Garden ideas

While it rained and blew a gale outside this weekend I stayed nice and snug inside and got down to planning my garden. We have an odd shape garden. It runs along two sides of our house and is in 4 different levels (not descending either I might add) We have a little hill which has a pear tree at the top, a top lawn, a vegetable patch, a lower lawn and a main lawn. Unfortunately the previous owners weren’t gardeners at all and left nature to take over the beds and various other places.

Or this one? Heritage Rose?

We have these gorgeous overgrown beds which are full of old roses and lilies. On a summer evening the smell is just unbelievable and despite weeding these continuously, the grass and tree seedlings keep trying to overtake so I think our best bet is to put down bark chippings. It should also help keep the roots moisturised when we get our heat wave this summer (we have to after all this rain, right?) I adore the Roses and would love to grow them up our wooden balcony that runs around the house. So I guess more digging out of the mossy grass and relaying the topsoil with compost to encourage these too grow? I’m planning on trying to plant Surrey & Compassion Roses after having wandered around Wisley RHS and just taking notes of the smells and colours.

Keep the kids, chickens & dogs out!

And as to my vegetable garden! I have plans for white picket fencing and new compost! It’s been left to cats and dogs running round on it for a while so I think it might need some TLC. Raised beds and good quality peat free compost I think. Any ideas on what a new vegetable grower should start with? Also any advice on to what to grow alongside my lilies and roses? I have plans for a meadow, cottagey garden in blue, pinks and whites!