CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN

 

We are still chipping away at the garden outside the bedroom.  It’s taking a little longer than I hoped but considering the weather and our social calendar (New Year celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries) we’re doing okay.

The first section of this garden, the flat part, which I covered in my last blog, has settled and is looking quite good.

But we will not rest on our laurels. Boldly we must go where no rake or shovel has been before.  Namely here:

 

 

Truthfully, I do feel a bit like an explorer as I hack my way through the undergrowth.

 

The good thing about this garden is the shade. Dappled and glorious, which means we can plant a few things that will not survive elsewhere.

 

The worst thing, and the thing that has been putting me off big time, is that it is quite steep, almost mountainous, and so planting is not going to be easy.

 



Actually nothing in this part of the garden is easy.

There are tree roots galore - running tree roots -the kind that creep up on you and, given a whisper of water, sprout out of the most unlikely places taking you completely by surprise.

And there are rocks, loads of them. Small rocks that splinter away as you try to dig a hole and iceberg rocks, a little bit sticking out but culminating  into a boulder as you dig further.

 



 

But, armed with the extra few kilos I gained over Xmas, I know I can do this.

After collecting rocks and storing them for future use (not quite sure what yet) I enlist a bit of help from Ian. He always knows I mean business when I get the chainsaw out.

We cut down some half dead, scrappy saplings which gives us some much needed space.  And finally I have found my groove.

 

The fence is not the prettiest, so I plant some Jasmine creepers, and a couple of pretty acalyphas, with the hope that they will disguise the ugliness in the future.

Pink and yellow Acalyphas...(and can you spot the hidden dog?)



Then Golden Canes, and Cascade palms planted at the top of the hill to give a nice tropical backdrop, and Rhapis and Foxtail palms on the slope to add some depth.

The rest is just Cordylines and under the trees Birdsnest ferns and Bromeliads, which should do well here, plus some really tiny crotons that I had left in my stock of cuttings.

Now comes the tricky business of mulching. The cardboard doesn’t want to stay in place so it needs to be watered and then moulded around the hill – think papier mache – and most of the mulch just does a downward slide. It is frustrating to say the least.

I think this garden has tried my patience more than any other. And the worst thing is there’s still another section to go.

But sitting back and surveying our handiwork with a wine in hand (and let’s face it everything looks better with a wine in hand) I think I have the strength to carry on.