The Great Lawn

The Handyman made a general comment on this blog the other day when he said that it was tricky sometimes to understand where in the garden I might be in any particular post; he also commented on the lack of attention the top lawn receives on the blog.

I'm planning on addressing his first comment by creating a walk through the garden in a post to come...currently a work in progress. To remedy his second point, I dedicate this post to the Great Lawn.

You should understand that this area is primarily the domain of the Handyman, he created the shape and the levels and selected, sowed and tends the grass.  He also, at least once a year, enlarges the circles in which the shrubs and trees which edge the lawn sit.

The work began in 2008, with all the ground works; setting the levels, flattening the top, and all the preparation for sowing the grass seed.

Not the Somme, but the start of the Great Lawn

Hmm, interesting (yet effective) riddling of the ground

Over the past 5 years the Handyman has nurtured the grass, cutting it at least once a week through the growing season, accompanied by some colourful language as the lawn mower (not a ride on version) misbehaves.  We have planted a number of trees and shrubs which are now becoming established and the transformation is incredible every time we remind ourselves of where we started.

inherited and re-sited Christmas trees

sambucus nigra - glorious in flower

So now as you enter the main drive at Holly Grove, through Stars Gate, the Great Lawn is on your left, all along the edge there are shrubs and trees to shelter and provide a screen for the garden from the drive.

One half of the Great Lawn

All of the Great Lawn

It has been interesting for me to focus on a view of the garden that I rarely consider and reminded me of all the work that has gone into Holly Grove over the past 8 years - helpful to reflect on what has been achieved so far rather than on what is yet to be done - thank you Handyman for the prompt!

A Path Much Travelled

The Handyman almost always has a hard landscaping project on the go at Holly Grove and the early Spring of this year was no different.  I made, what I thought, was a subtle comment on the grass path between the main drive, where we park our cars, and the house.  Through the Winter months this can become quite muddy and slippy, and in the Summer the grass becomes worn with the continual traffic.

June 2014

Not so subtle it seems, I came home from work one day in March to find the grass being lifted and, concrete blocks laid for the edging setts and stone being laid as foundations for a lovely gravel path.  Then edging setts placed on the boundaries, black (dark grey) dust on top of the stone and then the final pea gravel in shades of grey and pink. All topped off with solar lights to light our way from the driveway at night (you can just see them at the bottom of the pergola posts).  Beauty and function!

June 2015

PS We were so taken with the colours and quality of the gravel path that it now continues along the back of the house and up into the swing seat garden, adding it to the north side of the house is a work in progress.

Gardening Season Begins

At last! Some spring-like weather and I emerged from my winter slumbers into the kitchen garden at the weekend to start some weeding and clearing of the remains of the over-wintered vegetables. I retrieved lots of swede, three leeks and enough cabbage leaves to accompany our Sunday roast chicken.

The onion sets and garlic that I planted in September are making progress and I've got some seed potatoes chitting, I'll be planting these over the Easter weekend. I spent some time going through my seed tin and broad beans and peas will be planted before the end of March - how exciting!

The fresh air and sunshine were invigorating, athough I'm now feeling the full effects of my first real exercise for a few months - still it's all worth it and good for me and the garden!

Barrow of Weeds

I got down to some serious weeding yesterday afternoon. In the breaks between showers I managed to weed most of the kitchen garden and also cleared some space in the beds. The last of the peas were harvested and the red onions lifted and laid out in the greenhouse to dry.

The peas have been delicious over the past 4/5 weeks, though I'm disappointed in the red onions, they seem to have developed some kind of white mold - need to look it up in my gardening books.

I thought, as I was wheeling the barrow to the recycle bin, that you might want to see how many weeds a kitchen garden can generate and I've still about a quarter of it left to do!

Now what shall I do with all that free space...

Well Worn Boots

So after a busy hour grass cutting how nice to sit on a blanket on the grass and contemplate the clover.

Green and lush but a bit of a nuisance as it travels into the borders and takes over the lawns.

Okay for the large top lawn where it provides lush, hard wearing greenery but a bit overwhelming for the fine grass in the circle lawns...still the bees love the flowers and we love the bees.