Should I go or should I stay?

How sad that someone should think of selling their house because they cannot manage their much beloved garden anymore! This was the sentiment sadly told to me by a client recently. Flooding, a new housing development turning their quiet country lane into a rat run, a new neighbour with expansionist tendencies, the arrival of two boisterous grandsons and a commitment to looking after them were just some of the reasons given to me.  Only a brief mention of the obvious- just finding the physical demands of a large garden more tiring. ( I admired their spirit!) But, holding their daughter's wedding in the garden in August had highlighted' the lack of colour in the garden' and had encouraged them to pick up the phone and ask for help.

So, not quite giving up then? Just re-assessing the gardens potential, I thought so! Indeed I hoped so, because it was a glorious spot and so much work, love and attention had gone into it.

My task then, was to sort out this conundrum. To re-design one whole area where a tree had been taken down and to trawl through a massive long border, identifying which shrubs needed pruning, reducing or removing. Very quickly followed by creating additional spaces for large new drifts of mid-late flowering perennials and grasses whilst saving and re-using existing interesting early flowering material. A challenge worth undertaking I believe.

Did I mention the enormous leylandii hedge, dying out too?

I like these folks, it can be done!