Freshwinds Garden Review 2025 Part 1

 As I begin this review, I am reminded of the differences and changes every year brings. This year has been the year of a very hot spring, a wonderful fruit harvest, no frogs and pests galore.

I am also reminded of the glory of the garden, especially as I go through all the photos, and of all the wonderful comments from visitors.

There is no theme apart from a very loose suggestion in the first half of the changes we`ve made. 

January

We started the year by dealing with the huge rabbit warren by and under the polytunnel. It took quite a bit of filling in and it wasn`t a pleasant job.

We had a lot of teabreaks outside.

The entrance area was the next big project. We drastically cut back the willow, initially worrying me. However at this end of the year you would never believe it had been done. We did in fact dismantle the whole of this area.

 

February

In February the entrance was the main job.

But we also worked on the willow ring at the Owl Yurt, tying in new growth and pruning.

 

March

In March Anne had pulled out the fence round the snug so whilst she was away we cleared and levelled the ground. It was a lot of work.

We made space for a new lavender hedge and made a new driftwood garden sign.

 

April

We turfed the snug area. We had to keep it watered well in the ever increasing heat.

 

 The seat was placed under the snug eaves creating very welcome shade and we trained the honeysuckle around the back. We repositioned the water trough.

We planted up the new lavender hedge.

Tim put up a new gate at the entrance.

 

And the craft trolley had a revamp to display my crafts in a better way.

 

May

The weather was getting hotter which made planting out quite difficult. We planted my brother`s apple tree .... a wedding present in a too small pot.

We planted a mulberry near the pond.

We filled gaps in the willow ring with our own rooted willow cuttings.

And the cuckoo was calling continuously.

June 

In June we had several infestations of 

Ermine moth caterpillars.

A pretty unpleasant memory of wearing plastic gloves and gathering handfuls to burn from the apple and pear trees. Incidently the trees and fruit were unharmed in the following harvest.

We also had very early swarms of wasps which had a good old go at the raspberries.

We had to start sorting out the poor plum tree and the poppies were magnificent.

 

 And we found a golden newt.

The buddliea was attacked by Melon Cotton Aphids but all the shrubs recovered.

Anne cleared out the pond and the pigeons gave me a nasty pooh shampoo as we had a teabreak.

 

I have mentioned quite a few unleasant tasks but of course by this time, we were harvesting plenty, and picking bunches and bunches of flowers.

(to be continued)