Straying from the straight and narrow ... but not too far.

The last couple of  years have seen some changes in the garden, not huge changes in themselves but they have impacted on the path. The insertion of a rose walk bed on the left and the widening of the sunny border on the right altered the shape of the grass and the path just looked odd. I was loath to suggest we move it, the alteration would be small but a lot of work. We are getting a bit old to be on our hands and knees relaying slabs and replacing turf but we decided to go ahead. The first photograph is the old route.

Many men would blow a gasket at the suggestion of relaying a path just six inches or so to the right but my under gardener is wise. He knows I am usually right.

It should have taken a few days but, as is becoming usual this cold spring, the weather intruded so it took almost a week of popping in and out when weather and work commitments allowed. We also increased the sitting area in the arbour so we can now walk past the table without muddying the grass in winter and spring.

A relatively small change and the difference is subtle but I feel it has pulled the whole design together and made th arbour more user friendly. I am very pleased we bothered.

It is still very cold for April and things that would normally be ok outside are still cluttering up the greenhouse. We put the jungle plants back inside and since the seedlings are clamouring to be pricked out and potted on, I have an enormous bottle neck! Today, there is nothing we can be getting on with, all is hinged on the temperature warming up, then I will be snowed under with jobs.Now, I can only content myself with tying up struggling wind blow clematis and praying the rose leaves that are shooting do not shrivel in the cold.

Next jobs will be to rethink the positioning of my swing. I don't want it in the full sun but it is too much in the shade and I don't sit in it since we moved it. We will also prune back the massive white camelia when it has finished flowering and dig out a small flower bed beside the swing so I can still have it swathed in clematis. We are also planning a pergola against the back of the house. We are running out of planting space so the only way is up! I will design it, my trusty undergardener will build it and then we will have the fun of deciding what to grow up it!

I've branched out a bit recently (you see what I did there - lol) and have taken a few videos of the garden. They are mostly for personal reference but I know many of your enjoy a 'tour' around our little plot. You can find them by following the links.

The first rather blurry one  was taken last year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXiUYMwDVao

The second a few weeks ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odCLfvicMYY

The third is a collection of photographs of the garden during the flowering season. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxe42Ly10rA

I will do my best to add to these so we can record the changing of the seasons.