Part of the Garden - Before & After

Our home was previously inhabited by an old couple who had lived there for many years, when we moved in the garden was very overgrown though contained lots of beautiful mature plants and fruit bushes too - though we had to clear a lot of stuff to find them! I wrote about it in the post A Reminder Of Summer.

There was one part of the garden, to the back of the house that had been used for storing the rubbish bins and had become a general dumping ground.

It gave the impression of being an unloved, dark, damp area, being North facing and its only saving grace were two mature plants, a lilac bush and another that is smothered in white scented flowers at this time of the year (maybe a mock orange? I am not sure) and although most of the garden is surrounded by a nice thick hedge, this side was open to a neighbours garden and the small woodland behind.

At first we concentrated on transforming the main area of the garden bit by bit and used the ramshackle old sheds and the area at back for storage. Though as we could see the shrubs from the kitchen window I did hang small glittery mirror balls from one of them. :-)

We eventually put up a fence to mark the boundary and give us some privacy, we painted it green to blend in with the backdrop of trees and then set about transforming it from an unloved area into a garden.

When the rubbish had been removed and the fence had been erected. This is what we started with.

After lots of thinking, planning, digging, laying paving and bricks, finally the transformation was complete! and when things had started to grow - this is what the damp, dark, unloved area became!


The old sheds were eventually taken down and replaced with one big spacious building.

Paving was laid, curvy beds marked out and edged with old salvaged red bricks.

Covers were made for the ugly drains and plants were placed on top of them.

Plants were moved from other parts of the garden and settled into homes in the new beds.

We added a table and chairs and a pretty bird table for our feathered friends. You wouldn't recognise it as the same space!

A real transformation I think you will agree. :-)

Since these photos, it has matured even more. I wrote about it in the View From My Kitchen Window -

"Clematis smothered with huge cream flowers, cornflowers at its feet piercing the grey morning with colour. Burgeoning nature bursting from the confines of the brick edged beds, a riot of green energy vital, vibrant, alive. I observe from my kitchen window, mesmerized by it seemingly growing before my eyes - behind me the kettle boils."

Quite a different view these days from the kitchen window. :-)

Other garden views - Here