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The Wickhams
Currently based in Hunstanton and London
Butterfly on the Toto in the cottage garden

We've made a few changes to the gardens since we've been here.
The original courtyard with grey flags and yellow wall

The new pond and quieter wall colours

Before After

The previous occupants had painted the courtyard wall a bright yellow. The mediterranean effect was a bit spoilt by the grey industrial flags, we thought, and the fact that the wall points more or less due North didn't help.
We painted the wall blue and green and took up some flags to make planting pockets under the wall. It's close to the kitchen, so we grow herbs in the pockets. We've also put in a winter jasmine, a firethorn (pyracantha) and a virginia creeper against the wall.
As a bit of an afterthought we pulled up another 12 flags and sunk a pond with a wooden surround on three sides and a shallow beach for the birds to bathe and drink. We never used this area before but now often eat at the bench and table by the pond.
This side of the pond is a cottage-style garden - more about that below.

Here's another couple of views of the pond, which is about ten feet by eight, a couple of feet deep and rather formal, with a solar-powered fountain, a number of birds who bathe regularly and several frogs.
The pond in summer.

Pond with blackbird.

We also turned our attention to the decked area.
The original view of the wall.

Now screened by wooden slats.

When we moved in the decked area had this view of the house wall, marred by plumbing and the balanced flue of the central heating boiler. There are a couple of clematis plants trying to climb the pergola posts. The area is surrounded by a slatted fence so we screened the wall by putting slats between the posts of the pergola and adding ornamental ropes for things to climb.
It has been very successful, and the clematis have decided that slats and a rope are a much better idea. We've added a couple of troughs planted with Morning Glory. Unfortunately, the Russian Vine growing on the far fence has also got a bit enthusiastic. Personally, I believe in flame throwers...
Clematis climbing the ornamental ropes.

The cottage garden with rampant tree mallow.

When we bought the house, this area was a rather beaten-up lawn that joined on to the main lawn across the back of the house. We decided to give up with the grass, which the previous owners' dog had given a hard time, and make a cottage-style garden with shrubs to set it off from the main lawn. We overdid the shrub bit with the pink tree-mallow, which is an absolute thug and has made it to that size in less than three years from a standing start. On this side you can just make out a bark path edged with alyssum leading to a bird feeding area (a bird table and various feeders hung from the apple tree).
This is what it looked like just after we had planted it. The buddleia at the back are going to get much, much bigger. So is the fennel at the front. That is a mistake and we have dispensed with it! This is a little something we found whilst digging the area over. Yes, it was live. The police seemed absolutely delighted when I took it in to them...
The newly-planted cottage garden area.

A .303 round dented by my spade.

Well, I haven't mentioned the trees yet, or the rough grass with the bulbs, the arbour seat or the obelisks, but stay tuned, there's more coming. And lots more still to do.
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