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Updated 2nd January 2008

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Quite a change to the "orchard lawn" in 2007 - the Bramley was executed as having become far too dominant and a new deck constructed during August in its place. So here's a September picture of the result. We haven't the heart to do away with apple blossom altogether so there's a nice close up of it lower down. The poplar behind our "round house" also had to go much to the relif of next door! There's a picture of its demise lower down.
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We love our garden but can't claim to be "good" gardeners (yet)! We are getting better, however, at choosing the right plants for our plot. Kathy is the main decision maker behind the choice of plants. The garden has a sandy soil with low pH (Rol is a dedicated compost maker) and being low lying is prone to very hard frosts, and we have to contend with dry conditions. The winter of 2001 killed most of the big hebes and the magnificent senecio. The Garrya elliptica, which had struggled to grow to about 4 feet high over 10 years, was also doomed.

Plants that do well are firethorn, rhododendrons, cornus, hypericum, buddlias, clematis, cotoneasters, rock roses, eleagnus and lavender. The size of the garden was a huge influence on us when we bought the house in 1974 and we are now concentrating on improving some of the hard landscaping. The Apple Tree did die in July 2002 so we have constructed a Japanese Patio from where we can sit and look down the garden (picture below). We love bright colours so are "unfashionable" and keep our summer bedding! In September 2003 Rol dug out the border by the hedge near the Round House and this has now become a new herbaceous border.

One more bonus: we can go out of a gate at the end of the garden and pick enough sloes to make wonderful Sloe Gin! (Used to be great sledging territory but the trees have grown too much).

	A new initiative in April 2003 was the building of our deck over the "problem" lawn by the back door. Tommy Walsh would be proud of our levels! We christened it in true Groundforce fashion with a bottle of Bucks Fizz!
	Kathy leans on the remains of the trunk!	When we bought it some 12 years ago we thought we had a small tree growing to perhaps 20 feet....turned out to be more like 20 metres - we blame the label. Anyhow, taking it down will give much more light and a chance to revitalise that end of the garden.
We had a fantastic show of autumn colour this year and our pot fushias did so well that when we had to "out" them we re-potted them till they gave up finally in November. Here's their final fling in late October 2007.
		The Hellebores in February 2006 are getting under way but the stars at the moment are the Cyclamen Coum. Here are some from ant level!

Autumn 2007 was memorable for its superb colours and our sundial bed also did well. We try to have some colour interest throughout the year.	The vegetable patch is to either side of the sundial path shown here in September 2007. We grow interesting potatoes, purple and white brocolli, luscious sweet corn, runner and french beans that are always ready when we are on summer holiday, and onions that have to be stored well before they stop causing too much culinary or abdominal embarrassment!
	Our Japanese Patio in September 2002	It was quite a job to dig out the old apple tree, but Rol did it in the end! A Tonne of Welsh Slate provides the base and repainted furniture in black Hammerite sets it off well. In 2007 it still looks good and the black bamboo is almost too big!
	How can one resist Apple blossom, even if the trees get too big and ungainly. This one is of the Bramley in its last year! All three had a prune in 2006. The more you cut them the faster they grow!	Apple blossom May 2006 134 KB

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