I haven't posted photos in ages and I've been enjoying the ones that have come up recently, so thought I ought to put some up. For some reason a few photos just come up huge everytime I use the forum code for them so I've done a link instead for them. Hope the links work okay!
We are lucky to have a large house and a garden that wraps around all one side and a lovely private area behind the garage, so different little garden areas. It was a huge consideration when we moved that there had to be space for the animal enclosures and it meant a fair bit of digging out to be done. It seemed an awful thing to be digging up really well-established shrubs and acers but the torts came first and so we decided to dig up one side and half of the back to put in the enclosures and weed patch. Eldest son, now in his mid-twenties, but still in his teens and living at home at the time, being put to work!
It all looked so stark at first and when the old owner popped by to say hi unexpectedly, I think she was horrified at what we'd done.
https://imgur.com/kW4MX95
The fence is a sore point! It is our neighbour's boundary and not shared and he's not exactly into DIY. Every winter a panel blows down because the posts wobble about so much. He turned down hubby's offer to build a nice strong featherboard fence.
We will have new neighbours in there once the property market gets moving again and hope they'll like the idea of a stronger fence.
I'd dug up all the hebes, lavender, rosemary, carex and everything from the tort enclosures to come with us plus ferns, other plants and the soft fruits! In fact we had so much garden stuff to come we made an agreement with the previous owner so we could bring it up on a flatbed truck a fortnight before the actual move.
Gradually I got around to planting everything and I was glad I'd done the hard work in potting up everything and lugging it all to our new house! It was everywhere; all down the sides of the house, the decking and behind the garage.
https://imgur.com/ajhMTUu
A few years on and nature has done its thing.
The torts have their hot spots and the plants we moved all took and have grown a lot, providing a lot of cover and shade.
This is where the chicken coop is down the side of the house. It can extend to 5m but is currently shorter as the flock has shrunk. Emilia is 8 years old and as a fit as a fiddle so she's old for a chook but try telling her that!
https://imgur.com/UAty8SU
You can spot the bamboo in the background. What a horror story that was. I told hubby I had plans for the area and the bamboo had to go. It was a nightmare to get out and so much back-breaking work, but we've been bamboo free for two years now and it looks so much better!
https://imgur.com/hgcU7J1
What a difference!
They even made me an arbour last year.
You can see the end of its roof on the right.
So this is a lovely private area, perfect for eating and sunbathing and relaxing in the hammock and as I've taken so much of the garden with tort enclosures, I'd feel guilty to take any of this bit too, plus I can't see this part of the garden quite so easily from indoors.
I would love more land and more enclosures but it would mean digging up this part of the garden and it's full of edibles as well as being so pretty, so I'm not going to.
It's finding a balance I suppose and I know I am really fortunate to have this.