The garden

Hi, I thought I'd show you some pictures of my garden now that spring has sprung and I feel inspired to get back out there. It's looking a bit shabby at the moment after the harsh winter but shouldn't take long to spring back to life.
         It's L-shaped but not a bad size for a modern house garden. On this side it backs onto the village wildflower park. Notice that I still haven't moved that dead cordyline off the lawn. Oops caught out.

 

The pile of dead twigs in the foreground is another victim of the weather that I hacked down today. The box on the grass is my Guinea pig run that they go into on warm days.

                  This side of the garden (below) backs onto a farmers field and we can see the Cathedral in the distance. We also get the Red Arrows flying over when they are practising, it is really exciting they come in quite low and sometimes with their coloured smoke on. I will try and get a photo some time. Enough about my obsession and back to the garden.

Hopefully the climbing frame will be going this year as Little T is too big for it now and it's a pain to move when I need to mow the lawn. The two white lumps in the foreground are the chickens dust bathing in the future strawberry patch. Look how grubby they are!

In the middle of the garden is the veg patch that I put in last year. the only thing left is the red curly kale which survived the winter. At the minute there is pile of branches ready for burning at the weekend and then I can crack on and get it sorted out.

                                   

This sorry looking area below is next to the patio and is where  the Cordyline was. There a few Hostas planted in here so it will fill out soon.

In the greenhouse the Broad beans and Sweetpeas that I sowed a few weeks ago are emerging bringing promise of things to come. Today I sowed a tray of Alpine Strawberry seeds, I hope they grow ok, I haven't grown them from seed before so it will be interesting to see what happens. I planted a couple of plants last year and the fruit was delicious, they were quite productive.

The Hellebores are performing really well this year, but their heads hang down so you need to get down low to appreciate them.

(As you can see I've got the hang of the macro feature on the camera.)

          Remember the twiggy shrub from an earlier post? Well here it is now, it's starting to green up and small flower buds are forming. It seems to change every day now.

It's not as drab in the garden as it seems in the long shots, this Primula denticulata is in full flower

as is this species tulip. Aren't they a pretty colour? 

Before I go I must show you my favourite plant in the garden. It looks a bit boring doesn't it? It's a Stipa gigantia or Golden oats and it gets 6ft flower spikes on it later in the year which are backlit by the evening sun. Stunning. 

I hope you enjoyed the look round my garden I will post more pictures as the year progresses. Enjoy your own gardens.