Sleep-Out Garden & Lawn

The Sleep-Out gave me my first chance to grow climbing roses around a house window. I also planted a favourite white camellia (plus hostas and other foliage perennials) in its small garden, and a happy cherry red scrambler rose along the immediate fence-line.

Sleep-Out Garden in Summer 2004

The photograph below of the Sleep-Out and its small garden and lawn was taken in the spring of 1999. The white camellia is in flower up against the dark stained Sleep-Out wall, and purple honesty and spring daffodils fill the border under the fence.

Sleep-Out Garden in Spring 1999

Gardens never stay the same. One day in the winter of 2007 I had an idea to open up the back lawn. The funny thing is - it's often sensible to work with what you've already got in a garden. For example, leave the fence in place, and use it to prop up climbing roses. But sometimes a gardener needs to rethink the plan. And make changes!

Such an Improvement

This was such an improvement. Out came the fence, posts and all, and two very thuggish Mermaid roses. Out came bucketfuls of daffodils and perennials, all to be replanted elsewhere. And in came pieces of turf. The whole area opened up beautifully, with wonderful views across the new lawn to the gardens over the water race.

Sleep-Out Garden and New Lawn - 2007

Non-Gardening Partner helped me a lot. Those posts were rather difficult to remove, and later the grass needed levelling. After all, he was the one who would be mowing the new big back lawn, and lumpy bits were not acceptable!

The Sleep-Out - Late Spring 2009

There's a rather nice succession of flowers to follow in the Sleep-Out Garden. Spring sees the white Camellia, then the Clematis which reaches high over the hedge. The cherry red rambling rose takes over in mid-summer.