January is often a time of new resolutions, plans and ideas, and for us we are itching to get back into the garden and are planning ahead for the warmer months. We do still have a few things to finish off inside and really must wait for the better weather.
A key part of the garden plans for 2014 is the restoration of the jungle area following last years fire. The Jungle hut, although finished needs to be painted and we havent yet decided upon the color. We are keen to include a bright vibrant color within the porch area but which one...
Last year Mark had visited a restaurant in Chelsea with a colonial vibe, yet using a vivid green combined with dark woods.
Photo from Blue Elephant Chelsea
Currently all bare wood, but what color will it be...
What we are thinking is that the wood cladding on the wall with the patio doors will be the lime green and the other wood will be a dark teak stain.The old furniture did survive the fire, although we are also thinking of changing this.
Summer of 2011
The wicker furniture was an Ebay bargain, the whole set was just £20, however several years outside is starting to take its toll on it, plus the new deck is twice the size.We have yet to decide on what we will go for, I quite like the idea of a more modern style, perhaps the boxy modern rattan style, or maybe we should stay more traditional with cane furniture.
Once the Jungle hut it painted we can then get stuck into the planting along side it. The sides will be painted a dark brown so that the plants have a good back drop. The rear area next to the fernery will be replanted with ferns and tree ferns to tie this back into the adjacent garden. That section in many ways was less damaged by the fire, being the furthest point from the center of the fire.
On the middle patio area we have less concrete plans, this will be where we need to blend the planting back into the more mature plants that have survived. We may look to buy a larger specimen plant to act as a focal point and regain quickly some maturity to that part of the garden.
The Middle Patio 2011
Very little of the above photo remains, but we are keen to recapture this lush feel, we are not intending to recreate the garden exactly as it was before. The plants will change but the feel will be the same. We see this as a chance to embrace change, to try new plants, to give plants that had been in pots for a while a home to get established.I'm quite looking forward to this challenge, to knit the new and old together and recapture the vibe of the garden in 2014!
Gaz
