I know you are all fed up with hearing about Veddw disasters, but this blog serves as a diary as well as something (what on earth?) else. And this is a big thing for us.
Today Charles, who finds eating bullets as hard as we all do, finally bit one of the many bullets waiting in a box blighted garden.
The blight is worse than it’s ever been – due to the high humidity we’ve had, I suspect. So much of our hedging looks like the above.
We have painful discussions. We have decided what to do about the Grasses Parterre, of which maybe, more another time. But this is a small hedge in what was Charles’s Veg Plot. We’ve been discussing what to do about it, without waiting for Box Tree Moth to arrive and finish the job. No more hedging here – so what about a rendered, coloured wall? Charles slept on the idea and then…
It was pouring with rain, but he’d got a fire going….. So:
Followed by
And into
Amazing what you find..
The new wall will be winter work for Charles. Amazing how quickly demolition goes (a couple of very strenuous hours just now) and how much longer construction takes. But we won’t have to wait for a wall to grow. Or cut it. Or look at the blight on it. Whatever does go wrong with it, you can count on a blog post to tell you and cheer you up….
End of part one. The rest, we hope in spring. Meanwhile we have to decide how to replace these:
And it did stop raining.
That must have been so difficult – both to face and to do.
Yes. It seems to take Charles several years before he can let things that he has made and worked on go. I console myself thinking he’ll never easily let me go either! Xx
oh go on, drastically thin out the remaining box as I suggested. Either it will kill it giving it a merciful release, or with the extra ventilation shrug off future blight. You can’t lose by it!
You didn’t get that we tried that some years ago? We’d lose time, looking at diseased box. I really thought I’d told you that!
Biting bullets is never fun, or good for the teeth, so good on Charles for finally getting to it. Any ideas yet about the height of the wall and the colour? And don’t keep us in suspense, what are you going to do with the grasses parterre?
I imagine the height of the wall will be the same as the hedge was – about a yard high? Enough to give a feeling of comfortable enclosure. The rest will depend on what we do to replace the topiary egg cups. Any ideas?
Grasses Parterre – replace surrounding edge hedge with Osmanthus x burkwoodii and the internal hedges with gravel paths. Xxx
Watching the first video, in my head I kept hearing Charles’ voice chanting, “Fee, fie, fo, fun…”
LOL
O, he was!
Well done Charles.
(Maybe we should wait until he’s built the new walls??!)
Maybe we need to wait to see the walls yet???
Hello Anne
Are you familiar with this nursery in Denmark?
https://www.heidesplanteskole.dk/
I think you will like the designs they have I have wanted these Corten steel basins for years and maybe it will still happen. I know you already have a reflecting pool, but the design is very good
I tried to link for Corten steel basins but couldn’t see any. Are they like this? https://veddw.com/general/bird-bath-the-fourth/ (You have to scroll down to the end..)
The link I send you is from a Danish nursery and the reflecting pools you see on the main page are from Corten Steel
Ah! I understand. I was looking in hope for some bowls! Thank you! Xx
I know you’ve both been agonising over this for ages now. Hedges are such a major feature of Veddw and you’ve also had to contend with the consequences of that dripping tap (have you contended yet?).
Perhaps recycled old bricks if you can source them? And maybe start with walls lower than the box? You can always raise the height later, more easily than lowering. Or what about wood rather than brick? Have a look at WoodblocX maybe.
On the other hand, this is an opportunity. You’re both pretty good at taking advantage of opportunities. So let’s look forward to what you achieve.
Thanks for the suggestions – and the comment re taking advantage. I hope our decision will be seen that way and will let you know soon. Ish. Xxxx