Vital statistics

As the new year gets underway our aim is to concentrate on the overall garden design, the type of planting we want and what the garden needs - the right plants for the right places.

Aims
Our overall aim is to create a relaxing space with lush vegetation that attracts wildlife as it all establishes.

Size
The garden is a long rectangle of 306m2 measuring 8.5 wide and 36 long, so quite narrow.

According to Gardeners' World a small garden is anything up to 300m2.

Looking at other sources online the Horticultural Trades Association report that average UK garden size is 14m2 - tiny.  I guess these stats take into account people who live in gardenless apartments and new-build properties (as have we in the not so distant past) 

Soil
We've performed the jam-jar soil test today by taking some soil from a depth of 6 inches and popping it in a glass straight-sided jam jar, adding water giving it a good shake and waiting for it to settle.

The layers indicate the type of soil and ours is Clay being 55% Clay, 40% Silt and 5% Sand.

A shop-bought pH test indicates an unsurprising Neutral balance - due to all that clay.  

However, we shall perform further tests on the soil in different parts of the garden.  Our neighbour has a very healthy Camellia in her garden that was planted 20 years ago.  This and the few mature Azaleas in our garden should only like Acid soil. 

Aspect
The garden faces South West which is great and means that the sun rises to the left and sets to the right.  The sun hits the back of the house and the right hand side at about 11am leaving the left side in shade, as the sun travels across the horizon it fills the whole space with light and warmth with some shade to the back as the afternoon ends.  In the evening it again reaches the back of the house leaving the right hand side in dappled shade.

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