Towards the end of July, I decided it was time to tackle the shady part of my garden.  Due to overhanging trees in my neighbour’s garden, lack of time over several years due to work then a full-time degree at University, I’d let this area get out of control.

The climbers – well mostly the Virginia Creeper – provided lots of privacy, but completely outgrew the space – definitely a mistake plant.

This was how it looked on Day 1 – Monday 23 July 2018

This was how it looked on Day 2 after filling four garden refuse sacks with what I’d hacked down.

This revealed the additional trellis we’d cable-tied to the original – which we were going to salvage and re-use.

This is the morning of Day 3 – additional trellis removed and broken down into component parts (and the old nails flattened for safety).

Above:  Part-way through the first panel

First panel completed

Middle panel completed

Third panel completed – I know they are all different lengths – but that’s only at the bottom.  They’ll soon be hidden – I hope!

It’s a pity we didn’t have enough battens to put in additional cross-pieces, but I rather like it as it is – and it’s so much lighter already.

Now to get the paintbrushes out.

I saved some clematis and honeysuckle, but I’d like to see this area covered with a clematis montana next spring – I love the vanilla perfume.  Other than that, I might want some fuchsia hedging, and I have irises, peonies, and chinese anemones in pots ready to plant up.  But I need to dig this over, remove any lingering pieces of creeper root (it’s in my neighbour’s wall now – I might have to use weedkiller), spring bulbs and pernicious weeds.

I have a compost bin full of rich soil to mix in – but only when the painting is complete!

I’ll miss the colours of the Virginia Creeper in the Autumn though.

And then came the hard part – painting!