Single hen

[Guest]

My garden has no grass - it has borders and two block paved patios and paths. I love my garden in the late spring/summer because it is very cottage-gardeny with perennial plants, fruit trees and roses. Unfortunately in the winter and up until the last few weeks ago - it looks like Beirut with no green and builders rubble in the soil - which I am slowly trying to get rid of! I had to dig up everything in one large border to accommodate my eglu and run and I would like to plant something round it now which would be green all year round - my mum suggested grasses but I don't think I'm a grasses person! I did think about Japanese Anemones - do they keep their leaves all winter does anyone know? Or could anyone give me any more suggestions.

 

I didn't care about it in the winter before because our lounge was in the front of the house but now we've got our girls and changed our lounge for the back room overlooking the garden it has become important and I obviously will be spending time all year round in garden now!

 

Grateful for any suggestions

 

Sophie

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[Chicken on a mission]

The big thing is planting something that isn't going to engulf your eglu.

 

How about some herbs or hellebores or ferns?

 

Some of the small azaleas are gorgeous too.

 

Is it in sun?

[Mrs Blue Sky]

Rosemary would do it - pretty blue flowers too.

[The Managing Director]

I did think about Japanese Anemones - do they keep their leaves all winter does anyone know? Or could anyone give me any more suggestions.

 

 

 

Sophie

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Don't think japanese anemones keep their leaves all year round Sophie, how about herbs though, rosemary and lavendar would be lovely and sweet smelling too

[Guest]

Thanks guys - my garden is north-facing so I think herbs wouldn't do very well there but ferns or azaleas could be good!

 

Sophie

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[Chicken on a mission]

I do north facing. My front garden is north facing and looks its best in springtime.

 

I have:

 

Pieris

hebes

spirea

windflowers

dawf conifers

euronymous

bay tree

Helleborres

Pompey bells (campanulla)

Spotted laurel (not good if eaten so maybe steer clear of this one)

Ivy

Mahonia

[Guest]

Thalia you're really lucky then - south-facing back garden!! I'm growing my runner beans in a big pot by my south-facing front door!

 

Thanks for the list - I'm going to investigate at the garden-centre this wkd.

 

Sophie

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[Chicken on a mission]

It's funny really as we are lucky to have a south facing back garden but we really do suffer as there is no shade.

 

Hopefully I'll be able to get some trees in for next year. We don't have the money at the mo because we are concentrating on all the hard landscaping which is just soooooo expensive to do

 

I am a lazy gardener (code for 'I do nothing!) and choose plants that don't require me doing anything. My front garden is gorgeous at the moment and I get out there once a year to hack everything back and every couple months to pull out the chickweed. Easy peasy

[Linda]

I am a lazy gardener (code for 'I do nothing!) and choose plants that don't require me doing anything. My front garden is gorgeous at the moment and I get out there once a year to hack everything back and every couple months to pull out the chickweed. Easy peasy

It's my view that the plants know what to do, so really do not need too much interference! (Or am I just a lazy gardener too?! )

[Guest]

It's not that we're lazy at all - it's that we don't like the manicured look isn't it girls?

 

If I had a southfacing back garden I would grow a chamomile lawn. When I was a child we lived in a house with an old established garden (south-facing) and it was absolutely divine sitting on it (all spongy) with the lovely fragrance it gave off! No mowing either - just clip with scissors!

 

Are you going to grow fruit Thalia and some veggies?

 

Sophie

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