Developing a Garden in Bo'ness, Scotland

[Maggi Young]

So many pies and gallons of custard Maggi. 

Well yes! But a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!!!

[Jeffnz]

You can still get wooden apple crates? Mots apple boxes here are cardboard and have been for many years.

[angie]

Graham that's really nice. How come you get all the good ideas  Down your way in August, so will be in touch and hopefully get a tour .

Angie 

[Graham Catlow]

Angie you will be very welcome. Tea and cakes will be provided.

Most Apples are distributed in cardboard boxes here too. However these crates are still available and are still being manufactured.

[Jeffnz]

The wooden apple boxes bring back childhood memories, my uncle had a commercial orchard and I remember going into his packing shed and watching the fruit being packed into the boxes and then the lids being nailed on.

[angie]

Angie you will be very welcome. Tea and cakes will be provided.

Most Apples are distributed in cardboard boxes here too. However these crates are still available and are still being manufactured.

Now I can't wait. Looking forward to seeing the garden. Loved your last place.

Angie 

[Graham Catlow]

Its been some time since my last report but things have been moving on.

The front garden was almost complete when I last reported. It is now structurally as I want it. Planting may change over time.




The right hand side of the garden needed raising along the path so I used the remaining paving slabs to do that which do the job and keeps the aesthetics consistent.




A couple of views of the planting in the new raised beds

[Graham Catlow]

The view from the gate needed breaking up as it still encouraged visitors to walk to the house down this path instead of the new one, so I added a series of troughs.



These troughs have mainly been redesigned from the originals that I brought from the previous garden.



This is the front of the first series of three troughs.



The rear of the same troughs

The main planting is Dianthus 'Whatfield Magenta' which when it settles in should flow from front to back.
The dwarf conifers are new. They were very cheap coming from New Hopetoun Garden Centres' Search and Rescue (a place that they sell off plants that may not be doing so well). I buy a lot of things from there and with some tender loving care they eventually recover.

[Graham Catlow]

The next set of troughs start with one that has been established for a few years with sempervivum and sedum.









The Salix boydii is another search and rescue and only £1.50. I thought it was architecturally very pleasing.

[Graham Catlow]

Some views of other newly planted troughs in the front garden.











Finally an overview from the front gate

[Graham Catlow]

The back garden is now set for the overhaul.

The old fence has been removed and replaced with a new Cedar one, and I have re-pointed the wall.





The dwarf pines are a new aquisition from a neighbour who is redesigning his garden and offered them to me. They are heeled in at the moment. The large rhododendron is in its forever place.



The bed is 12m by 4m so will take some filling but watch this space.



I was a bit concerned about my Wollemi pine when I planted it in the spring as it didn't seem to take too well to its new position but it is doing well again now.

That's all for this session.

[fermi de Sousa]

Very impressive, Graham!
It hardly compares to what was there - a huge improvement and so much interest.
The Wollemi is excellent!
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

I'm breathless at the thought of all your effort , Graham  - but my word, how worthwhile it is - the garden looks great and will only improve!

[Tim Ingram]

Very nice troughs with the 'wood'; that's an idea to borrow when we next walk through our local woodland. Effective with dwarf conifers and ericaceous plants. And the Wollemi Pine is really striking!

[Graham Catlow]

Maggi, I'm breathless doing the work but it is enjoyable at the same time.

For years I have been saying I would like a couple of acres to develop. My wife keeps reminding me of that now that I am finding this garden hard on the old joints and back 

Tim I think that when many people think of troughs they automatically think of miniature rockeries and not other materials. I have been doing both forms for some years now.

The Wollemi was a Fathers Day gift  from my daughter in 2010 and was 1.2m tall at the time. It is now over 3m. It had lived in a large plastic pot until this spring.