frayed at the edge

Wood, wood and more wood!

I mentioned before that Malcolm does the major projects in the garden, and as I am lacking in new photos to show you, until I can reveal the swap piece, I thought I would show you the very major project that he undertook in our last garden.  But first, I'll show you the shed that he built just for me!

 

He designed and built it from scratch - making up the panels in the garage and ignoring remarks from the neighbours about floods and arks!!  So, why a shed just for me?  Because I have my own gardening tools, which I look after and hang up nicely - Malcolm's shed was always untidy and you were liable to stand on the rake!!

And now for the BIG project - a two tier deck!  Again he designed it and built it entirely from scratch.

 

Although we lived in a brand new house, the builders had kept the original wall, from when this was the kitchen garden of a large house.

 

The tree in front of the deck got to be a lot bigger than it said on its label!  The summerhouse was a later addition - even in the middle of winter we could sit out and enjoy the garden.

   

The final stage was to add the boardwalk, which curved from the house round to the deck - you can just see where the two meet on the left of the photo. (it looks as if there is something wrong with this photo - but that is what the light was like when I took it - just before it snowed again!) 

So I'm doubly lucky - not only is Malcolm a good cook, but he is also excellent at all things wood.  I haven't forgotten that you haven't seen the final photos of the new kitchen - that's because we still haven't decorated it - watch this space!!

Spring is in the air

The weather has been wonderful for the last few days (although still a little chilly in the mornings), so Malcolm has made a start to the spring tidy up in the garden - he even cut the grass in the back garden today.  I used to do the day-to-day gardening, while Malcolm did the major projects, but since he retired, he has taken over all the gardening - which of course gives me more time for sewing and knitting!

 

The grass will need some more work on it this year - despite Malcolm's hard work on it last year, there is still a lot of moss in it.

 

The hellebore is still sulking after yesterday's frost - it needs some more warmth to perk up the flowers.  It looks a bit speckled, but it is just sawdust from next door's building work!

 

Things are growing well in this sheltered corner ....

 

.... with strong green shoots on the clematis.

 

I bought these wonderful birds in Indonesia, but they look perfectly at home guarding the water feature.

 

Can you just see the yellow haze on the forsythia at the back of the border?

 

Round to the front garden now - the buds on the ornamental quince are ready to open ....

 

.... while this one on the flowering currant has just opened.

 

The leaves have just come out on our new hawthorn hedge.

 

If you look closely, you can see both a climbing rose and a honeysuckle, which climb up and along the top of the lounge window - the scent is wonderful in the summer!

I hope you have enjoyed this first report on the garden!