This small, Georgian front garden in a courtyard style is very pretty, with beautiful overlooking balcony. We went through the garden with our new client to find out what they were interested in achieving, and how they want to proceed with it. We always find that doing the initial work in a garden gives you a good feel for it, and gives you ideas for future planting and management.
The winter is a perfect time to strip your garden back a bit. Cut back, dig out any weeds or unwanted plants. Look at the spaces you have created and what could work in that situation or aspect.
The plants that are thriving will give you a good idea of similar plants that would also work well there. In this instance, our client wanted us to remove two potted trees. They were quite tall but not in the best condition. For our client they had outgrown the space. He had actually grown them from saplings but felt that they no longer worked in the garden. We cut them down, and then sawed both into logs. These logs will be left to season and can then be used as firewood.
A sedge had self seeded at the corner of the border by the top of the steps. It was taking up a lot of space and smothering a nearby rose. We dug it up, so that this area is more spacious for new planting in the spring.
We worked our way through the pots, clearing them of weeds and swept up leaves from this area. The logs were piled there too, ready to be moved to their new drying location.
You can see the difference now that the sedge has been removed. We pruned the roses so that they are ready for the new season ahead. Generally the end of January is a great time to prune roses, but the weather was cold and dry at this point and was fine to do so.
It’s always good after a gardening session to look down on the garden and use your imagination as to how it will be looking in the spring and summer next year.
We trimmed the small beech hedge on one side of the garden. To the other side is a large, high hedge of lonicera nitida and cherry laurel. We will be taking down the height of this next month. Watch this space.
Check back in with us next time to see what else we have been up to at Secret Garden.
