Dad uncovered the pond! It doesn’t look much here but is a whole new area to think about. I think I will renovate it in the early Spring- take away some of the growth above it and take out some of the silt at the bottom. Then plant up with a water lily and think about the surrounding plants. This could be a nice additional area.

No postings since May- oh dear! Not enough space on my phone for taking pictures and also so much going one. I wish I had recorded the peonies and delphiniums which were a highlight in June. Apart from that I was doing battle with the rats in the vegetable garden who ate everything in sight- even the rat poison- and went on forever. In the end the extra fencing and clearing the wood sacks/piles helped and now it is burgeoning.

I also failed to establish underplanting in the orchard as the rabbits dug up all the lavender bushes bar one even though I replanted them often and waterbed them they didn’t survive.

What I learnt over the summer

• the garden peaks in May/June with little after that. I need more sustained flowering shrubs and late summer flowers; lavender, roses, hydrangeas and other perennials
• more flowering shrubs needed to make a bridge between trees and flowerbeds
• larger, fuller flowerbeds near to the house with cottage garden planting
• more additional focal points like arches and obelisks for height and interest
• maintain rodent proofing and fence plants off until they establish