Post by seaburn on Feb 4, 2011 19:47:52 GMT
What can I say about it? Well we bought the property in Jan 1996 but didnt move in until the August as we did extensive renovation. Despite the house only being 35yrs old it was built more in the style of an 1930's, rubber cased wire, round pin sockets etc. Now I know that was illegal but the builder used all reclaimed wires etc. as the house was for him and done on the cheap where he could.
So the garden was basically ignored that first spring apart from me noticing snowdrops, daffs, oriental poppy allegro and a few nice shrubs. The shrubs still in are lilac, philadelphius, yew and amelanchia [sp?]
A few trees remain though honey fungus has put paid to others, I have apple and cherry in the front and a whopping beech hedge and 150yr old beech tree in the back garden. Lots of shade
. Though I have learnt so much due to this and I have now acquired some lovely plants. 
The out going owner said the garden had only been neglected in the last 3 years after her father died. Now in a dark damp January I had little reason to doubt her. Come April I found a wonderful nettle and decided to remove it as it was growing over the drive and my daughter, then 3, had got stung. Well I dug and pulled and dug some more. Eventually it snapped off and was about 1" in diameter. Intrigued as to its age I took it to work. I am a biologist and work in a lab so I did a root section and popped it on a microscope slide and counted 15yrs worth of growth.
As February turned into March I went to identify the little plant growing in profusion in a bed infront of the lounge window. Not nice but ground elder
Another bed had bindweed and creeping sow thistle.
We have now been here 15yrs and we have another daughter [13yrs old] and the garden is losing its playground feel and I am slowly developing what I want. Mainly cottage garden style. Without ground elder but with the odd bit of the other 2 still fighting through.
Now I will try to put in photo's but please be patient. I have tried an avatar twice now with no luck. I will keep trying. But not tonight as I am pooped.
So the garden was basically ignored that first spring apart from me noticing snowdrops, daffs, oriental poppy allegro and a few nice shrubs. The shrubs still in are lilac, philadelphius, yew and amelanchia [sp?]
A few trees remain though honey fungus has put paid to others, I have apple and cherry in the front and a whopping beech hedge and 150yr old beech tree in the back garden. Lots of shade
. Though I have learnt so much due to this and I have now acquired some lovely plants. 
The out going owner said the garden had only been neglected in the last 3 years after her father died. Now in a dark damp January I had little reason to doubt her. Come April I found a wonderful nettle and decided to remove it as it was growing over the drive and my daughter, then 3, had got stung. Well I dug and pulled and dug some more. Eventually it snapped off and was about 1" in diameter. Intrigued as to its age I took it to work. I am a biologist and work in a lab so I did a root section and popped it on a microscope slide and counted 15yrs worth of growth.
As February turned into March I went to identify the little plant growing in profusion in a bed infront of the lounge window. Not nice but ground elder
Another bed had bindweed and creeping sow thistle. We have now been here 15yrs and we have another daughter [13yrs old] and the garden is losing its playground feel and I am slowly developing what I want. Mainly cottage garden style. Without ground elder but with the odd bit of the other 2 still fighting through.
Now I will try to put in photo's but please be patient. I have tried an avatar twice now with no luck. I will keep trying. But not tonight as I am pooped.
