Gardens are never static and big changes are afoot in part of the garden known as “the old herb garden”. This was where the previous home-owner had created a garden room to grow herbs. I’m a plant-a-holic, so when we moved in I knew that the lovely shaped beds here, and sunny position, would suit some of my favourite plants, not least dahlias and roses.
“Old Herb Garden” in May with new alliums and the original chives
“Old Herb Garden” last August with dahlias in full bloom
The trellising that used to enclose the area fell down, and a replacement shed built, but for 10 years it has continued to provide a home to some of the original herbs, including oregano and chives. Other flowering plants have been added, lost and moved on to make way for more.
With a major new feature under construction, I thought it a good time to share some pictures of this area, new developments and some close ups of some of the plants here.
The digger’s in
This week I’ve had a digger in to dig a pond. Every garden magazine says a garden needs water, especially to attract wildlife. With puddles and water butts being the only watery features in my garden I’ve long hankered after a pond.
It only took me 10 years to realise that the perfect spot was in the Old Herb Garden, where a circle marked out with a low wall and red gravel was crying out for a remake.
The pond will be a tank, constructed out of block and screeded and waterproofed. Low submerged walls will provide a home for marginals and there will be an escape ramp for creatures.
I’m not building it myself – I know my limits – and have splurged the last of my father’s legacy gift to me. I know he would approve. In the next picture you’ll see what the soil and sub-soil is like in my garden and why a mechanical digger was the best option. It took me two hours to dig a grave for my cat so this would have taken me several months!
My soil
The digger has created a perfect cross section of the soil conditions in our garden.
I’ve written often on this blog about how my soil is fairly heavy, full of flint, and on a base of thick clay. It’s hard to work and my tools suffer at every strike. Years of digging and mulching by the previous owners, as well as myself, have improved the situation. Even so, large flints turn up at the surface at regular occasions.
I share this to show everyone that few of us have the perfect soil often shared on TV gardening shows – the ones where the spade slides in as if through butter. Gardening takes grit and effort but with this, a good soil, even with a few flints, will give you amazing displays.
Looking back to 2011 – a rare notebook
Not a great picture but I love this of my late father and a trolley load of plants for the Old Herb Garden.
I’m not great at keeping a log of what I’m doing in the garden – well I haven’t been until I started this blog. However, back in 2011 I obviously decided I would be the kind of gardener who keeps copious notes. I bought some lovely perennials from Waterperry Gardens during a visit there with my Father, then some mail-order roses on a whim. Panic followed as I realised I had no plan and no idea if the colours of the things I bought would look good together. Bored on holiday, I made this little plan.
Some of the perennials I have now moved elsewhere, and some haven’t lasted out the ten years but the jumble of pinks, yellows, oranges and mauves was a pleasing combination for a year or two. At the bottom of this page I made a note to “add more dahlias”, which is a note to self that I certainly acted on.
The upside of my rare foray into garden note-booking is that I now know the names of the roses I planted there. More of that next…
Established Roses
Rose ‘Chicago Peace’
Rose ‘Madame Isaac Perriere’
It’s only taken 10 years but the small bare-root roses I planted back in 2011 are looking great. I shared a picture on twitter of this “label long lost” rose – leading to a thread of name suggestions. Then I found my coloured plan and there it was, ‘f” in the planting plan – ‘ Chicago Peace’ . I felt a bit silly that I hadn’t thought to check before sending it out in the twittersphere.
Also beautiful right now is this Rosa Madame Isaac Perierre. The name always makes me smile as it reminds me of a segment I once saw on TV. Alan Titchmarsh was touring a garden with a forceful old dame who pruned her roses with electric shears and had some beautiful specimens. As she showed Titchmarsh a Charles de Mills rose he said something like “Oh yes I know Charles”. This continued with various other eponymous roses.
The personification of roses as if they were dinner party guests was amusing and I’m fairly certain Madame Isaac Perierre featured somewhere in the dialogue. Who wouldn’t want Madame Perierre at their table?
New Rose
Rose ‘Felicite Parmier’
Last week some friends gave me this wonderful rose with small but highly scented flowers. It’s called ‘Felicite Parmentier’ and is an old shrub rose dating back to 1836. It’s a darling flower with very pretty form and a delicate pink colour. These friends propagated this plant from cuttings and I’m a lucky beneficiary.
Rose ‘Felicite Parmier’
I’ve planted it in the Old Herb Garden and I think it’ll enjoy the conditions down there.
Dahlias
The Old Herb Garden is one of my favourite places for growing dahlias and they seem to enjoy the sunny conditions there. If the warm weather continues, my first Dahlias will open soon and many promising fat buds are developing. Almost all of these overwintered in situ. I’ve written about how I care for dahlias here but the downside of this method is that the new shoots are often munched by slugs and snails as they emerge through the soil. Bizarrely, just one plant has suffered. 
It’s possible that it may continue to shoot but the damage is extensive. I think this one is called Bacardi (from memory – no planting plan you see). This must be a popular flavour for light night slimy revellers.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the pictures of this section of the garden. Six on Saturday is a link up of gardeners from around the world, sharing the best of their gardens each week. If you want to read other contributions to go to the page of host The Propagator.
Exciting about the pond. The herb garden looks like a lovely space. I have good intentions to jot down what’s planted where but somehow never get around to it!
Hi Graeme, yes the notebook thing is just another thing to fit in. I’ve taken to sticking labels of any bought plant into a big notebook under different section eg – Alpine Trough, Bed by back door etc. That way I know what I’ve planted and vaguely where but haven’t got a detailed plan. It’s quick but at least I have something.
You have chosen the perfect spot! If I had not read on Twitter that your Six was about a pond, I would have told you that the center circle of the first picture was the best place! (obviously without any mention or view of the following images).
Beautiful descriptions and family memories, and what an organisation with this croquis
Thanks Fred – there’s so much to say about this area and how it’s changed. It’s a good idea to look back sometimes. I looked up Croqis and my dictionary says it means sketch – a rare example of my drawing something like this but I do remember enjoying doing it at the time.
I just know that is going to be a fabulous pond, and all the frogs and toads it will attract will eat the dahlia munchers! Your oses are looking amazing, I do love them at this time of year. Upwards and onwards!
Hi Gill, yes I do hope the pond will help to bring in some more slug patrollers. I saw a grass snake not far from this spot a couple of weeks ago. I think it’s living in the compost heap but next door have a pond for it to visit. Hopefully it will also visit mine. I’ve also seen a newt nearby.
What a lovely post. So interesting to look back the way sometimes too and realise where we have come from rather than always looking ahead. That pond is going to be amazing. With all that clay you probably won’t even need a liner in it! Would love to see some pictures of it later in the year as the work progresses. Its going to be really nice sitting outside the hut watching wildlife visiting the pond. Do you think the pillars on the shed might support a climbing rose or clematis maybe?
I will definitely share some pictures later. I do have a clematis by one of the pillars but I’ve failed to train it well and it’s decided to scramble into a nearby rose instead. The other pillar is crying out for a climber you’re right!
Brill. Look forward to seeing the pond take shape. Funny, I was thinking a pond would go well just where our climbing frame is…
I think a pond would be an excellent addition for your garden. I know some people are nervous of water in the garden where children are concerned but mine are now older.
How very exciting! I would love a pond, but mine will have to be very small as there really is nowhere to put one. My herb bed is going through reconstruction as some herbs became too big and have had to be removed, cut back drastically. Always changing things in gardening. And yes, those TV progs where there is ALWAYS a space for a plant and the soil is perfect to dig a hole and the soil never falls back into the hole are beginning to annoy me!
Hi Jude, yes some herbs really do get rampant. There was originally lovage in this old Herb Garden and it grew massive so I moved it and sadly it hated the move. On the soil issue I remembered that Monty Don created his garden from what used to be fields so i’m sure his soil was originally pretty dreadful too. Back-breaking though it is, digging in compost and mulching is the only way. Oh and planting potatoes apparently. I have several books that say potatoes are good for breaking up and improving the soil. Never tried it in a new bed but maybe I should have!
Having a pond will be such a pleasure when little creatures come to share it with you. I looked carefully at the picture with the digger and am intrigued about how it got in and out of the garden!
Hi Jane, this area is to the side of the house and luckily a path just wide enough for a digger runs off the driveway towards the old Herb Garden. It’s the path my father is standing on with the trolley. It’s only a mini digger and surprisingly compact but oh what short work it made of digging the hole. The spoil was barrowed round to an area behind the shed where some sycamores and larches create a little woodland strip along the boundary with my neighbour. The same contractors have built a wood-chip path through it and I am hoping to grow some shade-lovers down there.
What a legacy to your father. Your pond is an exciting venture & you look excited about it! Not on the same level, but my Doodle pool which we’ve had 3 summers now, never attracted anything, not even a drowning slug until this year when I planted things around it. Now all sorts live & drown in it. So a garden needs water but that water needs all the things you’re planning for it, too. Isn’t nature great? As a side note, I’ve often wondered about the folk roses’ve been named for, so glad I’m not the only one. Thanks for sharing this story of your family & garden.