Update: New bed in front of 2 gites, les Limornieres longere lavender bed

Early June, Saule (left) and Noix (right).

Update at the end of the first season - the climbing plants have made good progress in their first season. The lavender all provided a great display of fragrance, colour and flowers - filled with hummingbird hawkmoths, bees, and butterflies.

They were planted as small young plants and so remain as individual balls. To ensure a long season of colour and flowers, we underplanted with allium and sowed cosmos seeds.

Next year I expect we will want to remove some of the cosmos as the lavender bulks up but the allium should be able to remain and provide flowers before the lavender does its thing.

Oct 2010

Before: http://chezaniagardens.blogspot.com/2009/11/create-lavender-bed-plant-supports-for.html

Restoring hedge - Mouzay

Before. Phase I

Asked to reduce height of Privett hedge to gain view across fields and encourage new growth to dead looking gappy bottom of ground level to 50-80cm.

We have a good 1-2 years for the hedge to be in best state as the property is just coming to the end of being a building site. We are going to be working on other areas of the garden itself to help get it in shape to match its new home in the coming months.

As the privett hedge is providing a screen for the ongoing 'works' for the timebeing we decide to cut down the inside shade side of the hedge to 15-20cm below the desired hedge height during the first sign of a week of damp and rain.

We will be back after the last of the hard winter (dry, NE winds and -18 degs C last year so playing it a bit safe ;D). Our next step will be to cut down the outer side of the hedge and give it all a good load of organic matter at its feet to encourage a vigorous growth in the Spring next year. We plan to trim the new growth to desired height and depth next autumn.