Martin's New Garden

We've got a tree man booked to take some trees out, hopefully this week. So last week I did some clearing of some more smaller stuff to make space.

Here's some stumps:
   

The pile of prunings is getting pretty big now. I started chopping them up to go on the compost (and to increase the log pile) but there's still loads to do:
   

I put Xs on the four trees I want the man to take out. It will really open up the middle of the garden and take away a lot of shade:
   

I had been hoping to get the stumps out too, but the reinforced concrete at the edge of the old path is proving stubborn. I might have another go at it today, after all the rain it might be a bit easier to loosen.
   

I've been having a go at the lawn as well. It's currently more moss than grass and I'd like to make it better to walk on in the winter. So I've watered on some iron sulphate to burn off some of the moss:
   

I've been all over the lawn with a garden fork, sticking it in and wiggling it about. Then I ran my old electric scarifier over it. I was pleased that it still worked, I haven't used it for about 20 years, but it's taken 9 wheelbarrow loads of moss and thatch off it so far.
   

Once the tree man has finished, I plan to give the lawn another hard scarification to expose some lines of bare earth, then overseed and feed. I'm just hoping he turns up before winter!

It's definitely looking autumnal in the garden now.

My Chrysanthemums are going strong now, but my troughs of bedding are starting to look a bit sad.
Colin has his new little friend, Nelson, helping him keep an eye on things:

   

I found Nelson when I was clearing the space where our enlarged patio will go. I don't think there's much hope of finding someone to do it any time soon, so I filled the space with wallflowers and sweet williams that had been hanging around in the greenhouse wondering where to go:

   

I still have a few veggies. The pollination on the sweet corn was patchy but we've had a couple of meals with what there was. There's a few more cobs still to come:

   

I've been getting ready to sort out the front garden, too. I've bought a little foot-high picket fence to separate us from next door, which needs painting before I put it in. I plan to have a little hedge of Iceberg roses along the fence, underplanted with hardy geraniums and spring bulbs. Should look nice.
I also stumbled across some roses at a local garden centre. 7 pot-grown roses for £40 is a more than decent price! They are a bit sad at the minute but will soon perk up in the spring:

   

I've also planted up a couple of pots to go by the front door. 2 layers of bulbs and some trailing pansies. I'll move them out once the pansies have settled in.

   

So much to do! But it's fun.

Thanks for the pics Martin, it's all looking good.

    Here he is on a stepladder with his chainsaw cutting down the little tree. Needless to say I watched intently till all was finished

Very wise, Pam.
It looks like a scene from a slow motion film, where the tree tumbles down onto the shed, taking with it the stepladder and the chainsaw operator who lands on his back, legs in the air, in the middle of the shrubbery.

Been there, done that. Men, big trees and chainsaws - a nerve racking combination. When we first moved in P cut down a 30ft conifer hedge with grandma and I manning the ropes attached to the tops to make sure they fell away from P properly. The things you attempt when you're young!

I have a tree to come down, but OH cracks up if I even look at a saw, and that bowsaw not chainsaw, I think its time I got her to move back into the living room during the day so that I can get on with my work without her constantly watching what I am doing

The tree man hasn't been able to get round to us yet, so I took the opportunity to dig up the concrete path that was up against the tree roots. Either the tree man will be able to get a bit more out, or I'll be able to dig round them and cut them off below soil level once he's gone.

   

At some point I'm going to have to decide on a garden layout, but I'm not there yet!

That's jolly hard work Martin.

We're expecting the tree man "back end of next week". In the meantime I've been doing more excavations. Hard work indeed!