6 The Rise, NG5 4BA
We moved into this property two and a half years ago. We removed a very tall leylandii hedge and a few dead or dying trees atop the front wall, allowing the sunlight to flood the garden. And then it began .. we added four tons of organic soil to the borders, and began planting. Most of the garden is planted with perennials, with a mindful decision to plant as many species as possible to attract pollinating friendly insects. We incorporated a patio and converted a leaking pond into a bog garden. During this time we had significant work done on the house. This garden is young, and we are mindful that it takes years to establish a garden, and to allow plants to grow and develop into their spaces. I am still learning about the spaces in the garden.
6 Rufford Road, NG5 2NR
Taking over a neglected, brambly, lumpy, weedy lawned garden in 2020 was a challenge! Firstly I dug big beds out of the old lawn,
incorporating alpaca poo, homemade compost, leaf mould plus organic topsoil. 120 plants brought over from my previous garden included
lavender, roses, acers, poppies, phlox, helenium, clematis, and were planted along with cuttings. I made paths from old bricks leftover from
old outhouses, dismantled from our extension being built. Slates from the old roof completed the final path. Kind neighbourly donations
of rocks, gravel and concrete created the final, quirky, higher bed. The ancient shed taken down allowed my stepson and I to create a
memorial garden commemorating my other lovely stepson who died at the beginning of 2020, a sanctuary for quiet reflection.
The garden's focus is for pollinators and to combat climate crisis. New pot ponds are currently being created in different areas to
encourage frogs, toads and insects
Taking over a neglected, brambly, lumpy, weedy lawned garden in 2020 was a challenge! Firstly I dug big beds out of the old lawn,
incorporating alpaca poo, homemade compost, leaf mould plus organic topsoil. 120 plants brought over from my previous garden included
lavender, roses, acers, poppies, phlox, helenium, clematis, and were planted along with cuttings. I made paths from old bricks leftover from
old outhouses, dismantled from our extension being built. Slates from the old roof completed the final path. Kind neighbourly donations
of rocks, gravel and concrete created the final, quirky, higher bed. The ancient shed taken down allowed my stepson and I to create a
memorial garden commemorating my other lovely stepson who died at the beginning of 2020, a sanctuary for quiet reflection.
The garden's focus is for pollinators and to combat climate crisis. New pot ponds are currently being created in different areas to
encourage frogs, toads and insects
Newstead Cottage, NG5 2GY
This organic, cottage garden was created from a bare yard in the 2000s. It is south facing, easily accessible, located in the centre of Sherwood and has several interesting features.
45 Elmswood Gardens, NG5 4AY
Raingarden
Sustainable drainage (SuDS) is increasingly being used as an alternative to conventional drainage in new developments and in retrofits. It provides multipe benefits beyond flood risk reduction. They help reduce the heat effect in cities, clean water by removing pollutants, increase biodiversity and well being.
Our rain garden intercepts the roof drainage from the front of the house and directs it into two linked rain gardens. Here the water is temporarily stored before either infiltrating in to the ground or slowly entering the drainage system. The garden shows how we can all be part of the flooding solution. The garden always gets complimentary comments by passers-by, who are not aware of its purpose.
It is a personal mission of mine to promote SuDS so believe this would be a great opportunity to do so with my own garden.
Green roof
I only built the green roof on my garage last spring after the old roof began to leak. It involved strengthening the roof structure and fitting a new deck. I used a commercially sourced green roof turf along with a medium and drainage layer. Again like the rain garden it holds rainwater before slowly releasing it. It has a mix of 6 different succulents including stonecrops. During the summer it was buzzing with bees and hoverflies and has been a great success.
Wildflower meadow
We changed our small north facing lawn to meadow a few years ago. It is a mixture of native grasses and wildflowers. The beauty of it is that it chages throughout the year with different flowers becoming dominant. Like the green roof it is a haven for bees, hoverflies and butterflies. Compared to traditional lawns it only needs a couple of cuts a year from early autumn.
Wildlife pond
The pond is only 6' x 4' but has frogs and newts and a range of native plants which complement the theme of our garden. To one side of the pond is a remnant of a hawthorn hedge from before the estate was built in the mid-40s.
24 Montfort Crescent, NG5 3EH
The emphasis of our garden is to attract and support wildlife. We have a wildlife pond that is home to frogs, newts, dragonflies and many other aquatic creatures and plants. We are also regularly visited by bats, hedgehogs and foxes. We have several nest boxes and feeding stations that are used by countless birds, including woodpeckers, tits, finches, blackcaps, sparrows, wrens and blackbirds. We are also occasionally visited by a sparrow hawk and a heron. As soon as spring arrives the garden begins to hum with bees, hoverflies, butterflies and moths.
I love putting together striking combinations of flowers and foliage in the garden and I ensure that the perennial boarders are always packed with pollinator friendly plants from early spring until late autumn. I also grow plants that feed the larvae of many insects to help and support them at all stages of their life cycle.
We have plenty of sheltered areas to sit, enjoy the view and share food or a cup of tea with our friends and family. Most of the materials used in hard landscaping and structures are reclaimed or recycled.
|
Sherwood Methodist Church Quiet Garden NG5 2EN
|