Yet more fuchsia. And some variegated thing. My sister Anne doesn't understand my loathing for fuchsias; she loves them.
And this is what lies behind that fuchsia-screen. My small garden with its high stone walls and the linhay (pron. linny, a little agricultural storage area, or workshop), and its ugly path. The linhay is terribly damp, being built against a bank of soil that is part of next door's garden, but the toad seems to like it, and with a lick of paint to door and window, and the wisteria trained over it, and the damn fuchsia persuaded elsewhere so that it can be seen, should become more of a visual asset.
Admittedly it's a rather bare small garden, but that's because of all the space vacated by half a dozen other fuchsias. I found another one today, lurking under the clematises.
The clematis and wisteria jungle, with a camouflaged berberis that stabs you every time you pass, causing you to flinch backwards into the holly. Double stabbing.
At the back, in front of the linhay, is the parking bay for the assorted plants from Newcastle, including a rather sad-looking Zepherine Drouhin, uprooted from its place by my old front door where it would surely have perished. I couldn't bear to leave such a lovely rose, and although it hasn't died, it might yet. Or it might be grateful, and spring into life again next year.
And there are moving-in gifts. Clematis and hollyhocks. Great favourites of mine.
On a concreted area sit all the other Newcastle plants in their pots, awaiting their turn to be emptied into proper soil. No more B&Q multi-purpose for them! I have geraniums, day lilies, hellebores, aquilegia, poppies and my beloved red gooseberry bush which will need to be given its own spot. (Near the berberis and holly perhaps, to make a triple stab hazard?)
It's my Winter Project. I have no idea how to make a cottage garden, and fancy the whole soppy chocolate-box works, so, after planting a barrowload of Spring bulbs, I shall study and plan over the colder months. Advice, suggestions, encouragement welcome; I know that some of you are the most awe-inspiring gardeners.
What I do know is that I want a cottage garden with NO FUCHSIA. Sorry, Anne.
23 comments:
Oh it will look so very beautiful when it is all planted up next summer, the stone walls will be a lovely backdrop to it all. I'm with you on fuschias, something inherently annoying about them, be ruthless! Lovely to hear all your news and I really look forward to seeing how your cottage courtyard garden grows! x
If I only had the time I'd be facing similar gardening desires. How I'd love to be able to get on with my dream of a cottage garden, but getting the cat run built and actually moving in are more the order of the day. I wondered about doing some bulb planting but I don't think I'll have time this year. My equivalent of your fuschias are ancient cotoneasters of which my new garden boasts a preponderance. I think you should go for it with the 3 pronged attack plants, the holly and berberis would probably welcome the gooseberry with open thorns. Fingers crossed for the ZD and how about changing the cottage's name to (you've guessed it) Fuschia Cottage?
Plants are like books . . . and there isn't a one that doesn't have its detractors. Too bad you don't like fuschias, though; that one with the red flowers is HUGE.
I hope you are having fun playing with your new garden. Have you got the interior all sorted, then?
No fuschias in my cottage garden either or variegated things - too gaudy. I think it looks a lovely garden and can't wait to see it next year. I've got my fingers crossed for the rose too. I'm so used to having them crossed for your move, they've been feeling under-employed!
Honeysuckles and jasmines to attract the pollinators and to waft delightful scents on warm summer air,forget-me-nots and nigella (love-in-a mist) that will self-seed and bring colour each spring and summer, marigolds to guard against mosquitoes and garlic to keep Zephyrine Drouhin aphid free but those are my choices, not yours. Enjoy planning and planting your garden:-)
Books on cottage gardening - lots and lots of them, for winter reading! That's the answer. (In this house, it seems to be the answer to everything!)
Just pull up/chop down what you don't like. It is your house and garden now. I've had a few lovely fuschia over the years, but they have to suit their spot, and that one certainly doesn't. If you can't bear to chop it up, offer it on ebay. Plants that size cost a fortune, and someone in the area might have just the spot for it. My husband once had a huge Jade Plant (money tree? - don't know the correct name), in a first floor flat. It was about 4ft wide. He asked around, and it went to a local office for their reception area.
Well since you live in England and it's a cottage and already a garden of sorts, here in the States we would call it an English country garden as is.
But I can't wait to see what you do with it. Yes, fuscias be gone, but with vines and hollyhock and roses and herbs in pots it's going to be a vision. And oh that wall....
better start visiting Sarah Raven's space and start ogling.
xo jane
I was going to refer you to Wild Acre but saw that you got to her fabulous list first. If I ever have another garden to plant I'm using her as my guru. Have you got any pyracanthus for a quadruple stabbing?
Your ZD rose should be fine. I suggest you cut it back to one third, keep it in its pot until spring, then make a permanent planting. I had to move mine twice, once in ferocious summer heat when a storm almost did for it.Amazingly resilient!
I can tell you are going to have a good time creating your cottage garden. It looks like a lovely place to begin with.
quick! take cuttings from the Zephirine Drouhin.
dispose of the holly and berberis which are too heavy for a cottage garden. I love a backbone of climbing roses - the smellier the better - and loads of pinks. anything which grows well in neighbours' gardens will also like yours. and may come free as a cutting or offshoot.
Fuschias are thugs in the garden - my Dad ended up with half his back garden covered in fuschias - all from two small cuttings I gave him!! Hostas and ferns for damp shady corners, bees balm in the sun and herbs in pots ...... those would be my starting points!!
I think you should get rid of the berberis pdq: I have never seen the point of it (no pun intended). Do keep the holly, though. You won't regret it when Christmas comes.
Anna
Your " variagated thing" is a euonymus,,probably " fortunei",,,fancy not liking fuschias....shame I am not nearer, I could have taken them off your hands! You have done so much already in that garden, lots more fun to come!
By the looks of it , whatever you plant there will grow and multiply overnight !
In a couple of years you'll be restraining Zepherine , too .
I've got a huge fuschia and I like it because it's easy colour - all I have to do is chop it to bits twice a year and it's perfectly happy. It does rather resist any attempt to do anything else (especially anything subtle) with that corner, though, so I can definitely see it wouldn't be wanted anywhere.
I think your variegated thing is euonymus, unless I'm looking at a different variegated thing. I'm used to seeing it in more modern/low maintenance gardens, and it's quite good at being a smallish shrub against a wall - it doesn't climb or cling as such but it seems to be quite happy to be partly vertical if there's something behind it.
Good luck with the garden planning!
Helen
Love the colour of the Clematis and the Hollyhock is going to look spectacular. I'd get rid of the Fuchsia too, they dominate. I hope your Rose survives.
I would say take your garden gently, feeling your way, letting it give you a season to show you what it has already and easing things in that you really love. I am also a huge believer in having a large number of a small number of plants so working out what you really love and, even more importantly what will really love you, is crucial. Sounds like you might have lovely rich soil! Lucky you. Enjoy it. Have you come across Anna Pavord's Plant Partners? Lovely inspiring book.
I would take up some of the paving and plant a bit of lawn. Well, I would if I had a tame helpful giant.
You'll make it lovely. (Despite your unaccountable attitude to fuchsias.)
I am nearly completely clueless when it comes to gardens but I do have a small suggestion - When you pick bulbs, find tulips with a nasty, bitter taste.. otherwise, Scooter is likely to get a tummy ache gorging himself on your lovely blooms!
No matter how you plan, you'll be AT IT for the rest of your life, I think. Gardens rarely seem to stay as designed.
I couldn't agree more about the fuschias! What fun to wait and see what your garden will look like this time next year :)
I have got a linhay too, although we have always called it the washhouse as that's where the washing machine lives. Mine's terribly damp, ages old, built into a bank, and stupidly rendered by the previous owner. I was advised to let all the render drop off or spend a weekend hacking at it so that it could breathe. I couldn't agree more about the fuchias. I inherited two in my garden - one is ok, being a pretty early flowering, pale pink that continues until September. The other an execrable fluorescent shocking pink and purple number. I only tolerate it because it flowers late when nothing else does.
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