My Solution To Watering Plants Across A One Acre Garden

In order to correctly install an irrigation system to cover a large garden, one has to dig trenches at least 18inches deep (below the frost line), line the bottom of the trench with gravel then lay the pipe, back fill with more gravel then top with soil.  This is too expensive on my limited budget as I will only use the watering system in dry hot spells or when planting anything new.  I have, therefore, installed a cheaper and simpler method in my garden and the instructions for which I have detailed below.

 

1.     First, decide which areas of  the garden require watering in hot weather. Lay cheap standard garden hose to these areas, they are sold in 20, 30 and 40 metre lengths.

 

2.     Dig shallow trenches in the ground only to a depth of 5/6 inches, it is safer to run these trenches between the planting borders and the lawns to avoid cutting through them with a spade.

 

3.     Lay down a bed of sharp first, level and tamp it down so that it is compacted, the hosepipes were then laid on top of the sand, more sand was put on top, levelled then bricks or turf were laid on top. 

I have used brick edging throughout the garden, it serves two purposes, firstly to give a neat edge between herbaceous borders and lawn; and secondly my husband needs only to run the wheels of the lawn mower on top of the bricks without worrying whether the mower in end up in amongst the perennials. Maybe once a month the lawn edges need cutting (where the lawn abuts the brick). It is better if the bricks are laid at the same level of the lawn if not a little below.

The various lengths of hose terminate in the same place near the outside tape.  It is then easy to connect a short length of hose going from the outside tap to the hose ends.

It works as long I remember to turn the outside tap off first before disconnecting any of the hose length, otherwise I get very wet!

 

It works as long I remember to turn the outside tap off first before disconnecting any of the hose length, otherwise I get very wet!
 
I hope this idea is useful to someone or perhaps it might inspire a slightly tweaking.
 
Happy gardening.

My Ethos on Gardening

My ethos on gardening might be a bit different from other gardeners and by this I mean that I will try any task, any planting style or growing a plant and keep trying until I find something that works in this location. 

Usually, if I have a project or a plant that I want to try out in the garden I will research on line or ask for advice at one of the gardening clubs of which I am a member. However, sometimes what is suggested either verbally or in the written word does not always work here. You see that when gardening in a rural location and on a very exposed site such as this, it does present a different set of problems to the average garden. 

Below I have tried to list as many things as I can think of to illustrate what I have come up against since moving here nearly 20 years ago, so here goes. 

The main challenge with this site is that it is in a very, very exposed position in the valley of the River Tyne. We are 90 metres above sea level, south facing and the garden/house stands slightly proud from the surrounding properties. We have a permanent issue with strong winds, which batter the garden and house from the west. The wind will flatten any plant that is tall, so I do not grow anything which requires staking, for example tulips and delphiniums. I always now only grow roses and clematis against a trellis screwed to a wall. 

Seed heads of weeds growing in the neighbouring fields blow into the garden and the seeds germinate all around the garden. 

The wire fence, which surrounds our property on two sides, consists of chestnut posts supporting “sheep” wire (This fence was erected by the farmer to keep the cows and sheep out of our property). Unfortunately, the wire is the type which has large holes in it - large enough for rabbits to hop through. 

Our main lawn is south facing and slopes down from west to east. Any moisture naturally flows downhill so rain and dew will roll down the sloping lawn instead of soaking down into the soil. During warm, dry spells, this lawn goes brown for several months until enough rains regenerates it. Over the years I have come to accept that every summer the lawn is brown. Incidentally, I have tried using fertiliser and re seeding with grasses suited to dry conditions, but neither has solved the issue. 

So you see, the position of the property creates a number of issues which have to be acknowledged and taken into account when designing the layout and using the garden. To me the style of the garden was dictated by that of the house; each area was dictated by existing features; the wood, a sunken area became a terrace and the strip of grass where the main lawn meets the stone terrace wall became the south facing blue border. The simplistic nature of the features were dictated by budget and time. The garden has evolved over nearly 20 years and I love it to bits. I have learnt a great deal about gardening since moving here and have a “mood board” in my head of styles to carry into future properties. 

The garden covers just less than one acre and is in an enviable position, the views from both ground and first floor are stunning but come at a price. The different areas range from mature wood to paved area, and the whole garden can be best appreciated by taking my garden tour on my Home page.

May Highlights

It has been a busy few weeks despite the weather being not conducive to gardening.  

So here are some best bits from my garden captured on camera.

 

A cockchafer beetle (or Maybug) which I spotted walking up the drive,

the bluebells and cow parsley in the wood

in the wildflower hedge - the red champion,  

ox eye daisies 

and Hawthorn are in blossom;

the ex-guinea pig shed almost complete,

in the fruit cage - alpine strawberries flowering,

R. Madam Butterfly, 

and R. Canary Bird – I grow these as my maternal grandfather grew them in his garden in Stoneleigh (south London).

 

A few Sundays ago T and I had a stall at Hexham car boot sale, I took £88 in plant sales alone which is pretty good going.

I hope to see you again in the next few weeks; in the meantime make some time to enjoy your green space no matter how big or small.

Spring Update

I cannot believe how long it has been since my last entry and I simply do not know where the time has gone. Although now when I stop and think about the last six months I have been very busy so will recap some of what has been happening up until now.

At the end of August T and I celebrate our Wedding Anniversary so last year we spent a long weekend on Lindisfarne (Holy Island, off the Northumberland coast).  We have stayed on the island many times before as it is so peaceful there especially when the causeway is flooded.  The Gertrude Jekyll garden was, as ever, beautiful 

and we walked the Pilgrims Way across the causeway 

  (the village of Lindisfarne is on the right in the distance) and

 in bare feet naturally!

In September, I managed to visit some gardens on my own namely The Beacon (Stocksfield) and Birkheads Secret Garden (Sunniside, Gateshead). 

The Beacon, Stocksfield

Also in the same month we had a family trip to the gardens of Blagdon Hall (Northumberland).

At the beginning of October on another family trip we visited a garden which had been on my bucket list for many years - The Garden of Cosmic Speculation in Dumfriesshire. We went on a drizzly Saturday and despite the appalling weather, the garden was spectacular.

At the end of December, we had another family trip to Gibside Pleasure Gardens (Gateshead) for their  Winter themed illuminated trail through the grounds. The lighting and music made for a very atmospheric evening.

Since the beginning of the new year I have been hard at work in the garden (weather permitting). I am still in the process of cladding the inside of what used to be the “guinea pig shed”.

I have also been tweaking the Italian garden with additions of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Ellwoods Pillar (for structure), also in the Italian garden, I tasked myself with the job of filling in gaps left by perennials which have died.

 

To celebrate Valentine’s Day T and I visited Durham Botanic Gardens, it was blissfully quiet, with very few visitors and as ever the café provided a delicious lunch.

 

I have also had a change of opinion regarding the colour of manmade structures in the garden.  I have now decided that the trellis and obelisks currently painted black are too gloomy so am now in the process of changing them all to white. 

 

Over on the front lawn I felt the blue border was too “one season” (June) so have dug up the two clumps of Zantedeschia aethiopica and replaced them with box balls (£12 each from a local home & ware store). The box balls carry on a theme throughout the garden - of structural conifers and clipped box.  Incidentally, here in the garden I have no issues with box blight, presumably the exposed positon has something to do with that.

I shall now endeavour to record and photograph at more regular intervals.

Happy Gardening

 

Autumn Fireworks

Autumn is well under way and the garden has splashes of seasonal colour throughout, beautiful explosions of colour which remind me of fireworks.  

In the rose/winter bed the kalimeris, 

rudbeckia goldstrum, 

heuchera 

and cyclamen shine in the watery sunlight. 

In the blue border a few perennials are also still putting on a lovely display. 

A  scabiosa, 

salvia Amistad (earmarked for a move) 

and a clematis, with its velvety purple petals, are warmed from the heat of the south facing stone wall.

In the glasshouse, where it is a jolly sight warmer, colour is provided by both flowers and leaves – Clerodendrum ugandense, 

bromeliads, 

hedychiums, 

and a red cestrum.

The Amelanchier lamarckii -  its leaves seem to glow tones of reds, oranges and yellows.

The acers in the oriental garden are clothed in fiery reds.  I don’t think I’ve seen them display such vibrant colours before.

Callicarpa bodinieri sits in a sheltered spot in the Italian garden, known as the beauty berry, the purple berries are shine like jewels in the autumn sunlight.

As winter approaches I plan to spend some time converting my son’s (now redundant) guinea pig shed into a summer house.

 

Here, as you can see, I have already made a start.  I have removed the old internal hardboard side panels and am now in the process of replacing them with pine tongue and groove.  This has turned out to be a time consuming job as I did not realise that the whole shed was actually leaning over to one side so the walls are not strictly dead vertical.  Each panel has to be checked using a spirit level.  I reckon I have about March to finish.

Enjoy the autumn colours before the leaves wither and fall.