Garden Makeover

As I mentioned in a previous post, the other week we had some landscape gardeners in to do some work on our small city garden.  We'd been having problems with the dog running up and down the garden barking uncontrollably, upsetting the neighbours and wearing a muddy path through the small lawn.

We contemplated getting rid of the lawn altogether and completely redesigning the garden, but we do like having grass in our garden and the borders have some lovely shrubs in them that we really like.  In the end, we decided to get the lawn re-turfed and wooden edging put in and control the dog's access to it more effectively. 

To do this, we had some fencing built across the garden separating the grass from the decking so that we could let the dog out on the decking without her being able to access the grass.  We also had a proper fence built around the trampoline, as the dog used to get underneath and was difficult to catch.  We also had a diseased tree removed and the stepping stones properly set into the lawn.  After just over a day's work by the gardener's, the job was done and it looks so different.  This was the garden before the work started.

 

 

 

 

This photograph was actually taken last spring, but the garden was essentially still virtually the same.

This is how it looks now.

The fences do look a little conspicuous, being so new, but we know they'll weather and blend in a little more given time and some thoughtful planting either side of them.  It is having the desired effect of keeping the dog a little more in check.  At least we no longer have to chase her around the bushes when she starts running around barking.  Although she seemed a little put out at first, it has meant that she is getting more time in the garden and is calmer as a consequence, which is all good so far.

The other main difference to the garden, has been OH's installation of bamboo fencing panels to cover the trellis that was originally separating our garden from the neighbours'.  Our reason for erecting this was that the dog would bark when she saw next door's cats come out of the cat flap or saw our neighbours emerging from their back door.  It wasn't an ideal situation.  Now her view is obscured, we're hoping she'll be a little less reactive and we are also relishing having a lot more privacy too.  It took OH most of last Saturday to put up the fencing and wire it all together, but we are quite pleased with the outcome.

All that is left to do now, is to plant up the spaces on this side of the fence, as these have been more or less cleared after the fence was put in.  I'm quite excited by the prospect of replanting these beds, as I will be able to introduce some new plants and also plant out some of the things we currently have in pots, which should give the decking a slightly less cluttered feel.

Following that, there is just the matter of the borders to reorganise.  They have become quite crowded in places, as things have grown outwards and upwards and consequently need thinning out a little.  As I can't actually go on the grass for a few weeks, I'm leaving this job for later in the summer or possibly even the autumn. 

It probably wouldn't be everyone's choice, but hopefully, the garden will now be a much more practical space for us and we will be able to take better care of the grass and keep it looking it's best.  I'll keep you posted as work progresses.