Introducing the Frisbee Lawn Gardens
In the early days I dug a narrow border ringing the Frisbee Lawn. In went rough rejects - Salvias, Dahlias, Senecios, and the like. I moved Irises into the sunny dry edge. I added a few New Zealand shrubs in other places and hey presto! The border was full. Easy to begin with, though the Dahlias didn't thrive (nor, oddly, did the Irises).
The Frisbee Lawn and Garden
Every couple of years the Frisbee border was widened - just by a spade's width - and Non-Gardening Partner (who mows the lawn) didn't seem to notice. And a word about that lawn - in summer when there's little rainfall it gets parched and goes brown. I've put in many requests for irrigation. No luck so far!
The far corner of the border near the shelter hedge is full of Agapanthus. Again, there's no irrigation, so anything in here just has to tough it out. Agapanthus is one of my favourite go-to plants for such a difficult location.
The Stables Garden
Just across the drive from the Frisbee Lawn is the Stables Garden. NGP, bless him, must take total responsibility for this. One day he commented on the area having 'good soil'. The next day I started digging.
Early Morning in the Stables Garden
The Stables Border has a large variegated elm and a flowering almond, and the plantings underneath include Phormiums, Astelias, ornamental grasses, as well as flowering Lychnis in summer. These have changed a lot since the early days, and roses have come and gone. Behind the Stables there are Camellias and Bamboo, plus more Phormiums and Cordylines (Cabbage trees). Across the grass path is the Birthday Rose Garden - a birthday present for Daughter of Moosey. Each year I'd buy more roses and peonies. These days it's rather less rosy (too much shade), and has been colonised by Ligularias and Euphorbias.
There's a wee garden around the garage, with bamboo and Sally Holmes roses on the sunny side, and assorted shrubs on the shady side. This area started life with a name (the Dog Kennel Garden) and an intent (to be a rockery, complete with little conifers). But then Camellias, Phormiums, Pseudopanax, and Rhododendrons took over. Of course they would! I knew that...
The proper dog kennels are on the side of the Frisbee Lawn, shaded by the big gum tree, and facing the sun. I've built a small Lavender Garden around them, with Anemanthele grasses, Agapanthus, and Lavender shrubs nearby. A white-flowering Potato vine climbs up and over everything. A few ill-fated roses still struggle on underneath the towering gum tree.
Dogs in Kennels
The Allotment Garden is a later development : it's my name for a narrow strip of garden beds which run down the driveway behind the Leyland hedge. This was supposed to be a traditional edibles garden. Oops. Being super-sunny, I couldn't resist popping in a few roses. And then a few more, and so on. But it's been a difficult garden to maintain - there's no irrigation.
Roses Rambling Rector and Cornelia
The Frisbee Lawn itself continues to frustrate me. Sometimes I'm tempted to plant the flat part of the lawn with trees, and the slope with tussocks and grasses. Then I see a dog rolling happily on the grass and I see reason.
Roly Poly Rusty Dog
The Frisbee Lawn is a wonderful place for picnics, relaxing on garden benches, or soaking up some winter sunshine. And the dogs love their tennis balls being thrown down its grassy slope.