In the Garden - March 2017

Hi there everyone

When I first started my blog, back in February 2014 what I got up to in our Garden at Number 27 featured quite heavily. I posted regularly each month, showing what was in flower and what we'd been up to. I did this for a full gardening year, but it tailed off towards the end of 2015, as it felt like it was getting a bit samey.

I mean, what was in flower and what we did in February 2015 was very similar to what we did in February 2014.

Subsequently, its been very quiet here at Life of Pottering on the gardening front for a while, with my last garden related post dating back to August 2015.

It's not just been quiet on the blogging front either. Other than a bit of a leaf clearing session we've not really touched the garden since late autumn.

The annual gardening calendar of activity normally starts in February with the clearing of the strawberry bed, but even that hadn't happened this year, until last week.

Martin wasn't working, we had the first real bit of sunshine and we suddenly have big and exciting garden plans afoot ... which are due to start in earnest in May.

However, before then there is a long old list of garden jobs which need tackling ...

There is loads to do on the top patio ...

• Firstly, it needs a good old tidy up, with everything that has accumulated over the Winter being put back where it belongs
• Then, we have to clear it, fully, which will be a lot of work
• We need to have a good sort out of the pots, emptying what we can, getting rid of what we no longer want and finding temporary storage for them while further work is under way
• We need to completely overhaul the arbour with a fresh new paint job
• We need to re-locate the Lilac, which is in the large pot to the left of the arbour
• We need to dismantle and store the garden furniture
• We need to source a new gate
• We need to find temporary storage for the BBQ
• Then, massive job, we need to have work done on repairing the render all over the house, followed by a full re-paint

On the lower patio there is not quite so much to do ...

• Another good sort out of bits that have hung around over the Winter months
• A good pot sort out, with new temporary homes found for all that we decide to keep
• The removal of the tomato greenhouse, which didn't get put away at the end of last year and
• The fence down this side of the garden and shed all need painting

Still on the lower patio ...

• The strawberry bed needs it's annual short, back and sides
• Both raised beds need painting

And yes, still more work on the lower patio ...

• The greenhouse needs taking down and
• A real sort out, wash and store of all the plastic pots that have accumulated over the last year

In the bottom corner ...

• We need to decide on the layout of a new pergola - exciting!!
• We need to remove the Plum tree, which is on the left of the picture, as this is where we hope to re-locate the Lilac from the patio to and
• More fence painting is definitely on the cards

Behind the other shed ...

• We plan to do away with the compost bin. We have been filling it for about 5 years and have never taken anything out of it and could do with a bit more space in this area for storage
• We will then move the water but into the corner
• Oh yes, this shed also needs a coat of paint and
• There is more fence painting required, until we get round to replacing it

So, yes, plenty to be going on with. We did make a fairly good start this week and managed to get the
shed on the lower patio painted, along with the whole of the fence on that side of the garden.

We also took down both greenhouses, cleared the strawberry bed and took out the plum 😥 so we are on our way.

So, what are our big plans? 

I promise I will tell you more about those over the next couple of weeks, so watch this space 😀😀😀