About Grandma Frogs' Garden
We have lived here in Derbyshire for more than 40 years, and over that time the garden has evolved. There is no great overall design, and something changes each year. Plants are added, some removed, a new path created, and so on. Sometimes this happens because we fancy something new - other times nature makes her own changes and we have to work with them. We are not quite organic but we do aim to be as wildlife friendly as possible.
There is about an acre of land, divided roughly into two halves. When we bought the house it came with half an acre. A year later we were able to add on a further half acre of virgin meadow where you could still see the ridges and furrows of an ancient strip system. We fenced it off and planted a shelter belt of balsam poplars along two sides of the rectangle. They were 4 ft twigs then, and are now enormously tall trees whose rustling leaves are as good as any water feature, and whose scent in spring, when the new leaves unfurl, travels on the breeze for a considerable distance. The majority of the poplars have now gone (see Latest News) and we get much more sun. It will be interesting to see what difference it makes.
The poplars didn't make a solid shelter belt, and we decided that another line of defence from the wind was needed. An evergreen hedge seemed the answer, but a long straight line would make this area look even narrower. The answer - a crinkle crankle hedge of leylandii, alternating two varieties, and with gaps between the various sections. One trim each year keeps it in order, and it has added interest to this particular part of the garden.
The old plum tree had to go, and we have been able to add two new baby bays to the crinkle crankle hedge. How long will it take them to catch up?
We particularly like trees and have quite a number throughout the garden. Over the years our home produced timber has been used for trellises and arches. We know that their life will not be long - the timber is not really suitable - but the woodpeckers love it and we get some very interesting fungi appearing. When we needed to remove a horse chestnut tree that was outgrowing its space segments of the trunk were used to make seats round a table, and although perhaps not the most comfortable to sit on, they remind us of what was there before. We have left a number of tall poplar stumps especially for the woodpeckers - I hope they appreciate them.
Two or three years ago we lost an enormous branch from a Blue Cedar during a snowstorm. We decided that the tree was probably not safe - it was certainly very ungainly. We decided to have it removed, but left a substantial totem pole, up which twine ivy, honeysuckle and nasturtiums in the summer. The pigeons sit on top and use it as a lookout!
Having removed the canopy the sun was now able to reach a large area. We took advantage and made a small rosebed, and subsequently a border of grasses. Gardens are always moving on.
By now you are probably wondering how I manage to do all the work. The answer is, I don't, but I know a man who does. We are very fortunate to have our very own "Man Friday" - Dave. He is very knowledgeable and we work in partnership - I do the fiddly bits in the greenhouse etc. and Dave gets to work with spade and hoe. Between us we end up with something that gives us great pleasure and satisfaction - we hope you will find the same.
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