Paving the garden

After the rockery, it was time to pave my Scottish garden. I already had my trusty plan, where the paving was marked in orange

and this is it, in real life

The paving stones are currently resting on the earth/old gravel, whilst I decide if that's exactly where they will stay. Better to live with something for a week or two, than to bed in cement straight away - and then be stuck with it, forever!

However, even with the paving where it is, I can still plant some of the items I bought - and here you can see a few in place.

Trollius (globeflower) by the water feature:

The water feature is a steel construction, coated with a special chemical, that reacts to the water where you live; rusting to give a protective layer. Each one will be different, as the chemical composition of an area's water is different. As you can see, ours will be a lovely shade of orange.

Around by the rockery, we have a few more little plants in - and you can see some of the statuary we brought with us, from Essex.

Eventually, all of the gravel will be the lighter coloured one - and then, we wait for the plants to grow and fill up the spaces.
Watching Chelsea Flower how this week just gone has made me want to see it finished even more - but I keep reminding myself, patience!

Making a Rockery in my Scottish garden

Do you remember what I started off with?
The rocks were already in place for the rockery, so all I had to do was choose plants  - mostly alpines  - and then what type of gravel to put at their base to improve drainage and stop them rotting.

This was before, you can see the rocks on the left of the photo.

Here are some of the plants -

 the gravel is "golden buff" colour - on a dull day, it looks a pale stone colour

on a bright day, the gravel looks white!

So there's my rockery planted  - next is to plant the climbers for the trellis, get the paving laid, new gravel, then I can plant the main body of plants!

Garden transformation

The next thing we had to do in our Scottish garden transformation was to demolish the old shed!

and finally, it's completely gone!

Next we took up the concrete slab, painted some trellis green, installed it on wooden posts in metposts (concreted in)

There are old slabs on the right to take up, as well as the rockery in front to plant. That's before we start on re-paving and dealing with the lower level of the garden, too! It's very enjoyable though, giving living things a new place to grow and be happy.

Making a creative space in my Scottish garden.

I am a creative person and I love to have a space which is conducive to creating. You all know we've moved recently and I have a new garden.
Well, I have this...

It's the ultimate in low maintenance gardens - and whilst it would suit some, it doesn't do anything for me. So I am going to change it. I thought too, that I would blog all the changes, so if you want, you can watch as I make a creative space. Like a very slow motion Ground Force, for those of you who remember the programme!

When we moved in, the removal men put a lot of Paul's wood store in that shed. That shed is rotten. I wanted it gone. The first thing therefore, was to make a new store for all Paul's woodturning pieces.
We decided it would have less impact up against the garage at the other end of the garden, especially if we painted it green.
The transformation of our 30x30 plot begins!
Wait! I hear you cry. 30 by 30 foot? Pat, that's tiny, compared to your old garden. That's true, it is. I'll let you in to a not-so-secret. I am getting older with every day. I have moved to a beautiful country. I don't want to be like so many of my older reflexology clients, who were tied to garden work all day because they still had their large gardens. I don't mind some garden work, but not at the expense of seeing this wonderful new country, Scotland. Its magnificence will be my wider garden - and no mowing involved. Why not keep the ultra low maintenance garden then? Because I still love to see plants and flowers and all gravel with no green doesn't do it for me. Are you ready now? Shall we begin?

The woodstore starts...

 The woodstore completed, inside all shelved out and containing Paul's wood.

Have you ever seen any of his turning? Here's a small example... my very own wand and wand stand...





























 
We'll go back to the garden. What does every garden need but a plan?
So, here is the plan, worked out on graph paper, so that everything will go in its place.

Plants have been ordered through J Parkers HERE
Some specimen pieces and rockery plants will come from Bridgend Garden Centre HERE
and if I happen to be in the supermarket and can't resist a special offer, I may pick up the odd piece too.
Mostly though, I am guided with my ordering and specimen plants as to what will grow in Scotland - and it is this book, Garden Plants for Scotland HERE, given to me as a present from my friend Lynne, that is invaluable in making good choices.

This is a long post, the next ones in this journey will be more pictorial. Will you join me for the transformation?

Equilibrium, Coffee and Kilts.

Hello friends,
here I am, making online visits at six a.m. I am still trying to find an equilibrium in this new life in Scotland.
Outdoors here is so beautiful, as you can see in the pictures below, that at every possible opportunity, I want to be outside.

Plus, we found a little cafe in Cupar, called "Coffee and Kilts" where they allow you to bring your dog!
So after a walk in the countryside, all three of us can pop in for refreshment. In one of the photos, you'll see two bowls behind Paddy, one with water - and one with biscuits!
The human food is pretty delicious too. 

Because my outdoor life has been so enjoyable, it seems to be that I've neglected my internet life. I don't mean to, but there's so much here to do! I've also joined a new art club, which allows me to go along five days a week, should I so choose.
I will find a balance, because I've no wish to lose the online friends I've made; plus I've a book to finish, which is written online. Maybe I should take the netbook to the coffee shop. An internet cafe writer I would be ;-) 

A Royal Visit

We've been out exploring and found a Royal Palace to visit!
Falkland Palace was a summer palace beloved of Mary, Queen of Scots.
This is it from the outside.

Photographs weren't allowed inside, but we do have a pic of an old dolphin doorknocker, that was on the entrance

The local village church was a matter of feet away

as were some old estate buildings, which now have been converted to dwellings and shops

Finally we have the Village Cross, with heraldic symbols

Only one thing would have improved our visit - if you'd been there when we stopped at the tea shop for a cuppa!

Sparkles, sunshine, orchids, Paddy and book news.

Life in Fife continues to be delightful.
Despite getting an infected insect bite, (all healed now) it's been a lovely month.

I've created a new sparkly canvas to add a pop of colour in my new kitchen

We continue to be blessed with a very mild winter and some sunshine!

My darling hubby, instead of buying a bouquet of flowers to say get well soon, bought me some orchids

and throughout, I had a very attentive nurse. If I called for OH, Paddy would run and fetch him, barking all the while. He's a little treasure!

I am continuing to write "The House in the Leaves", book three of my Leaves Series. The editor and I have been conversing and we're getting it right! I hope to have it published sometime this year.

If you haven't seen the first two, look HERE