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A Garden of two halves
Called a ‘Garden of Two Halves’ because our front and back gardens are totally separate, two for the price of one. Both are completely private and there is always somewhere to bask in the sun or retire to the shade whatever the time of day.
My approach to gardening is pretty random; anything in ours that looks designed is down to Jon. So expect a hotch-potch of plants, some cultivated, some wild. Those given as presents I take trouble to nurture but I prefer those that want to grow rather than giving a lot of time and effort to things that are temperamental and high maintenance.
We have seating areas front and back with a pizza oven in the front built by Jon with reclaimed bricks and tiles. Also a cabin, almost hidden among the trees, that replaces a collapsed old summerhouse. In the back we have a green house housing Jon’s hydroponic system, which is currently overflowing with tomato triffids . Our summer- house comes with its own en suite shed, hidden from view by a mixture of bay, pyracantha and climbing hydrangea. In front of the summer house a brick patio, shaded by more climbing hydrangea, grape, laburnum, and wild rose, gives on to a pond full of frogs and a few newts,
Spring sees the usual variety of bulbs, long gone now, and I add to them each year. Fruit tree blossom, laburnum and lupins have also been and gone. Currently we have delphiniums, roses, cistus and masses of philadelphus with dahlias and agapanthus looking hopeful. But it all changes from week to week.
Plants for wildlife are very important to us and the bees and butterflies love the sage, rosemary, thyme, campion, acquilegia, buddleia, wallflowers, and ornamental thistle.
The hedges of holly, currant, mahonia, laurel, hawthorn, vibernum, pyracantha, berberis, and the, much maligned, ivy provide home and nutrition to the blackbirds, robins, thrush, blue-tits, and many more species who visit our feeders daily and give us hours of entertainment with their antics. The garden has seen fledgling wrens, blue tits, blackbirds and sparrows this year.
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East Bridgford Open Gardens
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