Near the House – Renovating and Planting

We’ve revamped the back and side of the house, a big improvement.

Not an expensive renovation, but it ties the whole thing together very successfully.
We have painted the ugly red and orange mismatched bricks with a lemony-cream paint, and patched up the window frames with filler before repainting with white gloss.

G has constructed a beautiful deck right along the back of the house, using left-over decking planks. It creates an elegant sweep over the horrible steps and the boring overshadowed narrow borders.
It all looks more joined up and purposeful now.

Four tall zinc planters we found in the chuck out area of the local DIY store and bought for £1 each, have been knocked back into shape. We have planted them up with pale Helichrysum, variegated Cat Mint, deep blue Lobelia, white Campanula and cream centred yellow Marguerites.

Our garden is looking very colourful. It needs a bit of weeding here and there, but not today.

The area of perennials in the gravel near the house is vibrant:
Verbena bonariensis and Rosebay willow herb, which is a weed I love and have deliberately planted here to enjoy the sun shining through it. Also, Geranium’Johnson’s Blue’, a creamy-yellow Sisyrinchium, Alchemilla mollis and Bronze Fennel.
To use a dreadful cliche – real drifts of colour.

In the new raised border opposite the back door, the small stooled Eucalyptus, now about 70cm tall, look fantastic. The silvery aqua-blue-green foliage mixed with scarlet, magenta and salmon pink Pelargoniums and backed by quiet deep red Physocarpus’Diablo’.