This is what happens to a pretty garden when you leave it unattended for more than ten months! It turns into a wild overgrown jungle! I don't even want to venture into the centre part where the plants are directly in the ground as opposed to in pots!
The lemon trees are full to bursting with lemons as is the mixed lemon and orange tree....the black blobs you see on the ground are rotten fruit that have fallen during the time we've been away. The place is full of stinging nettles and as for this succulent, well it has taken over about one third of the patio, it is actually growing through the a chair that we were using to prop the laundry room door open when the tumble dryer was on! And has completely smothered our large pot of cacti on the left of the photo just behind the post of the pergola!
Where you see the spade standing in the centre of the photo below, just to the left of it is a 'mound', that is actually a raised bed which is the centre of the succulent! It has also gone up the step of the laundry room and has tried to push itself under the door....thankfully it wasn't able to do so!
Fortunately though, we don't appear to have lost anything except the potted plants, everything that is in the ground has done well....more than well to be honest! It just goes to show what a little bit of rain, a mild winter and a lot of sunshine will do!
Well you know what I'll be doing for the next couple of weeks!!
blimey is all i can say ! ....fingers crossed its the kind of stuff that is huge and long and not attatched to anything so youll be able to clear it in one big swoop ....thats if its not buried itself into your patio...hopefully its just laying on top of everything like a big blanket ....if it is hard to clear take it easy as you dont want to end up with a bad back ...i did about an hours gardening before xmas and could hardly move my arms the next day :)....good luck ! xxxxxx
ReplyDeleteLOL, you're very polite compared to what I wanted to say Sarah! Thankfully the plant was only creeping along the surface of the tiles although it was starting to push roots down into the cacti planter and also into the rockery but I was able to pull it all out yesterday and sack it up ready for the dustbin men (our rubbish collectors come each night and will take garden refuse too, thank goodness!) I filled about 6 very large sacks! But yes, like you, my back was killing me when I went to bed but it's not too bad now. xxx
DeleteLeft to its own devices, nature just takes over!
ReplyDeleteI love how green your garden is, even if it has been growing wild for nearly a year. Good luck with the cleaning and clearing!
Tell me JS, tell me!!!
DeleteYes, it is very green but we've not had much rain here whilst we've been away apparently, but it doesn't take much because when it rains, my goodness it really pours down!!! And then the sun comes out and helps the plants to go mad!!
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Well It's all looking lovely and green! lol That's the problem with plants they do like to spread if even a chance and after ten month's they'll be thinking they own the place! :)
ReplyDeleteHopefully a big part of it will be like Sarah says above just trailing across the patio and not buried in too many places.
So you'll be having Lemon cake, Lemon Tart, gin and Lemon for the next few weeks once you stop gardening for the day! :) Good Luck, I would come and help but my passports expired , sorry :) xxx
They certainly do Dee!
DeleteOooh now lemon tart, you've given me a good idea, I think I'll make that at the weekend! As for the gin, yuck wouldn't touch it, it's like drinking perfume!!
And that is NOT a very good excuse that your passport has expired!!! ;)
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OMG! What a lot of lovely green!! Hee hee good luck with the gardening Sharon, this is one time I don't envy you, having to tackle that lot is gonna keep you busy for sure. Just make sure you wear gloves, you don't know what you'll find lurking underneath the green. :)
ReplyDeleteI like Dee's comment about the Gin and Lemon, it looks like you will need it!
Hugs,
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Thanks Xanadu! I'm going to concentrate firstly on the house, get that in some semblance of order then I will start on the garden......I'll be needing another holiday at the coast by the time I've done all that!
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Happy gardening, Sharon! Hee hee.
ReplyDeleteMind you, ours looks similar - what happened to the dormant season between November and March here? I just started a minor tidy up and found crocuses in bloom, daffs close to it and I've missed the aconites and early primroses almost entirely.
Hope you soon have things back in order. Ws it really ten months by the sea? It has gone quickly.
There doesn't seem to be a 'dormant season' here really, everything just keeps on growing and growing! But I'm not really complaining, as I really prefer the garden to be nice and green rather than all horrible and dry.
DeleteYes it really was 10 months....and it passed so quickly!
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Surely a small price to pay for ten months of living by the sea!
ReplyDeleteWas there no way that you could have popped back at various periods just to keep a check on this foliage take-over....though I'm sure that all will soon be cleared and back to normal.
Well I suppose so Kendal, it is indeed just a small price to pay!
DeleteI did pop back a few times over the months...but just to collect dolls and different fabric LOL....I certainly get my priorities right, don't I ;)
The green stuff is indee all pulled up and cut back now, it's just the house that I need to keep working on, one room at a time. Then unpack all the masses of bags and find homes for all the extra dolls that somehow came home with us!!!! :D
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Wow, that is one impressive plant!! It has taken right over! LOL
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DeleteLOL it certainly has and it really didn't want to be cut back either!! xxx
ReplyDeleteWow...I'm speechless, lol. Good luck!! :)
ReplyDeleteLOL, it's like the Day of the Trifid Farrah, but all cut back now! Thank goodness!
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