Then and Now, how your garden has developed
- Dave Brown
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Then and Now, how your garden has developed
Not much to say about my garden back then, apart for the pics were taken by the Estate Agent in late 1993 before the property was put up for sale. The second pics were taken by me 30 years later in July 2013.
The positions are not quite the same and camera technology have changed a lot, but in general lenses are winder angle .
Out front view out back View of back Anyone else got then and now shots
The positions are not quite the same and camera technology have changed a lot, but in general lenses are winder angle .
Out front view out back View of back Anyone else got then and now shots
Best regards
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Re: Then and Now, how your garden has developed
The before pictures were taken in February 2012, the last picture was October 2012. I had to dig out a lot of overgrown boring shrubs before I even took the first picture and the previous owner used the garden to dump all kinds of rubbish which I had to carry through the house to the skip because there is no rear access to the garden. All the paving stones you can see were dug up from under the garden. I had to dig out the patio slabs and the Victorian brick paving which was underneath then lug all that through the house as well, filled 2 skips! The house is 150 years old. Oh yea I had to carry 2 tonnes of topsoil through the house to re-raise the soil level from where the patio and Victorian paving was. All while working 11:30am to 8pm 5 days a week.
Palms and ferns have put on good growth since, neighbours think I'm mad probably.
6x trachycarpus fortunei, 3 chamerops and an arbutus tree in a garden of this size lol, also have a patio area with some pots of Callistemon and Lavenders. There is also an Olive tree which has grown ridiculously fast that was only planted last year and is not in the picture, bought from Tesco for £20.
The ensete you can see is still alive and was transported to my mother's conservatory in the month following the picture lol. I have a Musa Basjoo in the top right corner which I'm hoping will grow over the height of the back wall in the coming season.
To top it all I was tailed and stopped by Police while transporting one of the bamboo plants in the passenger car seat because they assumed it was cannabis and wanted a closer look LOL.
part 1
So I wanted to lose the 20 or so conifers that flanked either side of the garden, take up the concrete, paving bricks, raised sleeper beds and trellis work in the higher level, then put a round lawn in. The felled conifers made the garden like some sort of logging plant, so much wood and so many branches. Took me weeks to saw and shred it all to be able to dispose of, bit by bit. Although, luckily, this guy saw the logs piled up out the front and took them for his burner.
Virtually everything being taken out was recycled. I wanted to get a lawn in before my daughter's birthday, and just managed it.
I scribed a 8m diameter lawn, but in order to get a level circle paved a circle of bricks first, using a lot of the hardcore and bricks I had taken up. Then I was able to get the circle level and lay the turf
The next job was to make the step safe. I had fallen down it myself as it didn't extend all the way across. So I put sleepers there instead. Then it became a lot safer to navigate. Also it was a good way to recycle some of the 32 sleepers I had acquired (from losing 2 square raised beds)
Then I could start some planting, however I lost a 3ft Dicksonia antarctica in one of the harsh winters, but the cordylines are still going.
Next I put in a little water feature and painted the masonry a warmer terracotta colour. The slide was from freecycle, as was the pebble pond. Virtually everything was recycled. Very little waste. Old wood was used to make window boxes, sleepers made into seats, bricks reused, etc...
Think my biggest expense was the gravel
Next job was to put in a sandpit. Again recycling the paving bricks
At this point, the garden was looking like a good compromise. Child-friendly, and space for exotics in the corners and borders. A circular lawn give nice crescent shapes for planting. Instead of just a straight thin border. However, being so poor at the time all the plants were small and the garden had no height, which I really wanted to get the jungle clearing effect I was after. I wanted to be surrounded by towering plants on a nice clear patch of lawn. Sort of like a Roman amphitheatre. Back then, all I could see was ugly fence.
The next job was to build a multi purpose frame, using scaffold poles I bought locally off gumtree. For ages I wanted to build a place for my kids to swing and climb, but could also be used for doing exercise on, like the outdoor gym at Primrose Hill. I also wanted it to be able to take hammock seats and had been designing it for ages, trying to work out how to arrange it without it dominating the garden too much. Here's a pic of where I decided to place it.
part 2 to come
Last edited by RogerBacardy on Fri Feb 07, 2014 12:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Then and Now, how your garden has developed
Then we had that winter, but the backbone of the garden was in place so I was able to tweak the planting
The swing / exercise frame really blended in with some hammerite dark green paint, whilst the passionflower was covering the fence nicely. By 2013 I had settled on some hardier plants and knew all the microclimates in my garden really well. So I replaced the dead butia with this phormium. An effective way to hide the ugly end of the sleeper bench whilst providing a nice frame to the entrance to the lawn area. Also, the trachies and cordylines had put on some height, whilst the basjoo had recovered from losing the stem. That sandpit I built was hardly ever used so not sure what to replace it with. Maybe anohter water feature, in the meantime my larger butia is residing there. I planted lots of verbenas, irises and agapanthus (all acquired locally) around the pond which give the pond a cool, serene vibe. The Trachycarpus was chosen as I knew the trunk wouldn't fatten up too much and tear the rigid pond liner. I also replaced the external pond filter with a cheaper-to-run all in one unit. So there's no pipe work going out of the pond now The water lily I got out of a skip. This is a garden done on a budget! So that's my garden. Looking forward to it maturing some more and the palms getting more height. This winter has been stormy, but mild. I think my plants are raring to go already!
By 2011 I was quite happy with how it was maturing along. Everything was falling into place (although I did lose that butia)
The swing / exercise frame really blended in with some hammerite dark green paint, whilst the passionflower was covering the fence nicely. By 2013 I had settled on some hardier plants and knew all the microclimates in my garden really well. So I replaced the dead butia with this phormium. An effective way to hide the ugly end of the sleeper bench whilst providing a nice frame to the entrance to the lawn area. Also, the trachies and cordylines had put on some height, whilst the basjoo had recovered from losing the stem. That sandpit I built was hardly ever used so not sure what to replace it with. Maybe anohter water feature, in the meantime my larger butia is residing there. I planted lots of verbenas, irises and agapanthus (all acquired locally) around the pond which give the pond a cool, serene vibe. The Trachycarpus was chosen as I knew the trunk wouldn't fatten up too much and tear the rigid pond liner. I also replaced the external pond filter with a cheaper-to-run all in one unit. So there's no pipe work going out of the pond now The water lily I got out of a skip. This is a garden done on a budget! So that's my garden. Looking forward to it maturing some more and the palms getting more height. This winter has been stormy, but mild. I think my plants are raring to go already!
Re: Then and Now, how your garden has developed
Great!
In Romania there is a saying "The man makes the land holy" . Well... in english doesnt sound that good but I think you got the point.
Great transformation, passion and consistency well proven
Thanks for sharing
More please
In Romania there is a saying "The man makes the land holy" . Well... in english doesnt sound that good but I think you got the point.
Great transformation, passion and consistency well proven
Thanks for sharing
More please
Re: Then and Now, how your garden has developed
Hi all
The first couple of pics are taken in 2007. Hedge was taken out and new fencing. Between 2008 and 2011 (bit of a blur) laid sleepers and slated patio. 2012 purchased an instant border of hardy tropical plants (thought this would work out cheaper than buying individually), also built screen around patio. 2013 was adding more plants and for 2014...maybe a few more plants and a garden sofa (other half has finally relented, hooray) .
Still lots more to do...does it ever end!!!
Michele
The first couple of pics are taken in 2007. Hedge was taken out and new fencing. Between 2008 and 2011 (bit of a blur) laid sleepers and slated patio. 2012 purchased an instant border of hardy tropical plants (thought this would work out cheaper than buying individually), also built screen around patio. 2013 was adding more plants and for 2014...maybe a few more plants and a garden sofa (other half has finally relented, hooray) .
Still lots more to do...does it ever end!!!
Michele
- cheshirepalms
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Re: Then and Now, how your garden has developed
The first March 2012 and the latter is August 2013. I wish I'd taken photos in October 2011 when I moved in and the grass was 2 foot high.
Last edited by cheshirepalms on Fri Feb 07, 2014 7:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Then and Now, how your garden has developed
Fantastic pics thus far Thanks for starting the thread Dave those 1980's pics are retro! That whirlygig!!!! The shelter that front garden must add is incredible, from flat to packed!
Re: Then and Now, how your garden has developed
greendragon wrote:[ Image ]
6x trachycarpus fortunei, 3 chamerops and an arbutus tree in a garden of this size lol, also have a patio area with some pots of Callistemon and Lavenders. There is also an Olive tree which has grown ridiculously fast that was only planted last year and is not in the picture, bought from Tesco for £20.L.
A man after my own heart x6 trachys in a smaller space! Plant now admire in years to come I've got over 9 trachys in my back garden, and its not exactly huge, the day will come when they are huge, and my grin will be
Re: part 1
RogerBacardy wrote:This was the garden in Jan 2008. Very nice, but not suitable for a family with young children. That 'step' was very dangerous. Trellis and paving everywhere so the garden was a bit of a maze to navigate through, but no real destination to make the journey worthwhile. Also there was no lawn, which for me was essential.
Roger thats some epic graft over the years and it shows in the finished product Borders overflowing in exoticness, love how youve transformed the outbuilding too and made it part of the garden
Re: Then and Now, how your garden has developed
new garden countdown in 45 days. I will take loads of pics so I can do a scrap book and add to this thread later
Re: Then and Now, how your garden has developed
Part of the garden shortly after moving in, the pond was the first thing I built, garden was empty and the daffs just about the biggest thing in it
old pond by charliepridham, on Flickr
Time is the great healer rather than my skills but it certainly looks different these days
old pond now 2012 by charliepridham, on Flickr
old pond by charliepridham, on Flickr
Time is the great healer rather than my skills but it certainly looks different these days
old pond now 2012 by charliepridham, on Flickr
Re: Then and Now, how your garden has developed
Great thread, beautiful pictures. I envy you guys, being able to keep rather large gardens (by my standards that is) looking so good. I can't imagine the amount of time and effort it takes to make a big garden look so good.
Washingtonia Trachycarpus Cordyline? Bamboos Olive tree? Bananas
Re: Then and Now, how your garden has developed
Panorama from garage roof of main garden:
Mar 2006
Aug 2008 - planted shrubbery on right side of tennis court
Mar 2009 - planted herbaceous left side of tennis court
Jun 2011 - Removed tennis court, and middle tree, planted hedges for "long walk" vista
Jun 2013 - Long Walk hedge maturing
Mar 2006
Aug 2008 - planted shrubbery on right side of tennis court
Mar 2009 - planted herbaceous left side of tennis court
Jun 2011 - Removed tennis court, and middle tree, planted hedges for "long walk" vista
Jun 2013 - Long Walk hedge maturing