Gardening on the edge.....

 

I thought gardening at Sandside was tough enough but there I at least had the shelter of the old stone dyke, and some shrubs. In my new house and "garden" life is a little tougher for any plant!  I had wanted to move to a smaller house and tiny garden.  Well I got the small house, but it sits in an acre plot.  This is mainly a VERY rough meadow - with vole tunnels through it, long clumpy grass, and a variety of tough wildflowers!

The previous inhabitants made a gravel garden around the house - inspired no doubt by Derek Jarman's garden at Dungeness   It has sedums and succulents, as well as sea campion, self heal, Welsh Poppies, columbines, teazels, and lots of plantain!  It actually needs quite a bit of weeding which has got a bit beyond me but it seems happy enough!

Across from the gravel garden is a small patch of mown grass - I had 7 Northern Marsh Orchids blooming this season which I was delighted with.  Then there are two beds of wildness, and the rest is truly feral!  In a more sheltered spot I have some pots of perennials and alpines.  Some more alpines and sedums on top of the gabions too.

I planted lots of wildflower seeds in the Spring, but it was a very cold spring and then a period of very dry weather so very little has germinated.  I am hopeful for next year!  Anyway, here are a few photos of the "garden". Suggestions for plants that withstand wind and very sandy soil welcome!

This is one of the wilder beds - as well as the ubiquitous daisies it also has cranesbill, some achillea/yarrow and I've planted more, also planted some verbascum.

The forget-me-nots have finished flowering as has the red campion.

The two feral beds are by the garden cabin. I am loving the teazels springing up everywhere.

Self seeded into the gravel garden too.  Sedums filling the gabions...

There are paths cut through the meadow, and cranesbill and daisies spill into these areas, along with hogweed (not the giant kind!)

Wildflower "self heal" is growing in abundance too.

Among the many grasses in the meadow there are damper bits and here grow clumps of flag iris.

And then there is a small seating area with pots and a feral border....

And pots with alpines...

And Reggie and the Alpines (good name for a rock group maybe?)

Then there are the alpines on the gabions....

And water in the garden - a pool for the insects and birds, plus any passing hedgehog

And the start of a tiny pond...

And finally!  Button in the catio!!