Improving the kerb appeal

When we moved into our home some 4 years ago, the garden was in a terrible state. Overgrown, unloved, untended and full of weeds.  We have slowly been making progress getting it into a respectable condition.  There is still much to do, but it is good to stand back occasionally and recognise just how much we have achieved to date.

Earlier this year we had all the shrubbery removed from the front along the road and had a wooden fence built with a low hedge in front and lawn laid up to the pavement.  After the generous rains in the winter and spring, and with the warmer weather that us Brits refer to as Summer, the lawn is now well established.  The hedge is becoming stable but will only fill out properly next season.  This is a photo of how it looks today.

This afternoon we cut back and cleaned up a bit more just inside the fence beside the parking area.  There are still a few stumps to dig out but that is a big job for another day, after which we will plant more lawn in this area with a flower bed along the fence.

A small bed in front of the lounge window is planted with some fresh flowers.  The bird feeder table is old and rotten but the birds do use it daily so I will build a new one for them, but again, that is a project for another day.

Just as we were clearing up, Barney started barking frantically deep in one of the overgrown beds on the other side of the garden.  He has previously found a hedgehog in that area and his barking today was similar.  On this occasion he found a group of 3 baby hedgehogs who had ventured out of their nest, probably exploring or looking for a meal.

Their defence mechanism is to curl up into a tight ball with spikes pointing out in all directions.  An effective approach as Barney was not able to hurt them.  Too dark for a photo that deep into the shrubbery but we were able to see them shuffle back into the safety of their nest.