26 April 2025
Share this post:
A sanctuary garden that is giving back to the planet
Back in 2021 , we moved from the south west back to Yorkshire ( Beverley to be precise ) , having bought a new build property . It ’s a lovely house , but as with a caboodle of raw builds , all we had was a speckle of dirt and builders ’ codswallop for a garden .
I ’ve always had an interest in flora , but had never weigh myself to be a gardener . With a blank canvas to ferment with , I thought this was a real chance to give it a go ! The first thing I thought about was screening , because we were overlooked by at least five unlike properties , and it felt very exposed to begin with . I did n’t want to go with the usual screening option , and opted for some ornamental pears andCotoneaster cornuibas . The cotoneaster were 1.8 thousand ( 6 ft ) three years ago and are now 6 - 7 m ( 20 - 25 ft ) !
Once I ’d established an efficacious screen it was sentence to remember about doing what I really wanted to do , which was to produce a wildlife haven . We crop with a local contractor to design and build a natural pool and stream in the garden , which also included an array of planting both in the pond and around the margins . The sound of fresh urine running through the garden really does bring the phone of the countryside to the suburbs .
I then went about planting some wildlife friendly borders , with 16 types of rose , hydrangea , viburnums , Astilbe japonica and crab apple along with some Lusitanian laurels to sort the other side of the garden . Things were really taking shape .
We also had an exposed rampart of our garage that was unadulterated for climbing roses . We now have three , as well as six shrub rose planted below . I love roses , both for their longevity and variety – although I still have n’t fancy out how to cure Blackspot !
The final step was to plant wildflower greensward instead of a lawn , and this has been an incredible success . We had hundreds of bees and butterfly last class and will hopefully see more this twelvemonth . We have also follow with the raspberry , several broods of blackbirds have come and go as well as starlings , Prunella modularis , and even a grey wagtail in our pond . The birds love the pool and regularly have stand baths in the stream .
Andrew’s garden features a multitude of plants
I ’ve also recently discovered the delight of pots , and my heavy challenge is going to be knowing when to blockade .
At the end of 2022 , my father was diagnose with terminal cancer , and I ’m still recovering from the shock . My garden has been the electric receptacle and the sanctuary I ’ve needed to endeavor to come to term with things , and without it I do n’t lie with what I would have done . I really trust that new - build owners have a province to give back . I see it that we are fill something from nature by having our household , and I want to give back in the garden to trim our step on the satellite and the local environment .
If I was to propose advice it would be to just go for it . Three years ago , I eff almost nothing , and still do n’t know as much as I ’d like , but every day is a raw encyclopaedism experience , and mistakes and failure make you even more slaked with the successes .
Every area is fully utilised to the maximum
We would wish to hear about your garden . Please write or email ineditor@amateurgardening.comand tell us more . Roughly 500 - 800 Book with a excerption of image and tell us your gardening tales , tips and what your garden means to you . Those then select to appear in the magazine will have a thank you gift of horticulture dainty worth at least £ 80 .
