The top of the garden was once a vegetable patch, and it was pretty much bare when we arrived here in Jan 17.

We installed a disco ball, potted plant and a couple of chairs at first.

By April last year, we’d put up some willow arches, a place to sit, and a little pathway. Disco ball had a temporary home on the hammock stand. 🙂

But this April, we went to town. I’ve learned a bit of basketry at the local college, and we borrowed an idea we saw at market to create this ‘willow portal’ which leads to the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, or the fire garden. We’ve replanted this area with fiery tones and burgundy foliage, and I’m hopeful it’ll be blooming marvellous in a few weeks.

Also, I’ve got rid of the massive globe artichoke, replacing it with a bright pink potted rhododendron. It seems a bit of a shame, but it was an old gnarly plant that took up a huge amount of space in the top border, so I got rid of it.

One does not simply dig out a massive ten year old globe artichoke, so I chopped it back to the ground, poured a few kettles of boiling water over it, covered with black plastic compost bags, old bits of slate, and decorative stones, and put potted plants on top.

Despite my murderous efforts I suspect that the artichoke will attempt to resurrect itself.

It feels like the time’s right to start changing the planting now we’ve been here a year, and so there is some serious digging to be done. Bye bye to the spiky plants that the previous gardener Fred put in and hello to the colourful flowers and woven willow that speaks of us.

The rain’s easing off and there’s digging to do, so I’d best get on…

As ever, I hope your plans and plants are coming along nicely!

Jen x