So glad to be back on my feet again after so long recovering.
I put all this healthiness to good use, and helped Kim today spruce up a little looked after part of the garden. We fondly call it our lamp post garden, for reasons that will become obvious as you read further.
It is too dark and shaded to grow vegetables in, although when we first moved in 14 years ago, it did have a very old apricot tree that was on its last legs. We since cut the tree down as it started to rot.
It is also an area that has lots of ivy growing over it. We keep the ivy there because it is growing up a west-facing wall, and it acts as shade for this brick wall. If it wasn’t growing there, our bedroom would be unbearable to sleep in during the summer months.
We have a love/hate relationship with it, and will probably never remove it completely as it does such a good job at keeping the house cool.
Before
So here is a before photo. You can see that it is the very first thing that people can see as they walk in our main gate. We wanted to add to that wow factor that people get as they walk in the gate to then see the vast veggie patch before them.
It was overgrown with ivy and started to look quite tatty. To make matters worse, a couple of weeks ago during a very windy day, a massive branch that Kim was attempting to train over the gate snapped off and we had to remove it.
With some birthday money, we headed off to the nursery and bought some perennial blooms to give the spot some colour. Kim tells me that this is to attract more bees to the garden, which I am all for.
Starting to look a bit brighter
Kim has also been after a bird bath for quite some time, so we found a nice glazed clay bath, and we placed that in the garden as well. Maybe the birds will stay out of the dogs water bowls now.
Bird bath
We also had quite a bit of white pebble left over from landscaping the pool area, so after we cleared away as much creeping ivy as we could, we laid down bucket after bucket load of pebbles to it brighten up. This did the trick, although we didn’t get the job finished. My knee started to swell up, so we stopped work for the day.
After
I still have to put in a wooden edging as the part of the garden is higher than the veggie patch. It will also help keep the small white pebbles from moving around.
The temple was buried under the ivy!
Although it is not quite finished, we are really pleased with the results. A few more buckets of pebbles and the job will be done.
I will post pictures of the completed project next weekend.
I love being out in the garden, don’t you?
Getting out in the garden and some dirt under the nails is the best therapy I know of. Transforming an area is the best bit about it all. I love the feeling I get after finishing weeding a garden bed or building a structure etc. It’s a real buzz.
The lamp post garden looks gorgeous! I can’t wait to see it all cleaned up. I bet it’s a lovely corner on a warm spring day or even a nice nook to enjoy on a summer morning before the heat of the day gets too much.
More work on the garden this weekend Jessie. Kim has a new found love for ornamental gardening. She is providing flowers to attract the bees for me! x
Ornamentals have their place in a veggie paradise for sure! I can’t wait to see that little nook all complete and to enjoy a cuppa out there with Kim when the weather warms the wall in Spring. 🙂 Bring on the bees!
Here here!
I know some consider it a weed but i love ivy and have admired it when entering your yard. Since it also has a purpose then its doubly lovely. This new seating area looks so cool and inviting. Im picturing a reading nook. Id have to agree with Jess that gardening is the best therapy and usually you can accomplish enough in a day to feel like you have achieved something. Im hating that i get up in the dark and get home in the dark at the moment. Im missing my garden.
Mate, I hear you loud and clear. I only get to check the garden on weekends or wednesdays, and keep my fingers crossed that there is not a major pest infestation during the week.