The garden is very sweet, with a beautiful Jasmine Officinalis that was flowering whilst we were gardening. The scent was lovely to work in, even though we ended up soaked through. The plan for this garden is to construct a patio, and to remove the rotten timbers that surround the overgrown borders.
The border size will pretty much stay the same, and will be at the same level with the paving. We weeded thoroughly and cut back overgrown plants, with special attention to the ivy that was creeping across the walls.
Ivy is a fantastic plant. Therefore, we left it where it was growing above the walls, as it is a great plant for wildlife. Plus of course it is very hardy and will grow in the shadiest of places. It’s really an ideal plant, that many pull out almost as if a weed. It can cause havoc if left to run through borders, but keeping it where possible along walls and fences is a good idea.
Where we removed the ivy and exposed this section of wall, you can see it is in a bad state of disrepair. It will be taken down with a new wall built in its place when we do the rest of the landscaping. We also removed ivy that was going across the small kitchen window. We left it where it is growing on the corner of the house, as it is very pretty and doesn’t look too aggressive there, but we didn’t want it attacking the window frame.
Gardening is about consideration and balance. In terms of wildlife, plant varieties and ‘weeds,’ we try to always be as thoughtful as possible when making garden based decisions. Considering it was such a rainy session, we felt pretty satisfied with our achievements. The frame of the garden can now be seen, so that the Secret Garden team can start working their magic on it. Come back soon to see how this project is progressing…
