Well Well

Owning an old property means some coming across some unusual features in the garden.  Stone House has an old well located not far from the back door.

With clay soil it often feels like the water table is not too far away in this part of the country (the dry summer of 2011 being an exception), but the well is non-the-less a good few metres deep - see the photo below.

Despite the beautiful stonework, it's not a great idea to mix children and animals with deep holes! 

So, the well has been transformed into a stage for showcasing stunning floral displays - the picture above shows the 2011 fountain of flowers, bright blooms all grown in containers.

The great thing about this feature is its flexibility - from year to year, or even season to season, the display can vary.  Even without plants, it serves as the perfect seat to relax and contemplate the surrounding countryside.

Thinking about how this area will look for summer 2012 is just one of the quite pleasurable challenges we have facing us at this time of year as we plan for our Open Garden.