This is the spring garden - and I've made lots of changes (and a couple of very real mistakes). On the plus side, we've opened up an area of the garden, have two beautiful new obelisks gifted by @Agriframes and have dug a pond.
But not everything went smoothly and we made some mistakes. This is a real garden in spring —not a show garden or one that has been created by AI —and that means it comes with real successes… and a couple of very real mistakes.
In this tour, I’m going to show you what’s genuinely working, alongside two things I got wrong—and what they’ve taught me. Because some of the most useful garden advice comes from what doesn’t go to plan.
Along the way, you’ll see why choosing vigorous plants can be one of the simplest ways to suppress weeds naturally, what I wish I’d known before planning and digging a garden pond, and how to make the most of self-seeding plants (or “volunteers”) without letting them take over. I’ll also show you why clearing seedheads from invasive plants can save you a lot of work later on.
So if you’ve ever wondered how to deal with weeds, plan a pond properly, or strike the balance between a relaxed, natural garden and one that doesn’t run wild—this is for you. 00:00 Welcome to the spring garden tour 00:33 The weather here now 00:51 The herbaceous border - big changes 01:21 Using self-seeders (volunteers) to fill your border 04:03 A succession of bulbs to line the edge of the parterre 04:38 Elegance Coronation Obelisks from Agriframes: https://www.agriframes.co.uk/collections/garden-obelisks/products/coronation-crown-obelisk 05:30 Up to the top lawn 06:08 The comfrey corner - using vigorous plants to out-compete weeds 07:28 The corner with the Big Mistake 08:50 Other good plants for dry shade 09:12 Where the new cottage garden will be 09:40 Ozzie has raided the compost bin 09:56 Why adding a pond wasn't as easy as the instructions make out 12:20 The path back - past the mistake with the Leyland cypress 13:23 Video on 7 plants to fill a gap in spring: https://youtu.be/JtuTQRCof0Q
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