My Garden

So far, it’s been a strange summer, certainly here in mid-Wales. We’ve had the hottest June on record followed by what must be the wettest and coolest July to date! I love my garden and although it isn’t very big and there’s no lawn, the natural colours that nature provides are more than enough for me. There’s a rockery, a lovely bench to sit on and while away the time when it’s not raining. Warning: This could be a serious post!

Through The Window

When I got up this morning and made my way to the kitchen, it was light, well it’s light around 4:45 am these days, but rest assured it wasn’t that early. I noticed through the window that it was raining, again, but it was the first time I had really seen the colour of the various plants. Nature has a miraculous way of using colours that never look out of place. If we mere humans tried to mix and match so many various colours to look good next to each other, you know it would be a complete hash.

So Much Concrete

I am so pleased with how this garden has come together. When we moved here, it was a concrete mass, over three or four different levels. I did think about removing the concrete and starting over, but, it would have been a huge undertaking and probably not one I would have attempted solo. Then it starts getting expensive. I did toy with the idea of covering it with artificial grass, but again, I’m not keen on that stuff although it does have its place in some small areas.

Fencing

I had to replace the fencing around the garden which didn’t take me too long. Some of it is a picket fence, another part is black metal railings and then the trellis work you can see in the photo. I had a pile of old stones which had come from the wall where I had the fireplace put in for the wood burner, so they were used to create a rockery. I was still left with the problem of what to cover the huge plinths of rough concrete cast with. I looked at tree bark which is ok, but it needs refreshing every so often. Then, thanks to Mr Google, I found the perfect solution.

Rubber Chips

Old lorry and car tyres chopped up and covered in various coloured dyes. They use it around children’s play areas to help soften any blows they might suffer falling off a swing or see-saw. Plus it’s a difficult process to get rid of tyres so I think this is a good idea. We chose a colour with the fancy name of brick red, but they do all sorts of colours, green, blue, grey and so on. I fitted boards to the front of the concrete steps and then laid the recycled rubber down. That was hard work, I can tell you, well, it was for me.

Apples On Their Way

You may notice my old bin in situ, which I have spoken about before. The great news is the apple tree is coming on Thursday. I can’t wait. I’ve just realised that this post is a little bit too serious, not too much of the silly old sod in here. Maybe I am maturing? I just wanted to show how colourful and beautiful nature can be, even when it’s raining.

If you’d like to know more about recycled tyres then here’s the company: Eco Chippings