Taming the Wilderness

Or a small fragment of it.

Last year, I described how rogue damsons had taken over the garden. They were charging towards the Conservatory like the German Sixth Army advancing on Stalingrad.

They seemed almost desperate to proffer their fruit, allowing us to stretch out of the window for an impromptu damson dessert. The problem was they had taken over much of the garden; that little strip to the left was all that remained.

It was dense, almost impassable

And the soil was covered in a thick carpet of ivy with similar rogue tendencies

But here was out chief cause of concern, an old rotten shed succumbing to both.

As described, last year we went at it with chainsaw, spade and fire.  

And ended up with Ground Zero

Early spring, the planting began so there'll be nothing spectacular this summer. But now we have a red and white rose bush growing against the fence (My wife is from Yorkshire and I'm a proud Lancastrian) We also have young Sidalcea, fox gloves, lupins and Canterbury Bells. There is more to come when more undergrowth is cleared. 

Bottom left hand corner is another newly planted rosebush, a Lancastrian/York hybrid yet to flower. 

Hmppff !! The York rose flowered first.

Some newly planted Delphiniums. I'm hoping for a dense cottage garden with hollyhocks, Blue Canterbury bells, more Delphiniums and perhaps some Penstemon next year. Also a much cleaner slab and a wrought cast iron bench 

But this is my pride and joy, and what a weird thing to say: Grass. And not the hippy kind.  Weeks of hard shovelling and the ivy went. Two boxes of grass seed - one for the birds - and daily watering during weeks of sunshine and dry weather. 

And not only grass - light and space

But far fewer damsons.