This is the spring garden – and I’ve made lots of changes (and a couple of very real mistakes). On the plus side, we’ve opened up an area of the garden, have two beautiful new obelisks gifted by @Agriframes and have dug a pond.
But not everything went smoothly and we made some mistakes. This is a real garden in spring —not a show garden or one that has been created by AI —and that means it comes with real successes… and a couple of very real mistakes.
In this tour, I’m going to show you what’s genuinely working, alongside two things I got wrong—and what they’ve taught me. Because some of the most useful garden advice comes from what doesn’t go to plan.
Along the way, you’ll see why choosing vigorous plants can be one of the simplest ways to suppress weeds naturally, what I wish I’d known before planning and digging a garden pond, and how to make the most of self-seeding plants (or “volunteers”) without letting them take over. I’ll also show you why clearing seedheads from invasive plants can save you a lot of work later on.
So if you’ve ever wondered how to deal with weeds, plan a pond properly, or strike the balance between a relaxed, natural garden and one that doesn’t run wild—this is for you.
00:00 Welcome to the spring garden tour
00:33 The weather here now
00:51 The herbaceous border – big changes
01:21 Using self-seeders (volunteers) to fill your border
04:03 A succession of bulbs to line the edge of the parterre
04:38 Elegance Coronation Obelisks from Agriframes: https://www.agriframes.co.uk/collections/garden-obelisks/products/coronation-crown-obelisk
05:30 Up to the top lawn
06:08 The comfrey corner – using vigorous plants to out-compete weeds
07:28 The corner with the Big Mistake
08:50 Other good plants for dry shade
09:12 Where the new cottage garden will be
09:40 Ozzie has raided the compost bin
09:56 Why adding a pond wasn’t as easy as the instructions make out
12:20 The path back – past the mistake with the Leyland cypress
13:23 Video on 7 plants to fill a gap in spring: https://youtu.be/JtuTQRCof0Q
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22 Comments
There is also an even less aggressive little variegated ground cover comphrey
You need a pump for that pond, moving water is essential
Thank you Alexandra ❤
It doesn't spread aggressively here, but one thing I've noticed year by year creeping further and further out in tiny little patches is grape hyacinth, but it's so tiny and pretty, and its one of the very first signs we get of spring here in Indiana, that I leave them be. I'm going to be trying out an arch this year for the very first time, and I've bought one pot of clematis (Miss Bateman). That was 3 days ago (too early to plant outside yet) and its already grown 2 inches, haha.
Your garden looks beautiful, Alexandria! In fact, this is one of my favourite tours of your garden. You'll get the pond sorted, I have no doubt. Thank you!!
Thank you for the tour! I love the white daffodils!
I’m always here for your realistic videos of your garden. I find them reassuring and informative. I’ve never had much money and often relied on self seeders or gifts. One gift was wild leek. Oh dear, that is a yearly battle! At least I can eat them. I am wondering which comfrey you have. I had a blue flowering monster. It was very helpful as a poultice when I sprained my ankle. My good friend Dr Jenny Goodman says not to worry about having a few cups of comfrey tea a day if you have broken a bone (although only drink if the bone has been set properly and not before). Your comfrey flowers are very pretty. By the way my pond has a small leak and is looking particularly awful, but has had it’s first frog spawn in twenty- five years!
Great pond tips! We made the exact same mistakes. The plant shelf all the way around is really essential. I wish I had known that ahead of time. We also found that running water through a nice filter really helps. It keeps the water fresh and the sound is lovely, which adds to our enjoyment. The sound of running water seems to really attract wildlife too, especially birds, who enjoy bathing in the shallow end with the running water.
I laughed out loud when the pound came into view. It's exactly how I would have done it, regretting it later 😄 first buy the plants then do the hard landscaping, ahem 😄
Have you tried planting a salvia slightly above (1-2") the soil line? Even though I'm in a drier area I do that with my buddleia.
Also look at the honeysuckle called Lonicera japonica pupurea. So pretty. Semi-evergreen and has some white in the multi-colored flowers with purple tinted leaves and stems.
These are good reminders and I think there are no mistakes in a garden just lessons
Beautiful!! I love your videos and always learn something.
4 years ago I bought allium (giganteum)from the uk (I am nz) finally in their 4th year I saw they were going to flowers. Not purple – just a plain leek!!!! 4 years of love for leeks!!! Why would this be
The herbaceous is looking terrific, and hooray for gardens where the plants know their places and the gardener lets them get on with it 🙂Thanks Alexandra, hope the summer makes up for the tough winter!
SW Ohio, Xenia.
Ці рослини— справжня окраса саду 🌸
Вони не просто квіти — це результат любові, терпіння й тонкого відчуття природи.
Яскраві, пишні, доглянуті до дрібниць — видно руку майстра, який вкладає душу в кожну рослину.
Ваш сад говорить сам за себе: тут панують гармонія, смак і справжня відданість справі.
Щиро захоплююся! Такі рослини — це не просто краса, це рівень❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
After a challenging day, watching this was a good pick-me-up.
A pile of rocks & gravel along one side of the pond can lift your marginals and form a ‘beach’. I have a pond in a large hollow stump and it works.
Your garden is looking great for this time of year, so much going on. I don’t think Brunnera does spread in the sense of popping up all over the place, the plants just become bigger clumps quite quickly. I’m always lifting a clump and dividing it to make new plants. I have dozens of plants all over my garden now, all deliberately placed “children” of one, original plant!
My wildlife pond looked chronic in the first year. Now (3 years later, I think) it looks incredible and I have frogs, newts, pond snails, dragonflies, damsel flies, it’s teaming with life. It just takes time for things to find that right balance and for your oxygenator plants to work etc. Keep persevering with it, practically and aesthetically, you’ll get there!! ✨💯
I am always so encouraged by your posts,esp this weeks! I sometimes feel overwhelmed when I look at my garden, but your comments and observations help me get things in perspective ! Thank you Alexandra.
Alexandra's garden shares are a must-see. She deserves the most talented hairdresser to update her lovely mane.
Hi Alexandra, I’m living right on the north coast of Germany. We have very wet times with heavy soil here. In that no salvia want to grow, but I found veronica spicata 2 years ago and am totally obsessed with them. They are dealing great with dryness and wetness here and are also slug resistant. Maybe that is a try worth in your garden, too, when salvia is struggling 🙋🏻♀️