August 2024
Hello Everyone
I am taking the liberty of writing about my garden in Normandy, France, as so many readers have asked about this. Some of you will be Instagram followers and this is taken directly from the post. There will be a second part to the development of this garden to follow.
Meanwhile here at Frensham much work has been going on and we are rejuvenating tired areas. I'm also happy to be adding to the plant collection here. More on that later.
PART 1: The development of my garden in France.
1. At our home in Normandy in France the garden looked like this when we arrived nine years ago. On the surface I thought I would maintain this, but like all gardeners, when it became mine, that was not the case. Who was going to mow the lawns for the nine months when we weren't there? The shrubs had a green film on top but underneath there was so much dead wood.
2. After a couple of years I made the decision to clear the site as things were clearly not working. I had learned that the so-called soil was stony and gritty. Heat waves were also happening.
3. I knew after two more years of "thinking" that the clear way to go was to plant things that needed no water after the initial planting, and there would be NO lawn. We had a soft creamish, mixed with light brown gravel put down to cover the entire surface and plants were added. They were given a deep watering on planting and then left to cope with rain only. Gaura 'Geant', Echinacea purpurea 'Green Jewel', and a grass which may be Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'.
4. Another section of the garden showing rosemary to the left, Acer frikartii 'Monch' and low-growing ponytail grasses which seed readily.
5. Bred by the Belgian Landscape Architect Chris Ghyselen, Persicaria amplexicaulis 'White Eastfield'. It was slow to start but is establishing well now. A white flowering lilac is to the right.
Back at Frensham ... I'll send some more photos.
Very best wishes to you all,
Margaret
