We’ve had a couple of days of bright sunshine this week and it’s created a massive boost in growth around the garden. Oh yes, Spring is here.
By popular request of my regular blog readers I’m sharing a few of the plants around the garden so you can see how things are coming to life. But it’s not just the plants that are getting into action.
There’s plenty of other activity going on. We’ve got the landscapers back to complete the lawn. Yes, this is the lawn that was first laid in December last year that never really grew properly because of the drought over the summer. Here’s what they are up to.
Hello, Fortnum, checking out the top dressing on the lawn eh?
Seems you can’t escape these bassets they are everywhere!
Supervising the soil delivery
Playing on the veranda
Playing on the grass (NB: those funny facial expressions are all part of the act to pretend to not be playing any more and biding their time to make the next pounce)
Their games also get into my garden blogging shots of the foundations for some new steps down the garden (a health and safety construction as I’ve come a cropper a few times heading down to the chickens and washing line)
Fortnums other favourite garden game – sniffing the breeze!
Same game, different spot and lying position
Mason’s favourite sport – getting up close to me and posing (can’t believe he used to be camera shy!)
Opphs, just realised this was suposed to be a garden post not a basset post.
Cherry tree in bloom, complete with basset background!
Want more on our garden developments?
Stunning picture of the cherry blossom. And those dogs do make me laugh. I’m jealous of your top soil. The previous owners of our olace did some weird landscaping to terrace the hill side and the topsoil is gone – under the swimming pool I think. I’ve had to garden in solid clay and rock and find and make, soil and compost. It has been quite a challenge.
Hi Ruta, yes it looksgood but don’t be deceived. There is clay, thick clay, under that top soil. And see that tree in blossom. It took a numatic drill to dig the hole for it to be planted in with enough room for some real soil to go in. Can’t imagine what I’m going to do when it comes to planting the rest of the bed!
Beautiful blossoms, mmm, love that sweet scent. Good luck with getting some good grass growing… I remember the drought last summer – phew – I think I was out in the garden every day with the sprinkler on moving it around (which of course the girls loved!). We’re in the midst of resowing some of our lawn too – but only a few square metres! 🙂 Looks like the bassets are taking their supervisory role seriously! Tee hee, Sarah x
My solution to the clay problem, apart from cadging compost and soil from various sources, was to grow plants that fit the conditions. On some of the banks which are 100% clay I planted heathers with no more soil than the little bit that was in their pot and they grow brilliantly coping well with the drought and wet. Because the clay has a lot of rocks in as well it is difficult to dig holes for soil and the most anything got was about a bucketful of soil. Once I find a plant that does well in these difficult conditions I’ve then looked for different varieties to grow. Some good doers are – heathers, montbretia/crocosmia and buddlias.
Ruta, I bought a soil testing kit to test the topsoil as it will be good to understand the science before we start planting in areas where we haven’t had the landscape designed. I’m such a rookie when it comes to plant names. I’ve tried learning them but fail to and I’m a real disappointment to my step mother who has an encyclopedic knowledge of plants.
You can never go wrong with photos of those gorgeous boys!! Never mind the garden…who wants to see that!!? 🙂
x