Big plans

Managed to pay a little overdue attention to the garden this last weekend. Mostly weeding and tidying up. Some pruning, ready for winter. Most markedly of all, though, we measured the dimensions of our garden. Vital task if we are to complete the massive makeover we intend for 2017.

Just a little over 9m by 5m is a fairly modest size for a back garden. Our front garden came already pretty much as we wanted it, so won't be getting much attention from us and isn't included in these plans. We intend to pull up the paving slabs that constitute the upper part of our drive and lay a lawn there. Somewhere for our daughter to play, considering we don't really use our garage or back garden to store our little Vauxhall Corsa.

Then the decking, that we had originally planned to pull up, is being kept. The location is just such a sun trap and so right-feeling that we already dream of lazy summer afternoons and late evening drinkies there.

Well, the plotting and planning are, at least, something to keep our minds busy over winter.

Getting a little overgrown

Since we moved into this home just over a year and a half ago, our garden has been woefully underutilised and underappreciated. At the moment, it stands overgrown and uncared for. This is partly because we aren't really sure precisely what we want to do with it.

I've had a look at the garden planning websites online, but find myself a little disappointed by them. Considering the miracles of modern technology, I was half expecting being able to spend a couple of hours designing our dream garden with a fully interactive and user friendly interface and then taking a virtual stroll through the garden-to-be through some wonderfully rendered 3D world.

In reality, the interface of each designer program I tried was awkward, frustrating and just plain unfathomable. Could someone not manage to create something a little easier to work with?

Still, that isn't really any kind of valid reason for ignoring my garden responsibilities. Next year will see our little suburban garden flourish. I hope.

Article: Chelsea Flower Show

The Guardian: Changing Chelsea: modernising the Chelsea flower show. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIwtZylgSU

News: Gardening for all?

The Telegraph: Chelsea Flower Show: Alan Titchmarsh hits back at claims gardening is preserve of middle class. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIwi4ud_SQ

Back garden - as it stands now..

Okay, so here is (most of) the back garden as it stands today.

I say most of as the drive down the side of our house leads to our garage (or man cave) just to the right of this picture.

Our plan is (currently) to keep the decking at the back, level the garden area a little and add a lawned area for our daughter to play on.

The greatest plans

Had been planning to mow the lawn today. That was before a huge downpour of rain this morning. Will have to postpone that, then, despite it looking pretty wild already.

Other plans for the garden are on hold to some extent. We have grand plans for landscaping, but that means any planting would be wasted should we need to landscape that area of the garden afterward.

That said, we have made a couple of other sundry purchases. Namely, wind chimes (yes, yes, I know) and a chiminea. We might actually start spending sometime on our decking anytime soon should the weather improve. Or, at least, should the weather prove more consistently sunny.

Of mice and men

Such grand plans for the garden. Then is rains for three days preceeding the weekend. D'Oh!

Gardening blog

Having moved into a small semi with my family early last year, I now find myself with a garden. My Dad was always a big gardener and all my childhood memories include playing in our large garden out in rural Lincolnshire, with him mowing, weeding or otherwise working outside.

So, despite having little (adult) experience, I find gardening is something I want to get into. This blog, then, will catalogue my attempts and level of success (or failure) at just that.