Getting the Frontage ready for Winter

I haven't touched the Front Garden for some time, apart from giving the Geraniums  a 'haircut' once a year!
This is the year that it is getting cleared and put back to how it always used to be.... a rosebed. 
The Geraniums were planted in there when part of the rear garden was given over to greenhouse and vegetables, so they have had a good run for their money.  They annoy me no end and take over the whole of the garden during the year.  Yes!  I know that I love Geraniums, have quite a big collection, but they have taken over from my roses so they must go ....
We started digging and clearing three days ago, spending a couple of hours out there on the first day. 
I was exhausted but happy with the way everything had gone, managed to add one of my Cliff Richard roses, two more to go. 
I have the original in a large pot and managed, over the years, to take two cuttings from this. 
Now we are about two thirds of the way round the rosebed, hoping tomorrow will be fine so that I can plant up the rest of the roses.

We will probably replant the Aubretia along the edge of the rosebed so that next spring there will be a fine border of purple and green, which will show off the daffodils (lots of them dotted about) to perfection.  
Once we have finished the garden we shall cover all the soil with the wood chippings removed from the Chicken Ranch, lots of fertiliser in there!!
UPDATE:

One finished garden!             Love it! 

It's so beautiful!                              Can't wait for Spring!!!!

One fir tree down...

It has been decided that the Conifers in the Visitors Garden are getting too big.  I do agree that one of them is getting dangerous, not just in height but is pulling up the slabs with its roots.
We are also having to have a container built, wire cage, storage space, whatever almost!!  So the garden is going to be changed.


The entrance to the garden has a conifer on each side, one with a small Yew growing at the base.

I cut back all the plants at the base of these trees not long ago and now we have a much wider and neater entrance to the garden.








The beautiful Yew bush has had a good 'haircut' and is now trim and square ....ish.  The Senecio has also been trimmed, right back now that it has finished flowering.


Then came the news ...... one of the Conifers is being taken down, the whole area is going to be a storage cage.

No problems there as I had been warned in advance but I had wanted to be there to take a few cuttings from the Yew.



I rushed over to the gardens, hoping to be there in time to retrieve a few cuttings ... but no such luck.  The Yew was the first to come out of the ground, followed swiftly by the fir tree, concrete and all the 'logs' border.

The poor Conifer tree still stood but no longer proud ..... bedraggled is more than like!!!
Its branches were piled up high and underneath it all .... the poor old Yew.


On my next visit to the gardens, there was not a trace of the border, slabs had been removed and there was a nice pile of sand and gravel in there.
The hole is all that remains of the small border garden.


On my next visit, the iron strengtheners had been laid over the rubble base.  

The wooden surround had been set up ready for the concrete mix to be poured....


..... and now the cage stands proud.  
I have been unable to come for a week, so much has changed, so quickly. 

The cage is finished and the storage facilities for the inside are being made in the workshop.


Something heartwarming was also in the garden, part of the scaffolding tower  ...... being used!  

My BIL would by so very pleased to see this.

And here is the final shot of the cage ....


..... a new 'planting' in the garden!!  lol



I might just have to 'find' myself a pot of two in which to plant some climbers....

..... then again I could make some Steampunk ornaments.....

.... any more ideas?

New Floor in the Chicken Ranch

PJ decided to change the floor covering in the Chicken Ranch as it was getting rather dirty.  The new flooring arrived and PJ organised some help, our dear friend Roger 1, and on the morning of fitting they started work.

We're free!!!

 

Now listen .... this is what we're going to do..

The chickens were let out of the pen ..... PJ opened the door and let them walk free. They showed no fright at all, one of the white ones went out and then the rest just followed.

We watchd them for a while and PJ went and gave them a stroke but they weren't bothered.

House moved

The hutch was dismantled and placed outside on the lawn, followed by the feeder and the water pot.

All the old floor covering was cleared up and bagged as it will be recycled onto the front garden later in the year.

The hens just continued to rummage round the garden.

Into the brush .....

Do you think he can see us?

It was quite fascinating to watch them scratching, chatting, scratching ..... 

During this time I stayed inside the house, making cakes and marmalade.  

Work in progress!

Posh flooring

I popped out now and again with cups of tea, coffees, biscuits ..... you know ...... the Domestic Goddess thing!!!


After lunch, it was time to lay the new floor.  PJ wants a better 'fox proof' netting to be laid over the weed control membrane so the wire was cut and fixed down.

Then the bags of the new flooring were brought in and stacked ready.

Roger1 had to leave now, so PJ continued on his own.
He brought the hutch into the ranch and started to assemble it.


The hens had not declared they had laid - no loud cackling etc - so we wondered what would happen now.

Sure enough, into the hutch came two of the hens and into the hutch they ran!!!

Two eggs later, PJ entered to empty the bags and rake out the chippings.

New inside steps were placed down and the paving slab moved to the side so that the feeder is now over to the left, which will give the hens more space to scratch, chatter, scratch etc.

We left the chickens to carry on doing what they were doing as they seemed perfectily happy.

At sunset PJ went out to see how they were, found that they had all come inside the ranch and gone to bed!!

I am thinking that as they are so well behaved .... they can wander round my garden another time ....

Visitor's Garden thoughts

Back in July, PJ cleared all the side of the 'Sleeper Garden', removed bushes that had been there for years, seemed a shame but there is, at some point, going to be a new building, or Bothy, going there so the land had to be cleared.  
I potted up the herbs and placed them over at the side of the Signal Box garden, where they appear to be growing on well.
In the meantime ....


....... a small Marigold started to show some leaves.... just a couple of them...

..... during my visit today, I noticed that the Marigold has grown into a fine plant, flowering well.  

Who says they need fertiliser, compost etc!!!

I would think that with this sort of tenacity, some time ago this plant would have been a weed!!!





I noticed this pretty little pansy growing well, this soil may be poor, ash, and smoke but these plants seem to be loving it!!!



There must've been some Crocosmia corms left in the soil as we now have a few green leaves showing through  ......


Of course, Mother Nature always claims back her land ....
..... the grass and euphobias have also started to appear in another spot .....


...... who knows we may even have a new lawn for a while!