Creating a gravel garden – pre-design stage
No. This isn’t mine. And I wish it was.
This summer has taught me that some parts of the garden will never look very good after June if it is as hot and dry again next year.
And the east garden is a perfect example of a part of the garden just not pulling its weight.
In spring it’s fetching. The narcissus come up. And I get to mow some funky curves.
But after that it’s just dead, dying grass, parched weeds. And the traces of the builders in worn tracks and random mess.
Oh and beautiful light at the end of autumn.
I only go there to pick figs. Or walk to the forest. And on this mountain farm, I can’t believe I’m not making use of some glorious south-facing flat space for something other than parched grass.
Enter another Filippi book.
I pictured the summer spent reading from this mighty tome and learning all about making a beautiful gravel garden full of fascinating and resilient plants.
I might even, by summer’s end, remember how to spell the name of the plants.
Did I open it?
Hah! I didn’t even get round to properly tidying my office until last week.
Hide my head in shame.
I’ll let Artur show you just how shamefully drooping I feel at the lost opportunity.
He droops rather weirdly when he sleeps. I have no idea why.
And I have no idea why I didn’t come up with a design, a plan and a planting list to send off to the plant nursery this month.
We do entertain a lot over the summer, but still.
And now I feel cross and bereft that I might have missed my chance. All these plants are best when planted in autumn so they have time to get their roots down in warm soil before the winter dormancy.
But as the plan is to cover this entire area in gravel. And to add more soil to make the garden more interesting in terms of height….
Oh the list. The plans. The anxiety that I am just one person with this very large garden. And time is running out.
I leave you with this lament.
Tomorrow I may wake up feeling more positive. I have done my first go at the lists. There are pages of ‘mounding silver domes’ ‘groundcovers’, dark greens. Self-seeders. Some grasses, some combinations.
But have I emailed the plant nursery with my first draft…?
ARGGGGGHHHHH