Muvs Dashwood

rooms in my garden

Height. Anything that makes it. It divides a garden up. It doesn't have to be permanent. I made a lovely big obelisk with three triangular pieces of trellis from Wilko, painted cream, wired together and pegged down, with several clematis up it. Just putting stakes into the ground in a line, linking with rope and growing climbers on it. Crambe, bonariensis, wild carrot, anemones or today I saw beautiful tall golden rod. A 'wall' of sweet peas looks and smells divine.

Colour. In garden

I would suggest looking in other peoples gardens nearby. See what grows well in your area and you can see how big they get and whether you actually like them. If you take photos of them your garden centre or perhaps a gardener friend can tell you what they are. Look in charity shops for some gardening books too or perhaps the library. I can grow pinks and lavender in my new house but at my old house - 40 miles away - I couldn't.

Some pics of my before and after garden

I LOVE looking at pictures of other people's gardens. I moved to mine 2 years ago and although it is large in comparison to most others in Torquay I have 3 large sycamores which have to stay - just too big to remove - and the side is shaded by evergreen oaks and it was full of evergreen shrubs. I have got flowers this year and more backbreaking work planned so I can have even more next year. A clear site would have been preferable but heigh ho. Your garden is beautiful and I am very envious.

Ideas for some instant Autumn colour please

Violas have such a long flowering season and you can choose a colour scheme to suit your taste. They are available everywhere. I bought some frilly pansies last year and the scent was gorgeous - I had some in buckets hooked on a trellis arch at the front door. I understand that some think they are gaudy - I used to - but I plant muted colours and they really lift the garden at this time of year.

Brand New Garden - 1 Year on

Perhaps look at Geoff Hamiltons cottage gardens book or DVD - my bible if I'm honest! It took me a while but deciding to have no grass at all is quite freeing. I just have various types of path meandering through deep beds now. Oh and height, pergolas, obelisques, tall plants.

Talkback: Self-seeding plants

I actually prefer it if plants self seed. My youngest son is always in the garden at the moment checking seed heads and I admit that I collect seeds when we are out and about, collected some globe thistle today!

Wartime Farm

My late father was raised in a children's home in the 30's - a cruel and unforgiving environment - he and another boy ran away aged 8 and lived off the land sleeping in an overturned boat, they managed more than 2 weeks before they were caught by a bobby whilst scrumping apples. When he was 12 in 1940 he was moved to a farm in Cambridge where he remembered working with the horses and watching the dog fights in the sky above. Having enough food to eat and genuine affection from the farmer and his wife I believe they were the happiest days of his life.

Talkback: Slug-proof plants

I'm lifting my delphiniums for the winter and planting them in pots like I do with my lilies. I am also going to use nematodes next year because I do hate slug pellets.

Keeping cosmos

I read in an article in the telegraph that said you can do the 'chelsea chop' to cosmos. I grew them for the first time this year - free seeds - and will definately be growing them every other year and trying the the chop too.

WILDLIFE PICTURES

Started planting my garden only this year for wildlife - recently moved and only shrubs before - was a little worried about wildlife but after a slow start I have more species of bee than I have ever known, dragonflies, butterflies, slow worms, hornet - just one, birds galore. I know we have a owl somewhere nearby, a fox, bats and a hedgehog. Amazing in an urban area and plan to encourage more next year. The photo's are brilliant, now I need to do some of my own. Thanks.

A chapter of a book

In flower now

Plants for scent.

Tree and shrub stumps.