Happy Birthday Walnut Kitchen Garden - A year of garden blogs

This week, marks twelve months since I started this garden blog.

Is it me or is time going faster! It’s gone by so quickly.

I’ve had such an enjoyable time, writing about the garden each week. And as I have done research for a number of the topics, I’ve leaned a great deal too.

To celebrate our first anniversary. I’m going to take you back through the original garden transformation series. And show you where we’re up to today.

If you’d like to read any of them again, just press on the titles.

Part 1 – Let’s get stuck into the garden makeover!

In part one, we did nothing but strip the garden back to its bones. It’s true that you have to make things look worse, before they start to look better. But at times it felt disheartening, not being able to start getting plants into the ground.

The more we did, the more we realised the size of the task we’d taken on. It was not going to be a quick job!

Part 2 – New garden, new cat!

I’m sad to report that Sidi is no longer with us. We still miss her, as she made a big impression on us.

The good news is that we did finally win her trust. To the point where she’d come for a daily combing. She also became great friends to the other two cats, who are still going strong.

We feel glad that she was able to finish her years happily, in her own garden.

Part 3 – Building the raised vegetable beds

The raised veg beds, are a great success. Supplying us with lots of delicious, homegrown produce.

Building them just off the patio, close to the house, was indeed the right thing to do. It’s great when you want to go and pick something for dinner, especially in the winter!

After a bit of experimenting, we now know what works best for us in the four rotating beds. Summer squash in bed one. Climbing Beans, Sugar snaps, and Mangetout in bed two. Purple sprouting Broccoli, Kale and Brussels sprouts in bed three. Finally three varieties of Beetroot’s in bed four.

The Asparagus and Raspberries in the two permanent beds, are also doing well.

Part 4 – Lady bricklayer?

I haven’t yet run out of brick laying jobs. There always seems to be another one around the corner.

Part 5 – Creating a walled garden from scratch – The Shady Wall

The shady wall is currently having an extension, although winter has stopped play.

Part 6 – Creating a walled garden from scratch – The Great Wall

The Great Wall has been a fabulous addition to the garden. To have such a long stretch of south facing wall, is such a bonus.

The fruit trees have grown incredibly well, filling their space.

I planted the first clematis in the garden last year, to grown down the side of the summerhouse.

And the tiny jasmine cutting we brought with us, is now covering a great deal of the wall, down in the white garden.

Part 7 – Bamboo and Hosta raised beds

Every time I look at the bamboo, I can’t believe how much it’s grown. It’s hard to think of those tiny plants just a few years ago!

The Ferns and Hostas have done so well, they already need splitting. They give such a cool feel to the area on really hot days.

Part 8 – The Majestic Walnut Tree

Not surprising to say, I’m still in love with this tree. I never tire of looking at it. Every season it offers something different, but I think winter is my favourite. To see clearly all of its bone structure. It gives me pleasure every morning when I open our bedroom blind!

Part 9 – The Holly and The Ivy

Cutting the Holly is now one of those annual jobs, that marks out the year. I can’t say that I look forward to getting outside gardening in mid winter. But if you have enough clothes on, once you get going it’s great to be outside. Probably the best bit though is once you’re back inside, in front of the fire, feeling invigorated. And the real pleasure is the next morning, seeing the sharply trimmed hedge in the morning light.

Part 10 – Greenhouse, take two

We both absolutely love the greenhouse, spending rather a lot of time in there.

Both working, sowing and potting on, but also sitting relaxing.

It’s proved incredibly productive, mainly with tomatoes and chillies, but also cucumbers. Last year we grew Gherkins for the first time, and they were superb!

There’s plenty of salad grown in there, as well as the winter carrots.

And there’s nothing quite like the smell of the greenhouse, when it’s full of tomatoes.

Part 11 – The Fruit trees

The minor disaster is the Victoria plum, it died! We have risked putting a new one in, so are keeping our fingers crossed.

The cherry has gone from strength to strength since being planted against the wall. We have a good few bowls full of delicious cherries.

Once the fig had filled its roots in the ‘fig pit’ – square barrier in the ground to restrict its roots. The fruit production shot up, and we get lots of delicious figs.

The Apples and Pears are a bit hit and miss. We always end up with plenty, but some trees are more reliable than others. It could be down to the pruner?

Part 12 – Dreaming of a Pond

This is definitely the place I spend the most time sitting. I think I would have to declare it, my favourite part of the garden.

The wildlife has surpassed my expectations, both in volume, but also pleasure.

Sitting watching the frogs spawning, the newts swimming around. The very aggressive boatmen, seeing each other off. The birds, hedgehog, and squirrels, drinking and bathing. And finally, the damselflies emerging, and literally landing on your hand, heaven!

Part 13 – The White Garden

I’ve surprised myself, having the discipline to stick to all white flowers, down in the white garden. It’s probably because I love it so much.

As it’s shaded by the enormous walnut tree, the white flowers stand out so brightly.

Even when it’s almost dark, if you have a trip down to the compost bins, the flowers shine out.

It has the most flowers in the early part of the year. Starting with snowdrops and hellebores, quickly followed by crocus and white daffodils. I feel there is a bit of a lull then before the later flowering Japanese Anemones and Echinacea come out.

This year I intended to get more mid-season flowers down year.

Part 14 – Gardening on an Ice-Age Glacier

Having done all the hard work digging and sieving the soil. We now have wonderful easy to dig free draining soil.

The still remaining problem is, what am I going to do with all of those cobbles?

Part 15 – Creating the Pathways

Having pathways from the house, right the way down to the log stores and compost heap if fabulous. Even in the winter, it is so easy to wheel the wheelbarrow, up and down. A quick power wash each spring, keeps them looking smart.

Part 16 – Creating a Woodland border

The three Prunus Pissardi Nigra trees have grown so well. They start the season off with their pink blossom in March. Underneath them the crocus, primroses and pulmonariums start to flower.

This border gets fuller and more mature every year. It’s spring and early summer that I think it’s at its best. There have been a few tweeks and changes, and I’m sure there will be a few more, but on the whole I’m pleased with it.

Part 17 – Digging up the lawn

There’s not much to add here, except, we haven’t missed the lawn for a single second!

Part 18 – Planting the Magnolia border

The magnolia in the centre of the bed has had its first trim this winter, and I am really happy with its shape. I’ve lifted the canopy slightly to allow for under planting. The ring of tulips are coming up as I write this.

I’m very pleased with the rose end of this border, they have settled in magnificently and flower for most of the year. I also love the monkshead coming through them, and the pink lupin, with literally dozens of tall flower spikes.

I’m pleased with some parts of the other end. The purple Salvia, yellow Achillea, mauve Asters and bright orange crocosmia. But it still needs work, some bits just aren’t coming together. This is the joy of gardening though.