New Beginnings and Fresh Ideas

We haven`t been to the garden for over a week which is most unusual. So this morning we were glad to see the sun and it was a milder day. We sat outside for our teabreak.

Steve began pruning the quince and I decided to keep going with the willow at the entrance and then, as so often happens, I got very enthusiastic about a fresh entrance look.

Tim will be replacing the gate soon so its only fitting that the surroundings match up. The willow has become so thick and it only seems like yesterday that I poked a few slips of willow in the ground. I did as much as I could with loppers and a pruning saw but Steve soon joined us to use the bigger saw. Paula very gamely cleared up all the prunings. I saved a huge bundle of pussy willow for a vase at home. They have a pink tinge.

I do feel a bit guilty about depriving the bees of early nectar later on. We did actually see a couple of bumble bees on the winter honeysuckle.
This is what it looked like halfway through.

The two pallets were falling apart so I pulled them out very easily including the driftwood sign.
 

Then it was easier to get at the very thick willow branches.

They were tangled into the rabbit wire along with brambles and nettle roots. Some willow had even grown into the wire.

As we worked we were coming up with all sorts of fresh ideas for a new look. Paula suggested hollyhocks. I wondered about foxgloves and Steve was thinking about a different garden sign.

The bramble and nettle roots will need to be dug out and I think we will remove the rabbit wire. 

Jan and Julie gave us some plastic fencing and we may use that. One thing is for certain, the back of the gnome home will need to be cleared and rethought. And even more willow will need to be trimmed.

Its funny to think there was once a holly tree in this space in 2015. The pallets lasted well.

 

 Watch this space to see how things develop.

 

 

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