Imho Pop Petherick is the lynchpin in the entire operation, whether at the chateau or convent. His expertise is incredible! And always willing to pitch in on any project. What he's teaching Billy's boys will stay with them the rest of their lives!
Hi Michael, I enjoyed watching your video, but I feel the need to offer you some advice on the cottage garden. You should not use landscape fabric/weed barrier in a perennial bed. Plants need to establish a deep root system and be able to develop and multiple. You will have constant problems in the future and won't be able to remove the landscape fabric in the future after you finish planning. 1)Remove the fabric. 2) Keep the good top soil from the forest. 3) Plant the bed. 4) Add a layer of biodegradable mulch on top and around all the plants to keep out the weeds. You can take my advice or not. Best wishes with whatever you decide. Frank
I came here to say this. I'm in the process of removing the fabric from all the beds around the house I just moved to a year ago. It's painful to see how it kills perennials because they have a hard time getting nutrients. Not to mention where it comes up on its on, wild animals attempt to use it as bedding for their nests. 😢
I hate landscaping fabric too. It’s like gluing a puzzle together. I spent a long time ripping the out here as well, I wasn’t able to get it all out. Every once in a while I’ll see a chunk sticking out of the ground I have to pull out.
I agree with you. I know the soild they removed was gritty and pebbly(?) But putting the top soil they dug from the forest is really enough for the plants to grow. Even better if every year, they would add soil on top.
If weeds are the reason for the landscape fabric, laying cardboard first will both enrich the soil and block weeds from getting sunlight. I made the mistake of using landscape fabric over my small front yard in order to kill the weeds and cover it with cedar mulch. Now I have a weedy front yard with all the weeds enmeshed in the fabric under a layer of decomposing mulch. Very irritating as the fabric both holds the weeds in place, and makes it difficult to pull them. Not to mention that it shows in high traffic areas. Worst gardening decision I've ever made.
I've been gardening for 50 yrs so I can name a few of the plants you couldn't identify. Also there's many plant identifying apps for your mobile phone that names a plant by simply taking a pic of it. 15:43 Delphinium/Larkspur 16:51 Peruvian Lily 17:40 Dianthus (Also called Pinks) 18:32 Grape Leaf Anemone 23:00 Blue Lobelia The cottage garden looks wonderful. What a transformation! Your Eden climber and Wisteria will be absolutely gorgeous in bloom! One tip on the Mint - keep it potted or plant by itself with room to grow because Mint is known to spread like crazy! If left unchecked, it becomes a garden thug!
Omy wisteria and lobelia and foxglove are amazing Beatrice way!! And he's gonna need to read all these comments very good trustworthy advice!!! I'd wait to plant and get a plan before he plants!!❤ I always wanted to buy an old castle or an small island!! I belong in England lol. My fav about the the big picture is walking through the garden right after it rains!! The smells are just wonderful!! I love taking pictures of the rain droplets on the flowers to, than developing the pic and framing it in my house!!
The miracle known as leaf mold. Try dumping your leaves in an out of the way spot, or in its own compost area, then wait. Add oak leaves to speed up the process
I believe children should be left out of it and have privacy until they chose to be on a public forum. I am a children's educator/youth worker. Its not necessary and only voyeuristic of others to want to intrude on the family
@roberta stanger Read Brooke Shield's new book about her childhood. A lot of parents with vlogs are removing their kids from their vlogs or limiting time or closeups of the kids. It's the comments on parenting or other issues that are giving parents pause about having children on vlogs. We are protective of the family but others aren't.❤❤
Yes, infact the book has been in a box for ages, I’m still doing work in the cottage and I didn’t want it to get ruined with dust and dirt. but I remembered I had it and dug it out the other day when researching what flowers to use.
@@DoingItOurselvesOfficial it came with "At Home With Beatrix Potter: The Creator Of Peter Rabbit" - thanks again, Michael! Can't wait to see cottage tour when ready!
The first plant you queried is a Delphinium and the second ones you weren’t sure of look like Alstroemerias (Peruvian Lilies). A charming piece of filming Michael.
Those plants are all lovely, you’ve made a wonderful combination. You will want to do some research on how large these plants grow in width. The little pink flowers are actually called pinks. They’re in the carnation family. Pinks can triple or quadruple in diameter. Peonies and hydrangeas will become shrub size eventually. Dahlias are tubers you dig before the ground freezes, can either grow to chrysanthemum size or get very tall, depending on the type. Give your roses space for good air circulation so they don’t get black spot. Iris tubers will increase gradually. Your lupine are at the baby stage and will be much bigger. Both hosta and Japanese anemone reproduce exponentially. Make sure to give the clematis a sturdy structure to climb. The azaleas are rhododendrons, and can grow over six feet tall and wide. You have so many pretty plants! You have plenty to create another equal sized garden space and still have the lush garden cottage scheme. I love that you and your mom are working at this together, Michael. Thanks for sharing. I do love Beatrix Potter as well, and you’re an inspiration. You make me want to shop for flowers this year, though I’m concentrating currently on growing food.
Some very good advice. Seeing peonies and hydrangeas together they will take over the spaces around them. Probably one peony and one hydrangea are all that are needed. My hydrangea is 3 feet across and my peonies are nearly that big. I don’t know about box hedge. I think you have plenty of plants. Give it a year or two to see .You might want some dahlias they bloom beautifully in late summer. Do you have chrysanthemums in France? They add a lot of fall color.
Yes, I was going to write the same thing. I dread seeing all these beautiful plants sicken and die because they are too crowded and don't get enough air circulation or crowd each other out.
Yes! Pinks are called 'pinks' ...because the petals look like they're edged & trimmed with Pinking Shears (zig zag cut). I think I remember reading the Cicely Mary Barker "Flower Fairy Books" to my daughter when she was a child and I distinctly remember a fairy who was a pink 'pink'. 💐But they come in several colors and seemingly infinite varieties. I like the ones that have a pink center and white edges. It seems like you can see the zig zag pattern better. I pieced this short bio from the internet: "Cicely Mary Barker (28 June 1895 - 16 February 1973) was the illustrator who created the famous Flower Fairies, in the shape of ethereal smiling children with butterfly wings. As a child, she was greatly influenced by the works of the illustrator Kate Greenaway, whom she assiduously copied in her formative years. Unable to go to school as a child because of her epilepsy, she was home-schooled and spent much of her time drawing and painting. Even more than Kate Greenaway, her artwork was influenced by by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Since their first publication in 1923, Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies have enchanted both adults and children alike around the world. The keenly accurate drawings in the 170 original illustrations, coupled with the enchanting fairy images were based on real children from Cicely's sister's Nurse Home. Her plants and flowers were observed with complete botanical accuracy and the Fairies themselves capture the unselfconscious grace of these young children." p.s. If Michael happens to read this ... I think that lone Calla Lily looks lonely and should have a companion (btw they also are lovely in pink!) ...and between the Calla Lilies plant some pretty purple lavender which is so useful for many purposes. ~Tara (wife of Kindlydude) p.p.s. The Debussy music in an English Garden in France was JUST BEAUTIFUL!!
My father used to get me Yardley English Lavender Soap EVERY Christmas until I convinced him when I was a teenager that my favorite scent was actually Rose! But lavender sachets in drawers & linen closets and hanging among clothes is lovely. Also you can make essential oils ...and even flavor salad oils with lavender, etc. ~Tara (Kindlydude's wife)
This is where you can distinguish yourself from your brother in terms of videos. Showing you and your family in the family chateau where it all started, First for you, then Steph, then Billy, than Dan etc. etc. We love that! Welcome back Michael ❤️
just thinking the same thing. You have a beautiful artist's eye, family, animals, and the natural beauty you have designed to surround your dream cottage. You are very talented.
The plants in the hot pink pots are lillies-very fragrant! Hydrangeas can grow several feet tall and wide and they’ll quickly out grow the space in this area. Perhaps move them to near the picnic table. They’ll provide winter interest if you don’t cut them back in fall. Overall, your plant spacing is for now(today)-and doesn’t allow for normal growth (height and width) of the plants. Ignoring optimum spacing means you’ll spend more time later on moving crowded plants to other areas that haven’t grown optimally because they’re too crowded. Peonies can grow several feet talks and wide, so the spacing here is not at all ideal. Also, separate them if you plan to keep them in this bed. The hostas may not be best for this area, assuming the slanted roof of the greenhouse is south facing. Hostas do best in shade or part shade-not sun. Move them to another area. For those with tags, check the spacing requirements. For those without tags, I suggest you take pictures of them and search for them online, via an app or take to the nursery and identify them that way. (Write the names down and then research online for spacing. Then check spacing requirements. For adding globe boxwoods, be sure you get tiny ones or be prepared to constantly trim them back. They will add more structure and winter interest, but place them FIRST, then fill in with some of the rest of the plants. (Again, you bought too much for that small area.) Boxwoods near the corners (allowing for normal growth) may be best with one or more on that long stretch would look good. Creating thyme would be a nice ground cover in this bed which will keep weeds down. Makes a super healing drink and wonderful for cooking.
Yes, spacing and light requirements. The christmas rose or hellibores generally do not like full sun I would move them to a semi shady spit. Also, be aware that Lupines are poisonouse for horses in case they ever graze around there or if seed spreads. Glad you are doing projects again and the garden space already looks inviting.
You said pretty much everything I was thinking. Thanks for that. I'm a landscaper in St. Louis, MO in the states and totally agree with you. The only thing I would have done differently is incorporate the new soil with the old then put the weed barrier down to prevent weeds, with mulch on top.
It’s so wonderful to see three generations of Pethericks and friends creating memories through work. The garden is going to be lovely but the memories will last forever. How fortunate for all of you to have a video record for later! Ernest is so fortunate to have such a wonderful family!
Michael - you need to leave some space for many of your plants as they will get wider once they're established. The clematis will need some sort of structure or frame for them to climb up...my clematis are against a wall with a trellis to climb on & are over 6 feet tall and spread is approx 3 feet along the trellis. You have enough plants for 2 times the space you're planting. Would also be good to plant tulips, crocus, daffodils & bluebells so you have spring colours
Mike, the flowers you don't remember are Delphiniums and Peruvian lilies (Alstroemeria) . Delphiniums are rather rather tall, lilies too. Make sure they do not obstruct the shorter flowers. Plant the tallest ones at the back of the border for the best colour display. You can dig up the wild fox gloves if you recognise the leaf. They only live for 2 years. First year they grow, next year they flower, then they seed themselves and die. If you transplant them in flower they might not like it and you will not achieve anything. Sometimes it is easier to get their seeds as you can chose the colour. After that just let them take care of themselves as they do seed a lot. Shrubs like Hydrangeas and Azalais in general are not the part of a cottage garden. Plant them on a opposite side of a path to frame it. Make sure that all your plants are perennials. If any of them are annuals you might find few bold patches next year. But again some plants do seed themselves. You can also plant some fennel among the flowers and thyme at the front of the border. Cottage garden is not easy, you have chosen the most difficult path. Good luck!
So beautiful, Michael. Now maybe a bird bath, a gazing ball, a hummingbird feeder, and other garden art would be wonderful. I can’t wait to watch it grow this year. I can no longer do gardening so I will enjoy yours.
Avid cottage gardener here 😊. The rhododendrons , azaleas will be big plants they will grow loads. You may need to transplant them later. Also the clematis plants are climbers. You may want to train them up a wall or get it a trellis to climb on. :) The best advice I ever got when I started was to have fun and see what happens. I look forward to seeing what happens. 💚
Michael, you and your Mum have chosen some very pretty plants. There’s a gardeners rule of thumb, you put the tallest in the back, the bushes stuff in the middle and the little ground covers upfront. You will also like to have four seasons of interest. Remember, bark or stem colors will have winter interest and blooming plants in early spring, mid spring and late spring. Then follow up with blooming plants for early, mid and late plants for each season. Have fun growing your beautiful space. It’s looking fantastic. Enjoy!
What a wonderful video Michael....the birds singing, going in the forest for the good soil, the beautiful music, and to see your dad with his grandson in his lap on the tractor brought a tear to my eye. You are a very special person Michael, you are a light in this world, please don't ever think otherwise. You radiate something very special from your heart, your smile, your eyes, may all your hopes and dreams be realized dear one. I hope you will carry on, true to yourself and your style. We love your natural talents and interests. Love seeing your life and how it unfolds. So happy to see you on a regular basis.
I’m a new subscriber and binge watching joyfully! Beatrix Potter and Tasha Tudor’s way of life has always captured my heart. In the early 70’s I was hooked on the 2 beautiful and talented ladies…Immensely enjoy watching all the renovations of the Chateau and the Gardener’s Cottage! I’m in love with the Cottage! You’re so talented in every way and your visit to Beatrix’s Cottage was heartwarming, seeing the tea cups with lunch time was sniffle time for me. Beatrix I’m sure loved it too. You your family and workers are amazing. Thank you for the beautiful videos, very mesmerizing. ❤ 🪴 🥀 🌲
You might want to let each of the plants have a little room around it so they can fill in on their own and not get over crowded. Have you considered adding a bed on the other side of the walkway? So excited to see this project!
Especially the peonies need more room. Mine take one m² per plant. As well as the hydreangeas and the roses.And the lavender needs about 60 cm for themselfes. I suggest you take the time to google your plants and what they need. It will be so nice.
If you add to the other side of the path, I would add a trellis on the path to grow a rose on either side, but the will need to be dug deeper. There are some landscaping varieties that are easy to maintain.
Dont feel obligated to group similar species. You can spread them out so you have them dotted across the garden. In a year or so you can divide many of the plants and add them to another space if you choose. It invigorates the plants as well. What a magical space that will be.
The scenes of Mick and wee Ernest on the tractor were so lovely, wonderful forever memories for them, such a wonderful family you have, cherish them ❤️
Lovely ! You may regret the landscape fabric later I find layers of cardboard work great to start out it breaks down and your plants can get there roots through it eventually they will never get past the fabric so you may lose some things eventually. The larkspur will self seed so gather some and sprinkle it in the fall in a new spot. Think about putting some zinnia seeds in for fall color . It looks lovely 🥰
I agree; this isnt a big space to weed occasionally, and anyway they help the bees and are often attractive in their own right. Herbs between the flowers are pretty for cover too. Love it Michael tastefully done!
So proud for you Michael! The garden will be lovely and Ernest is growing like a little weed! Grand dad is wonderful with him and your mom is as always such a help to you.
Loved this!! "The tall blue ones" are delphiniums. Loved your placement of everything. Something you might want to add are hollyhocks. Tall, colorful and dramatic maybe at the pointy end of the garden and then maybe near the cottage door and gate to tie everything in. Holly hocks are easy to grow and are iconic cottage plants. Such a gorgeous video, Michael!!
15:43 looks like white delphinium, 17:44 are carnations (dianthus), little blue flowers are lobelia, they spread into mounds. The white flowers are awesome, they will make the other colours pop. The only thing I might mention is everything is very close together. You might find you have a very crowded garden, but it will be lovely!
I thought so too, but perennials have to be thinned often in some cases anyhow. Columbines would be a nice addition. Their seeds spread themselves, but usually don’t invade other plants. Coreopsis is a yellow gold plant that does the same, but doesn’t get big and loves sun. Daisies would be nice too or astors.
Beautiful plants. It will be lovely. I do think that the roses and irises are all too close together as they will get bigger. And they will all be fighting for the same space and nutrients and so won't look as good as you originally planned.
Iris gets very big. You will be able to divided it in 2 years from now. Dianthus will triple in size after one season. To make plants pop, you could add some dusty Miller (grey color) in between. They are easy to grow from seed. It’s interesting to see the grow green first and slowly change to grey and a velvety texture. Plants have gotten very expensive in the US. I grew zinnias, sage, dusty miller , marigolds and coleus from seed in my Living Room. All of them took. You can fill in the gaps next year with your own seedlings.
Same way I learned to drive a tractor- on my father’s lap. Lovely memory. Children don’t even realize they are learning a skill. Generational knowledge is invaluable.
That is the most beautiful sight to see. Grandpa is showing his grandson how to work the tractor. By the time he inherits the Chateau, he'll know all the ins and outs. And most of all, he'll remember his loving grandpa. Beautiful The view of your garden is beautiful. So peaceful. Well done.
What a fun project! Like many others here, I think you’ll find a year of growth will show you how these plants do in that location and whether you need to move them or give them more space. The clematis will need a trellis this year or you’ll have a tangled mess on those bamboo canes. Beautiful wood tuteurs or obelisks would be lovely in that garden. Structures are an important part of the design as well as for the health and vigour of your new plants. Enjoy your garden! 🌸
The California lilacs (ceanothus) can grow quite tall and wide, too, depending on the species. With his enthusiasm for this cottage garden, Michael may keep us updated on how he changes plants around to suit their sun and space needs and his artistic eye. :)
Ive just seen your video, and it is lovely. However, since you asked for suggestions, I would give your plants more space. Many of them will grow wider and taller in time. Perhaps you've already noticed that. I think your selection of plants is beautiful! I hope they will thrive😊
Azalea can grow to be huge , and things will get much bigger so best to plant thinly for the first year and fill around the shrubs with annual flowers and herbs till you see how big things will get. Just don’t plant mint in your beds as it will take over , spread everywhere and kill off other plants. I had a friend who originally lived in Honduras and decided to plant lots of beautiful plants in her back garden, in Canada. Every weekend she’d go to the farmers market and get several different flowering plants. I kept telling her they were going to be much bigger than she thought and would over crowd each other. We moved away a couple years later but I went back to visit 6 or 7 years later and it was crazy , looked like a jungle. All the shrubs and climbers had grown soooo big , big drifts of Lily of the Vally through it all so it smelled amazing. There were loads of red and black currents, gooseberries, a few fruit trees, it was wild.😂🤣 She and her husband had divorced and she’d left so he was left with the jungle, he did not think it was funny in the least and was slowly thinning out shrubs but his bees were quite happy in there. She had remarried and had another couple of jungles in progress, one in their city home and another in their country get away. The moral of the story is check out pictures of fully grown plants and shrubs so you have some idea what it will all grow up to be. 🥰🙋🏼♀️ It’s going to be so pretty when things are in bloom.
Your dad is a legend ..lts worth a million ££ every l see him and Ernest 💝💝💝👍,, and then boom your mum turns up (, the 1st plants a delphinium ) tip ,, tall at the back ,, have fun and thanks for such a wonderful episode , and Michael I’m so happy your looking so well as always love from Blackpool xx
Michael, what a wonderful idea. The weed barrier should really go on top of the dirt and then use a small propane bottle torch to burn a hole in the weed barrier where you are going to plant your plants. You should of read the plant sticks on your plants so you know how big they will get and do they propagate themselves. I know the irises spread and the lavender will spread and I think you said you got a clematis that needs something to climb so I hope you purchased perennials of your plants otherwise if you bought some annuals you will have to replace them every year. But the colors are beautiful and it's a beautiful thing to have right outside your window I wish you the best of luck with it and I can't wait to see it grow.
Earnest and grandad together is priceless! That made me smile so much - thanks for sharing that! One day when Earnest is a Dad he will tell his own kids about riding on grandads knee and helping out at the chateau. 🥰 Seeing your Mom and Dad is always lovely! This garden will be amazing with colours and scents. How wonderful to have plants from your great grandmother's garden, which will make it even more enchanting. Great video Michael!
If you haven't already, I would suggest getting a plant identifier app so you can easily identify plants with your phone. You've made beautiful choices.
I use Picture this, it’s amazing for identifying but also will let you know if the plant gets sick or needs a different lighting location to have healthy plants.
Peonies will eventually Bush out and you can pant them as separate bushes. My father-in-law used to raise them. Just gorgeous. I really couldn't get a good look at the "California Lilacs" but most lilacs are shrubs and they can remain that way or be trained a bit. Either way, they will get tall and you will want to move them. Good luck. Your cottage garden will make you smile every time you look out on it or walk out your door. 😊
The older gentleman who drove the equipment worked circles around the rest. He reminds me of my grandfather and his generation. They worked hard. Good job Sir
Michael you do an incredible job filming! Your videos always feel so special and are absolutely beautiful 🌹! I hope you take this as a compliment, but sometimes you make me think about how Christopher Robin would have been like all grownup 🤭... can't wait to see the garden in full bloom 🌷🌹💐🌼🌞🐝🐛🦋🤩
As an artist and now a gardener, you could keep a lovely gardening journal. All you need is a sketch book to include the garden layout, sketches of individual leaves or flowers, and notes about how the plants do in this soil or moisture… You are a beautiful artist and I can imagin your journal would be colorful, and whimsical. And a practical record of your gardening successes. Much love to you and your garden!
Seeing Ernest helping grandpa is just so precious! And of course seeing the doggies following the tractor back and forth to the woods! Steven was a great help! Who knew he was skilled at so many things? Seems to be a trend amongst all the friends of the Pethericks🥰🥰
This is the type of content I want to see you from you Michael. It doesn't have to be grand or overly-produced. This was beautifully shot and edited and you did it all on your own. Just keep up with the schedule, don't make promises you can't deliver on, focus on what you like most and you'll be fine.
The plant with the "maple-like-green" leaf @ 15:40 is a delphinium (larkspur). (usually pinks, mauve or bright blue). 16:57 - alstroemeria, 17:41 - dianthus "pinks"; 17:42 - yellow ones are calibrachoa - superbells - these trail and are suited for hanging baskets- on the ground, they'll spread about 1 m. Michael, the rule of hostas: the darker green the leaf, the more shade it demands, the more yellow/white, the more sun it demands. they are also used on slopes to help slow erosion. In regards to heights: not to worry. Apart from the foxglove (digitalis) that can grow to between 150 to 300 cm and the anemones that are almost the same height, you can move all the plants next spring. Just remember to plant the peony crown eyes (buds) no lower than 4 cm below soil level - if deeper, they won't bloom and once planted, don't add more soil aver the plant during the season or fall. Once the flowers are done, cut off the heads (they are prone to powdery mildew), and use the leaves in flower arrangements. The white rose needs good air circulation between its branches - and if you have ants (peonies need them to open their buds), they'll farm aphids on the rose stems.... you might want to move it.... perhaps closer to the edge, especially if it is fragrant. Hydrangeas grow to 175 cm x 100-125 cm wide. They need more space. The "little blue flowers" in front of the yellow dahlias are Lobelia - a "cascading" type for hanging baskets - possibly the Proven Winner's "Laguna Blue" which is 30 cm high x 60 cm wide or trailing. They tolerate ,ore sun than other annual lobelias. I hope you will set up an obelisk or trellis for the white clematis vine - check the label: it will grow between 2 and 4 m tall! Before I retired, I was a plant, herb and flowering shrub expert for a reputable garden center (18 years) and before that head gardener and arborist for a historical site (10 years). Gardening is very often trial and error - we learn from our mistakes and forge forward. So will you. Good luck! And happy gardening!
Even though I live on a mountaintop in Tennessee I was honored to meet and learn from the lengendary British Garden designer and lecturer Rosemary Verey when she visited the Univesity of Tennessee Horticulture dept. Upon discussing the English garden plants she uses, she reckoned that no English garden was complete without a Lady's Mantle plant allowed to spill out onto the garden pathway. The way the leaves catch dew and raindrops is magical. Wishing you all good things now and in future. Always know that the world is a better place with you in it. You've made my life better as well.
Read the labels for hight and width, and what conditions they prefer, dry or wet conditions, give each plant room to grow. Half those plants should go on the opposite side of Plath, we all cram plants in when we start off because it looks good, each plant needs different conditions and room to grow.
Micheal, you're killing me with the plant misidentification. 😂 Not your fault since there aren't any labels. What you called "camomile" was indeed a Camelia (tea). Camelia is a woody shrub, camomile is a perennial herbaceous plant with feathery leaves and small white and yellow flowers. The roses should go at the back of the bed, as should the Camelia (which you still called camomile) because those will be taller. The first plant you picked up that you couldn't ID looked like a Larkspur (Delphinium). Be very wary of "mixed wildflower" seeds. They very often include invasive species. One bulb that i love which is quite underrated is species tulips. They are smaller and more wild type than cultivated tulips, they naturalize, the squirrels won't dig them up like they will regular tulips, and they are very pretty.
The scenes of your Dad and the boys are so sweet. I love the way you all seem to enjoy and help each other. We've just been doing the same thing you're doing - creating a cottage garden - and tho' we live in Canada and you in France, we've used mostly the same plant choices. One variety you might want to add is shasta daisy - they grow so well and brighten up empty spots. Also, you might want to consider perennial lavatera, which grows tall and lush in our climate on Vancouver island and could take the place of foxglove (our transplanter foxgloves never seem to do very well). My gardener friend came over and suggested we scatter seeds of poppy and cosmos all through the garden so they can grow up between the plantings.
There's something magical about watching grandpa and his grandson motoring along so lovingly and the family dog happily trotting behind them! Love this!
The first plant you couldn't identify looks like Delphinium, and the 2nd one looks like Asiatic Lilies. Just lovely to see your mum again, and your dad and Gwen and the boys. The garden is going to be so pretty! Absolutely love the Debussy pieces!!
I planted a Beatrix Potter patch 3 years ago using the same book to reference the plants she used. I suggest you start your foxglove from seed in your greenhouse. Add a few islands of Garden Phlox ( 3-4' structural plant with lovely colors from pinks to purples and blues) or Bee Balm. Toss in a packet of " Forget me not" seed throughout the entire patch. They will wind their way delicately up through the other plants in sprays of heavenly blue. You can get a pink effect throughout the patch tossing Pink Evening Primrose seed hither and thither. It will be charming!
Oh Michael- the garden is gorgeous! Love your plant selection! Get a birdbath and an obelisk for the clematis to grow on! It is gorgeous! Well done! Love seeing Ernest with his granddad. Those will be his favorite memories. Thank you for this today. I needed it!
Hi Michael, we are so glad you are back, sad it been two more weeks but looking forward to your next one. Creating your our Beatrix Potter garden is so cool. We know how much you enjoy her and her cottage. It's so cool seeing your Dad and Ernest working together. Ernest is so lucky to have all of you teaching him how to use his hands to make things and fix things, it a great thing for a young boy. So glad to have you back have a wonderful day.
I used to garden a lot, I lived on a big farm with a 200 year old house, and had beautiful perennial beds. The only suggestion I have is to separate your irises, you want to spread the kinds of leaves out a bit. You could use that blade leaf in a couple places. I just want to say how lovely it is that you have your family there to help you. How wonderful that your dad went and got that fabulous soil for you. And how precious is that with Ernest helping and riding with his grandfather. Making wonderful memories! I always thought you had the best view out of your cottage windows of that gorgeous greenhouse, now you’ve made it even better. ❤
Michael, I am so glad to see you again. I was really afraid that you would just leave. I really missed you. I'm back. I see that you have all of the plants still in their pots. I hope you took them out. I don't think they will thrive in a container. I hope someday you will show us the garden again and let us see all of the new windows and the newly painted frames. It is very lovely.
Michael, your garden is beautiful and once everything is in full bloom, it will be gorgeous! Don’t forget to show it to us every couple of weeks. One thing I would suggest: get some screening, frame it in oak, then put it on the outside bottom of your beautiful new window. That way, you can open the window and not worry about bees flying into your kitchen. I’m allergic to bees so I can’t even put in a garden. So if it’s okay with you, I’ll enjoy yours surreptitiously.
I have watched this so many times! The images are stunning and heart warming. So incredible that you are able to recreate Beatrix Potter's Garden in the most perfect setting possible. Just Wonderful!!!
Wow, what a great life for Ernest and Archie being a part of a great family who teaches and loves life. Well done! Love your new Cottage Garden idea Michael and as always, love your videos! Good to see your Mum, Dad and Gwen in the mix! Thank you!
I enjoy watching you and your Mom create the beautiful Cottage Garden. It will be a joy for you to look out on it through your new Cottage window. Enjoy its beauty!
Oh Michael I absolutely loved this video sweetheart 💐🌺🥀🌷🪴🌻⚘🌸❤💕 so beautiful Mrs Potters garden indeed she would be proud I do believe 😁💞 My love to all Stay safe and well 🙏🏼💕
Michael and Mom are working together, how beautiful. Not many sons and moms work together and garden together. You two make the birds sing. Yes, mom is right. Put some bulbs in the fall.
Michael: as a keen triffidologist myself, I love having loads of variety but don't feel like forking out a millionaire's budget on them. In the UK, you can buy a fairly decent range of plants in packets and cellophane wrapped small cardboard boxes. Shrubs, climbers, trees, herbaceous perennials etc, etc, can all be found in discount stores and supermarkets such as Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, etc for relatively little money. You may have to grow on the smaller specimens for about a year before planting out into the garden but it's a small sacrifice on the instant gratification front to save a lot of money. You're in rural France so I'm not sure what local shops are in or close to your area, but if some of the aforementioned outlet types are nearby, I heartily recommend checking these out. My garden's stocked with many a discount shop or supermarket sourced plant. A shrub I bought about 15yrs ago, in a cellophane wrapped cardboard box for £1•49 is now at 5 metres tall, enormous, despite regular yearly pruning, flowering its head off each & every year; anyone looking at it would have no clue as to its humble beginning. Gardening doesn't (have) to be expensive. Garden centres are mistresses of temptation, but resist, I say, resist! They're the pathway to damnation - or at least bankruptcy....😜🤪😅 BUT if you do fall for the charms of your mistress of temptation, here's a couple of tricks to save a lot of money. 1) When needing multiples of something, especially shrubs or herbaceous perennials, watch out for a trick of the horticultural trade. They will often use 3 -6/7 small specimens in one pot to make it look as though it's larger than it really is & charge 2-5× the price. [SO], look for a pot that has the most cuttings & which is the most vigorous, always tipping it carefully out of the pot to determine strong healthy root growth. Buy it - just the ONE! Take it home, divide into individual plants, potting them up & growing them on, at least for a season & preferably 1yr to recover from root disturbance & grow sufficiently large enough to survive life out in the wild. Did this myself last year. ONE pot of Azaleas for £5 with SIX cuttings saved me £25. I divided them a few weeks ago & they're just coming into flower; will plant out next Spring. In simple terms, anything that looks as though it will have a root system of its own is a candidate for tightwads like me. 2) Unsold shrubs such last years lavender, Heather, or anything that's gotten a bit leggy is often potted up into a deeper pot to make it look both bigger & healthier than it really is, again, charging 2-5× the price they should be. Customers end up paying for extra compost, NOT extra plant! So when looking at the more expensive individual specimens, ALWAYS carefully tip them out of the pot to look for root development that's reasonably mature. Little to no roots visible on the outside of the compost means that this is a complete have - RUN!! Save your cash & buy a smaller specimen; it will soon grow. Bought 3 (small) Acer trees for £4 each 3yrs ago & they're developing nicely, having tripled in size; larger sizes would have cost me about £36 for the lot. If you buy smaller specimens & they fail, that's gardening for you sometimes, it's nowhere near as painful as if you'd shelled a small fortune. P.S. I've got greenhouse envy on steroids! 😮😢
Michael, when you plan your garden, make sure you know ahead of time how TALL they'll grow and how WIDE, to avoid short plants from being hidden by bigger ones. Also know whether they are annuals or perrenials. You have a fine selection of flowers. Keep us posted with the progress. 🙂
I love everything about your sweet family. Your dad is a natural on a tractor. Your mom is always lending a hand. So nice to see Gwen and the boys. I love the garden. ❤❤
How cool to have your father teaching Ernest things. He will never forget it.
Imho Pop Petherick is the lynchpin in the entire operation, whether at the chateau or convent. His expertise is incredible! And always willing to pitch in on any project.
What he's teaching Billy's boys will stay with them the rest of their lives!
I can second this as I have done just that when my step father included me in everything he did around our home 😊
Beautiful garden. And you have the perfect home to do that type of stuff.
All the feels
The ability for all the cousins to grow up together with one set of grandparents, aunt and uncles is a rare experience they all have.
Hi Michael, I enjoyed watching your video, but I feel the need to offer you some advice on the cottage garden. You should not use landscape fabric/weed barrier in a perennial bed. Plants need to establish a deep root system and be able to develop and multiple. You will have constant problems in the future and won't be able to remove the landscape fabric in the future after you finish planning. 1)Remove the fabric. 2) Keep the good top soil from the forest. 3) Plant the bed. 4) Add a layer of biodegradable mulch on top and around all the plants to keep out the weeds. You can take my advice or not. Best wishes with whatever you decide.
Frank
Landscaping fabric can be the devil with plants that have vigorous roots!
I came here to say this. I'm in the process of removing the fabric from all the beds around the house I just moved to a year ago. It's painful to see how it kills perennials because they have a hard time getting nutrients. Not to mention where it comes up on its on, wild animals attempt to use it as bedding for their nests. 😢
I hate landscaping fabric too. It’s like gluing a puzzle together. I spent a long time ripping the out here as well, I wasn’t able to get it all out. Every once in a while I’ll see a chunk sticking out of the ground I have to pull out.
I agree with you. I know the soild they removed was gritty and pebbly(?) But putting the top soil they dug from the forest is really enough for the plants to grow. Even better if every year, they would add soil on top.
If weeds are the reason for the landscape fabric, laying cardboard first will both enrich the soil and block weeds from getting sunlight.
I made the mistake of using landscape fabric over my small front yard in order to kill the weeds and cover it with cedar mulch. Now I have a weedy front yard with all the weeds enmeshed in the fabric under a layer of decomposing mulch. Very irritating as the fabric both holds the weeds in place, and makes it difficult to pull them. Not to mention that it shows in high traffic areas. Worst gardening decision I've ever made.
I've been gardening for 50 yrs so I can name a few of the plants you couldn't identify. Also there's many plant identifying apps for your mobile phone that names a plant by simply taking a pic of it.
15:43 Delphinium/Larkspur
16:51 Peruvian Lily
17:40 Dianthus (Also called Pinks)
18:32 Grape Leaf Anemone
23:00 Blue Lobelia
The cottage garden looks wonderful. What a transformation! Your Eden climber and Wisteria will be absolutely gorgeous in bloom! One tip on the Mint - keep it potted or plant by itself with room to grow because Mint is known to spread like crazy! If left unchecked, it becomes a garden thug!
Omy wisteria and lobelia and foxglove are amazing Beatrice way!! And he's gonna need to read all these comments very good trustworthy advice!!! I'd wait to plant and get a plan before he plants!!❤ I always wanted to buy an old castle or an small island!! I belong in England lol. My fav about the the big picture is walking through the garden right after it rains!! The smells are just wonderful!! I love taking pictures of the rain droplets on the flowers to, than developing the pic and framing it in my house!!
As a gardener, I'm so jealous of your beautiful soil. So rich and healthy and full of local fungi. Your plants will love it.
An absolute dream for a gardener, the moment it appeared onscreen I had visions of the gardens I would grow!
The miracle known as leaf mold. Try dumping your leaves in an out of the way spot, or in its own compost area, then wait. Add oak leaves to speed up the process
It is so pleasant to see Ernest with his grandfather and their interaction, is just beautiful. Glad to see you back.
I believe children should be left out of it and have privacy until they chose to be on a public forum. I am a children's educator/youth worker. Its not necessary and only voyeuristic of others to want to intrude on the family
@@myhillslife27 Get a life.
@roberta stanger Read Brooke Shield's new book about her childhood. A lot of parents with vlogs are removing their kids from their vlogs or limiting time or closeups of the kids. It's the comments on parenting or other issues that are giving parents pause about having children on vlogs. We are protective of the family but others aren't.❤❤
Hi there, I sent that book to you back in July 2020. So glad you are using it. Love the book!!!! :)
Oh Thank you so much!!!!!! It’s been so helpful. 😍😍😍
@@DoingItOurselvesOfficial you're so welcome! Love the garden!
Yes, infact the book has been in a box for ages, I’m still doing work in the cottage and I didn’t want it to get ruined with dust and dirt. but I remembered I had it and dug it out the other day when researching what flowers to use.
@@DoingItOurselvesOfficial it came with "At Home With Beatrix Potter: The Creator Of Peter Rabbit" - thanks again, Michael! Can't wait to see cottage tour when ready!
Slugs absolutely love hostas and hostas prefer light shade
I hope your dad lives a very long life. He is absolutely precious and Ernest has a best friend for sure. ❤
The tears were just flowing watching Ernest enjoying his Grandfather time! So sweet! What amazing childhood!
That smile on Ernest’s face as he drove by with his grandfather, beautiful!
Yes, my thought exactly!
Sweet lad 😊
The first plant you queried is a Delphinium and the second ones you weren’t sure of look like Alstroemerias (Peruvian Lilies). A charming piece of filming Michael.
That’s it! Thank you xxxxx
The pink ones you had next to the yellow flowers are dianthus- sweet Williams.
Dianthus are in the carnation family and they are edible
Yes. Alstroemerias were the mysterious plants
Plant some Salvia sage comes in different colours
How big Ernest has gotten! What a lovely life for children, living with extended family and learning so much from everyone.
Those plants are all lovely, you’ve made a wonderful combination. You will want to do some research on how large these plants grow in width. The little pink flowers are actually called pinks. They’re in the carnation family. Pinks can triple or quadruple in diameter. Peonies and hydrangeas will become shrub size eventually. Dahlias are tubers you dig before the ground freezes, can either grow to chrysanthemum size or get very tall, depending on the type. Give your roses space for good air circulation so they don’t get black spot. Iris tubers will increase gradually. Your lupine are at the baby stage and will be much bigger. Both hosta and Japanese anemone reproduce exponentially. Make sure to give the clematis a sturdy structure to climb. The azaleas are rhododendrons, and can grow over six feet tall and wide. You have so many pretty plants! You have plenty to create another equal sized garden space and still have the lush garden cottage scheme. I love that you and your mom are working at this together, Michael. Thanks for sharing. I do love Beatrix Potter as well, and you’re an inspiration. You make me want to shop for flowers this year, though I’m concentrating currently on growing food.
Some very good advice. Seeing peonies and hydrangeas together they will take over the spaces around them. Probably one peony and one hydrangea are all that are needed. My hydrangea is 3 feet across and my peonies are nearly that big. I don’t know about box hedge. I think you have plenty of plants. Give it a year or two to see .You might want some dahlias they bloom beautifully in late summer.
Do you have chrysanthemums in France? They add a lot of fall color.
Yes, I was going to write the same thing. I dread seeing all these beautiful plants sicken and die because they are too crowded and don't get enough air circulation or crowd each other out.
Yes! Pinks are called 'pinks' ...because the petals look like they're edged & trimmed with Pinking Shears (zig zag cut). I think I remember reading the Cicely Mary Barker "Flower Fairy Books" to my daughter when she was a child and I distinctly remember a fairy who was a pink 'pink'. 💐But they come in several colors and seemingly infinite varieties. I like the ones that have a pink center and white edges. It seems like you can see the zig zag pattern better.
I pieced this short bio from the internet: "Cicely Mary Barker (28 June 1895 - 16 February 1973) was the illustrator who created the famous Flower Fairies, in the shape of ethereal smiling children with butterfly wings. As a child, she was greatly influenced by the works of the illustrator Kate Greenaway, whom she assiduously copied in her formative years. Unable to go to school as a child because of her epilepsy, she was home-schooled and spent much of her time drawing and painting. Even more than Kate Greenaway, her artwork was influenced by by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Since their first publication in 1923, Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies have enchanted both adults and children alike around the world. The keenly accurate drawings in the 170 original illustrations, coupled with the enchanting fairy images were based on real children from Cicely's sister's Nurse Home. Her plants and flowers were observed with complete botanical accuracy and the Fairies themselves capture the unselfconscious grace of these young children."
p.s. If Michael happens to read this ... I think that lone Calla Lily looks lonely and should have a companion (btw they also are lovely in pink!) ...and between the Calla Lilies plant some pretty purple lavender which is so useful for many purposes.
~Tara (wife of Kindlydude)
p.p.s. The Debussy music in an English Garden in France was JUST BEAUTIFUL!!
My father used to get me Yardley English Lavender Soap EVERY Christmas until I convinced him when I was a teenager that my favorite scent was actually Rose! But lavender sachets in drawers & linen closets and hanging among clothes is lovely. Also you can make essential oils ...and even flavor salad oils with lavender, etc. ~Tara (Kindlydude's wife)
Thank you. So very helpful.
This is where you can distinguish yourself from your brother in terms of videos. Showing you and your family in the family chateau where it all started, First for you, then Steph, then Billy, than Dan etc. etc. We love that! Welcome back Michael ❤️
So true, the others don't have the doggies, grandparents, and the calming country life vibe.
just thinking the same thing. You have a beautiful artist's eye, family, animals, and the natural beauty you have designed to surround your dream cottage. You are very talented.
It’s not all the time, but sometimes you speak and it sounds like Billy and vice versa!! You’re both very talented!!
It’s looking wonderful!
And Sean
The plants in the hot pink pots are lillies-very fragrant! Hydrangeas can grow several feet tall and wide and they’ll quickly out grow the space in this area. Perhaps move them to near the picnic table. They’ll provide winter interest if you don’t cut them back in fall.
Overall, your plant spacing is for now(today)-and doesn’t allow for normal growth (height and width) of the plants.
Ignoring optimum spacing means you’ll spend more time later on moving crowded plants to other areas that haven’t grown optimally because they’re too crowded.
Peonies can grow several feet talks and wide, so the spacing here is not at all ideal. Also, separate them if you plan to keep them in this bed.
The hostas may not be best for this area, assuming the slanted roof of the greenhouse is south facing. Hostas do best in shade or part shade-not sun. Move them to another area.
For those with tags, check the spacing requirements. For those without tags, I suggest you take pictures of them and search for them online, via an app or take to the nursery and identify them that way. (Write the names down and then research online for spacing. Then check spacing requirements.
For adding globe boxwoods, be sure you get tiny ones or be prepared to constantly trim them back. They will add more structure and winter interest, but place them FIRST, then fill in with some of the rest of the plants. (Again, you bought too much for that small area.) Boxwoods near the corners (allowing for normal growth) may be best with one or more on that long stretch would look good.
Creating thyme would be a nice ground cover in this bed which will keep weeds down. Makes a super healing drink and wonderful for cooking.
Yes, spacing and light requirements. The christmas rose or hellibores generally do not like full sun I would move them to a semi shady spit. Also, be aware that Lupines are poisonouse for horses in case they ever graze around there or if seed spreads. Glad you are doing projects again and the garden space already looks inviting.
Also on the hostas, they can grow very large, unless of course deer or rabbits eat them.
Excellent advice Anita 👍
You said pretty much everything I was thinking. Thanks for that. I'm a landscaper in St. Louis, MO in the states and totally agree with you. The only thing I would have done differently is incorporate the new soil with the old then put the weed barrier down to prevent weeds, with mulch on top.
Also, hydrangeas bloom on their old wood so do not cut them back.
So precious to see a small child with his grandparent learning useful things
Hollyhocks and Cosmos are gorgeous in a cottage garden.
i literally cried when i saw it, life is so gorgeous
My greenhouse picture arrived today. No wrinkles. folds or blemishes. THANK YOU. You touched my heart with the bee
Earnest driving with his Grand dad is the sweetest thing ever! What memories you are all making for the children. Lovely.
It’s so wonderful to see three generations of Pethericks and friends creating memories through work. The garden is going to be lovely but the memories will last forever. How fortunate for all of you to have a video record for later! Ernest is so fortunate to have such a wonderful family!
Michael - you need to leave some space for many of your plants as they will get wider once they're established. The clematis will need some sort of structure or frame for them to climb up...my clematis are against a wall with a trellis to climb on & are over 6 feet tall and spread is approx 3 feet along the trellis. You have enough plants for 2 times the space you're planting. Would also be good to plant tulips, crocus, daffodils & bluebells so you have spring colours
I miss you, Michael! Your style is unique and creative! Please continue to post! ❤
Mike, the flowers you don't remember are Delphiniums and Peruvian lilies (Alstroemeria) . Delphiniums are rather rather tall, lilies too. Make sure they do not obstruct the shorter flowers. Plant the tallest ones at the back of the border for the best colour display. You can dig up the wild fox gloves if you recognise the leaf. They only live for 2 years. First year they grow, next year they flower, then they seed themselves and die. If you transplant them in flower they might not like it and you will not achieve anything. Sometimes it is easier to get their seeds as you can chose the colour. After that just let them take care of themselves as they do seed a lot. Shrubs like Hydrangeas and Azalais in general are not the part of a cottage garden. Plant them on a opposite side of a path to frame it. Make sure that all your plants are perennials. If any of them are annuals you might find few bold patches next year. But again some plants do seed themselves. You can also plant some fennel among the flowers and thyme at the front of the border. Cottage garden is not easy, you have chosen the most difficult path. Good luck!
So beautiful, Michael. Now maybe a bird bath, a gazing ball, a hummingbird feeder, and other garden art would be wonderful. I can’t wait to watch it grow this year. I can no longer do gardening so I will enjoy yours.
we dont have hummingbirds over here in the UK and France but good ideas x
I just logged on to say what you said. 😎✌️
And you need a little Peter Rabbit figure!
Garden art!!! 😫😫😫😫
Maybe in a Trailer park.
Nothing say’s, poor white trash , as Garden Art...
Avid cottage gardener here 😊. The rhododendrons , azaleas will be big plants they will grow loads. You may need to transplant them later.
Also the clematis plants are climbers. You may want to train them up a wall or get it a trellis to climb on. :)
The best advice I ever got when I started was to have fun and see what happens.
I look forward to seeing what happens.
💚
I think what Michael called an Azalea is a rhododendron. Most peonies are tallish.
The azaleas may not allow anything to grow too close to them.
Michael, you and your Mum have chosen some very pretty plants. There’s a gardeners rule of thumb, you put the tallest in the back, the bushes stuff in the middle and the little ground covers upfront. You will also like to have four seasons of interest. Remember, bark or stem colors will have winter interest and blooming plants in early spring, mid spring and late spring. Then follow up with blooming plants for early, mid and late plants for each season. Have fun growing your beautiful space. It’s looking fantastic. Enjoy!
Mick must love being able to work with his grandkids around like that... lovely scenes.
What a wonderful video Michael....the birds singing, going in the forest for the good soil, the beautiful music, and to see your dad with his grandson in his lap on the tractor brought a tear to my eye. You are a very special person Michael, you are a light in this world, please don't ever think otherwise. You radiate something very special from your heart, your smile, your eyes, may all your hopes and dreams be realized dear one. I hope you will carry on, true to yourself and your style. We love your natural talents and interests. Love seeing your life and how it unfolds. So happy to see you on a regular basis.
I’m a new subscriber and binge watching joyfully! Beatrix Potter and Tasha Tudor’s way of life has always captured my heart. In the early 70’s I was hooked on the 2 beautiful and talented ladies…Immensely enjoy watching all the renovations of the Chateau and the Gardener’s Cottage! I’m in love with the Cottage! You’re so talented in every way and your visit to Beatrix’s Cottage was heartwarming, seeing the tea cups with lunch time was sniffle time for me. Beatrix I’m sure loved it too.
You your family and workers are amazing. Thank you for the beautiful videos, very mesmerizing. ❤ 🪴 🥀 🌲
Ernest with your Dad is so precious, well done to you all.
It warms my heart that you are back on youtube! Sometimes the smallest dreams are the most heartfelt. Much love ❤️ keep going x
You might want to let each of the plants have a little room around it so they can fill in on their own and not get over crowded. Have you considered adding a bed on the other side of the walkway? So excited to see this project!
yes…they have plenty of plants to spread them out and make a whole new bed on the other side of the path…would be so pretty
Especially the peonies need more room. Mine take one m² per plant. As well as the hydreangeas and the roses.And the lavender needs about 60 cm for themselfes. I suggest you take the time to google your plants and what they need. It will be so nice.
Your plants need more room. Roses need lots of air circulation. Pull up the forget me nots because they are invasive
If you add to the other side of the path, I would add a trellis on the path to grow a rose on either side, but the will need to be dug deeper. There are some landscaping varieties that are easy to maintain.
Dont feel obligated to group similar species. You can spread them out so you have them dotted across the garden. In a year or so you can divide many of the plants and add them to another space if you choose. It invigorates the plants as well. What a magical space that will be.
The scenes of Mick and wee Ernest on the tractor were so lovely, wonderful forever memories for them, such a wonderful family you have, cherish them ❤️
Lovely ! You may regret the landscape fabric later I find layers of cardboard work great to start out it breaks down and your plants can get there roots through it eventually they will never get past the fabric so you may lose some things eventually. The larkspur will self seed so gather some and sprinkle it in the fall in a new spot. Think about putting some zinnia seeds in for fall color . It looks lovely 🥰
I agree; this isnt a big space to weed occasionally, and anyway they help the bees and are often attractive in their own right. Herbs between the flowers are pretty for cover too. Love it Michael tastefully done!
Steven is a gardener too? That man is talented.
He's a powerhouse!! 😄
I just ❤️ LOVE you and your family. Thanks for sharing your lives with me.
The Clematis will do good in trellis. Nice oselection of plants. Good work. Your Mom works hard. Nice lady.
Absolutely beautiful choices of music in this video, Michael. Lakme’s ‘Flower Duet’ is one of my favourites-and ofcourse Clair de Lune.
So sweet seeing Ernest and his grandpa - that soil is gardener’s gold!!!
So proud for you Michael! The garden will be lovely and Ernest is growing like a little weed! Grand dad is wonderful with him and your mom is as always such a help to you.
Loved this!! "The tall blue ones" are delphiniums. Loved your placement of everything. Something you might want to add are hollyhocks. Tall, colorful and dramatic maybe at the pointy end of the garden and then maybe near the cottage door and gate to tie everything in. Holly hocks are easy to grow and are iconic cottage plants. Such a gorgeous video, Michael!!
Beware of hollyhocks as they are almost impossible to get rid of because they self-seed abundantly and will take over the whole garden.
15:43 looks like white delphinium, 17:44 are carnations (dianthus), little blue flowers are lobelia, they spread into mounds. The white flowers are awesome, they will make the other colours pop. The only thing I might mention is everything is very close together. You might find you have a very crowded garden, but it will be lovely!
Thank you.
I thought so too, but perennials have to be thinned often in some cases anyhow.
Columbines would be a nice addition. Their seeds spread themselves, but usually don’t invade other plants. Coreopsis is a yellow gold plant that does the same, but doesn’t get big and loves sun.
Daisies would be nice too or astors.
Beautiful plants. It will be lovely. I do think that the roses and irises are all too close together as they will get bigger. And they will all be fighting for the same space and nutrients and so won't look as good as you originally planned.
I have a plant identification app on my phone. I use it all the time!
Iris gets very big. You will be able to divided it in 2 years from now.
Dianthus will triple in size after one season.
To make plants pop, you could add some dusty Miller (grey color) in between. They are easy to grow from seed. It’s interesting to see the grow green first and slowly change to grey and a velvety texture.
Plants have gotten very expensive in the US. I grew zinnias, sage, dusty miller , marigolds and coleus from seed in my Living Room.
All of them took. You can fill in the gaps next year with your own seedlings.
Same way I learned to drive a tractor- on my father’s lap. Lovely memory. Children don’t even realize they are learning a skill. Generational knowledge is invaluable.
That is the most beautiful sight to see. Grandpa is showing his grandson how to work the tractor. By the time he inherits the Chateau, he'll know all the ins and outs. And most of all, he'll remember his loving grandpa. Beautiful
The view of your garden is beautiful. So peaceful. Well done.
What a fun project! Like many others here, I think you’ll find a year of growth will show you how these plants do in that location and whether you need to move them or give them more space. The clematis will need a trellis this year or you’ll have a tangled mess on those bamboo canes. Beautiful wood tuteurs or obelisks would be lovely in that garden. Structures are an important part of the design as well as for the health and vigour of your new plants. Enjoy your garden! 🌸
The California lilacs (ceanothus) can grow quite tall and wide, too, depending on the species. With his enthusiasm for this cottage garden, Michael may keep us updated on how he changes plants around to suit their sun and space needs and his artistic eye. :)
Ive just seen your video, and it is lovely. However, since you asked for suggestions, I would give your plants more space. Many of them will grow wider and taller in time. Perhaps you've already noticed that. I think your selection of plants is beautiful! I hope they will thrive😊
Azalea can grow to be huge , and things will get much bigger so best to plant thinly for the first year and fill around the shrubs with annual flowers and herbs till you see how big things will get. Just don’t plant mint in your beds as it will take over , spread everywhere and kill off other plants.
I had a friend who originally lived in Honduras and decided to plant lots of beautiful plants in her back garden, in Canada. Every weekend she’d go to the farmers market and get several different flowering plants. I kept telling her they were going to be much bigger than she thought and would over crowd each other. We moved away a couple years later but I went back to visit 6 or 7 years later and it was crazy , looked like a jungle. All the shrubs and climbers had grown soooo big , big drifts of Lily of the Vally through it all so it smelled amazing. There were loads of red and black currents, gooseberries, a few fruit trees, it was wild.😂🤣
She and her husband had divorced and she’d left so he was left with the jungle, he did not think it was funny in the least and was slowly thinning out shrubs but his bees were quite happy in there. She had remarried and had another couple of jungles in progress, one in their city home and another in their country get away.
The moral of the story is check out pictures of fully grown plants and shrubs so you have some idea what it will all grow up to be. 🥰🙋🏼♀️
It’s going to be so pretty when things are in bloom.
They grow taller in the southern US. Mom’s azealas are small. We are in zone 7.
Totally agree
Your dad is a legend ..lts worth a million ££ every l see him and Ernest 💝💝💝👍,, and then boom your mum turns up (, the 1st plants a delphinium ) tip ,, tall at the back ,, have fun and thanks for such a wonderful episode , and Michael I’m so happy your looking so well as always love from Blackpool xx
Michael, what a wonderful idea. The weed barrier should really go on top of the dirt and then use a small propane bottle torch to burn a hole in the weed barrier where you are going to plant your plants. You should of read the plant sticks on your plants so you know how big they will get and do they propagate themselves. I know the irises spread and the lavender will spread and I think you said you got a clematis that needs something to climb so I hope you purchased perennials of your plants otherwise if you bought some annuals you will have to replace them every year. But the colors are beautiful and it's a beautiful thing to have right outside your window I wish you the best of luck with it and I can't wait to see it grow.
The joy of watching Ernest with your Dad is so precious, making lovely memories for all!
So glad you are back. Everything you do turns into a creative addition with a touch of Michael.❤
Earnest and grandad together is priceless! That made me smile so much - thanks for sharing that! One day when Earnest is a Dad he will tell his own kids about riding on grandads knee and helping out at the chateau. 🥰 Seeing your Mom and Dad is always lovely! This garden will be amazing with colours and scents. How wonderful to have plants from your great grandmother's garden, which will make it even more enchanting. Great video Michael!
Oh no! I hope Michael hasn’t given up already …
I also love you working with your Mum with the cottage garden. Will be fun to watch the progress.
We love Florian - Good Luck with your Exams :)
If you haven't already, I would suggest getting a plant identifier app so you can easily identify plants with your phone. You've made beautiful choices.
I use Picture this, it’s amazing for identifying but also will let you know if the plant gets sick or needs a different lighting location to have healthy plants.
There is also "Seek". I big help, even when you are just on a walk.
Peonies will eventually Bush out and you can pant them as separate bushes. My father-in-law used to raise them. Just gorgeous. I really couldn't get a good look at the "California Lilacs" but most lilacs are shrubs and they can remain that way or be trained a bit. Either way, they will get tall and you will want to move them. Good luck. Your cottage garden will make you smile every time you look out on it or walk out your door. 😊
Thats enough plants for two gardens! It will be beautiful but after they grow full size you may have to begin a second garden. Beautiful!
The older gentleman who drove the equipment worked circles around the rest. He reminds me of my grandfather and his generation. They worked hard. Good job Sir
Michael you do an incredible job filming! Your videos always feel so special and are absolutely beautiful 🌹! I hope you take this as a compliment, but sometimes you make me think about how Christopher Robin would have been like all grownup 🤭... can't wait to see the garden in full bloom 🌷🌹💐🌼🌞🐝🐛🦋🤩
I agree there is a warm artistic brilliance in Michael
Would love an update from your parents cottage, welcome back dear Michael
Lovely to see your Dad & Mum, Michael! Also, love the piano music. What a wonderful life for Ernest ❤
Oh you Englishmen, y'all have the best gardens. I've always admired your gardens. Good job, Michael. 😊
As an artist and now a gardener, you could keep a lovely gardening journal. All you need is a sketch book to include the garden layout, sketches of individual leaves or flowers, and notes about how the plants do in this soil or moisture… You are a beautiful artist and I can imagin your journal would be colorful, and whimsical. And a practical record of your gardening successes. Much love to you and your garden!
Lovely idea @marybath49!
Such a enjoyable moment in time being shared with grandpa and Ernest, thank you Pethericks!
Tall blue ones are delphiniums, what you called azaleas are rhododendrons. Your garden is going to be absolutely gorgeous. Great job Mom and Michael.
will it be shady enough for the rohodendron? i dont know east from west or north or south there.
That is adorable seeing grandfather & grandson digging together ❤️ ❤
Beautiful mother, Hard working father, hard working sons. Lovely family.
Seeing Ernest helping grandpa is just so precious! And of course seeing the doggies following the tractor back and forth to the woods! Steven was a great help! Who knew he was skilled at so many things? Seems to be a trend amongst all the friends of the Pethericks🥰🥰
This is the type of content I want to see you from you Michael. It doesn't have to be grand or overly-produced. This was beautifully shot and edited and you did it all on your own. Just keep up with the schedule, don't make promises you can't deliver on, focus on what you like most and you'll be fine.
The plant with the "maple-like-green" leaf @ 15:40 is a delphinium (larkspur). (usually pinks, mauve or bright blue). 16:57 - alstroemeria, 17:41 - dianthus "pinks"; 17:42 - yellow ones are calibrachoa - superbells - these trail and are suited for hanging baskets- on the ground, they'll spread about 1 m.
Michael, the rule of hostas: the darker green the leaf, the more shade it demands, the more yellow/white, the more sun it demands. they are also used on slopes to help slow erosion.
In regards to heights: not to worry. Apart from the foxglove (digitalis) that can grow to between 150 to 300 cm and the anemones that are almost the same height, you can move all the plants next spring. Just remember to plant the peony crown eyes (buds) no lower than 4 cm below soil level - if deeper, they won't bloom and once planted, don't add more soil aver the plant during the season or fall. Once the flowers are done, cut off the heads (they are prone to powdery mildew), and use the leaves in flower arrangements.
The white rose needs good air circulation between its branches - and if you have ants (peonies need them to open their buds), they'll farm aphids on the rose stems.... you might want to move it.... perhaps closer to the edge, especially if it is fragrant.
Hydrangeas grow to 175 cm x 100-125 cm wide. They need more space. The "little blue flowers" in front of the yellow dahlias are Lobelia - a "cascading" type for hanging baskets - possibly the Proven Winner's "Laguna Blue" which is 30 cm high x 60 cm wide or trailing. They tolerate ,ore sun than other annual lobelias.
I hope you will set up an obelisk or trellis for the white clematis vine - check the label: it will grow between 2 and 4 m tall!
Before I retired, I was a plant, herb and flowering shrub expert for a reputable garden center (18 years) and before that head gardener and arborist for a historical site (10 years). Gardening is very often trial and error - we learn from our mistakes and forge forward. So will you.
Good luck! And happy gardening!
Michael, you are such an old soul, your mum and dad must be so very proud of you, along with Billie and Sadie.
Even though I live on a mountaintop in Tennessee I was honored to meet and learn from the lengendary British Garden designer and lecturer Rosemary Verey when she visited the Univesity of Tennessee Horticulture dept. Upon discussing the English garden plants she uses, she reckoned that no English garden was complete without a Lady's Mantle plant allowed to spill out onto the garden pathway. The way the leaves catch dew and raindrops is magical. Wishing you all good things now and in future. Always know that the world is a better place with you in it. You've made my life better as well.
What a sweet comment.
I’ll find the french name and look for some seeds tomorrow.
Hi Michael,
A lady’s mantle is an alchemilla vulgaris. I have many in my garden.
Plants and Debussy! Beautiful. Thank you Michael x
Love classical music! Thank God, your choice of musuc
🎶 is a touch of class. ❤
It's from Delibes' Lakmé. (Flower Duet)
@@jan-willemwijnbergen9586yip……right at the end. The Debussy was gorgeous too! Dag!
Read the labels for hight and width, and what conditions they prefer, dry or wet conditions, give each plant room to grow. Half those plants should go on the opposite side of Plath, we all cram plants in when we start off because it looks good, each plant needs different conditions and room to grow.
Micheal, you're killing me with the plant misidentification. 😂
Not your fault since there aren't any labels. What you called "camomile" was indeed a Camelia (tea). Camelia is a woody shrub, camomile is a perennial herbaceous plant with feathery leaves and small white and yellow flowers.
The roses should go at the back of the bed, as should the Camelia (which you still called camomile) because those will be taller. The first plant you picked up that you couldn't ID looked like a Larkspur (Delphinium).
Be very wary of "mixed wildflower" seeds. They very often include invasive species.
One bulb that i love which is quite underrated is species tulips. They are smaller and more wild type than cultivated tulips, they naturalize, the squirrels won't dig them up like they will regular tulips, and they are very pretty.
Let’s have a look from far, I come back soon Michael 👌
All the best with your exams Florian ❤❤❤❤
He did well right Florian..be smart stay in school😘 love you Darci I didn't get to say goodbye see you soon
Good luck with your exams Florian 🤞😊
Good luck Florian 👍😘
Good luck with exams. Michael did film very well. Bon chance.
The scenes of your Dad and the boys are so sweet. I love the way you all seem to enjoy and help each other. We've just been doing the same thing you're doing - creating a cottage garden - and tho' we live in Canada and you in France, we've used mostly the same plant choices. One variety you might want to add is shasta daisy - they grow so well and brighten up empty spots. Also, you might want to consider perennial lavatera, which grows tall and lush in our climate on Vancouver island and could take the place of foxglove (our transplanter foxgloves never seem to do very well). My gardener friend came over and suggested we scatter seeds of poppy and cosmos all through the garden so they can grow up between the plantings.
Great choice! We're in Vancouver and love our growing season. Have you planted California Lilac? It's lovely, but it gets quite large.
There's something magical about watching grandpa and his grandson motoring along so lovingly and the family dog happily trotting behind them! Love this!
Such a lovely Dad and a wonderful grandpa.
The first plant you couldn't identify looks like Delphinium, and the 2nd one looks like Asiatic Lilies. Just lovely to see your mum again, and your dad and Gwen and the boys. The garden is going to be so pretty! Absolutely love the Debussy pieces!!
It’s so beautiful and natural. A close Family , lots of love , that takes care of everything.
Thank you Michael, the music was so magical❤
Your garden is going to be as astounding as you are. The music in the background was perfect....the best! Thank you!
My Dad and Step Dad both worked at Massey Ferguson. So nostalgic to see yours, it was so sad for our town when the factory closed down😮
I planted a Beatrix Potter patch 3 years ago using the same book to reference the plants she used. I suggest you start your foxglove from seed in your greenhouse. Add a few islands of Garden Phlox ( 3-4' structural plant with lovely colors from pinks to purples and blues) or Bee Balm. Toss in a packet of " Forget me not" seed throughout the entire patch. They will wind their way delicately up through the other plants in sprays of heavenly blue. You can get a pink effect throughout the patch tossing Pink Evening Primrose seed hither and thither. It will be charming!
yes you may like drifts of the same color...
I am planning on this too. After seeing this video I bought the book immediately on Kindle.
Oh Michael- the garden is gorgeous! Love your plant selection! Get a birdbath and an obelisk for the clematis to grow on! It is gorgeous! Well done! Love seeing Ernest with his granddad. Those will be his favorite memories. Thank you for this today. I needed it!
A bed of giant blue bells.....nothing but a sea of blue.....your doing a fantastic job!!! I love what all of you are doing!!!!
Hi Michael, we are so glad you are back, sad it been two more weeks but looking forward to your next one. Creating your our Beatrix Potter garden is so cool. We know how much you enjoy her and her cottage. It's so cool seeing your Dad and Ernest working together. Ernest is so lucky to have all of you teaching him how to use his hands to make things and fix things, it a great thing for a young boy. So glad to have you back have a wonderful day.
I used to garden a lot, I lived on a big farm with a 200 year old house, and had beautiful perennial beds. The only suggestion I have is to separate your irises, you want to spread the kinds of leaves out a bit. You could use that blade leaf in a couple places.
I just want to say how lovely it is that you have your family there to help you. How wonderful that your dad went and got that fabulous soil for you. And how precious is that with Ernest helping and riding with his grandfather. Making wonderful memories!
I always thought you had the best view out of your cottage windows of that gorgeous greenhouse, now you’ve made it even better. ❤
yes special way to plant those irises. they need the son on their knees.
Lovely episode. The garden is going to be beautiful. It was so special seeing your Dad and Ernest together.
Michael, I am so glad to see you again. I was really afraid that you would just leave. I really missed you. I'm back. I see that you have all of the plants still in their pots. I hope you took them out. I don't think they will thrive in a container. I hope someday you will show us the garden again and let us see all of the new windows and the newly painted frames. It is very lovely.
Glad to see you again Michael!!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤
Hello Michael .. 🙋♀️ this intro music makes me happy even before I’ve watched 🥰
Hello ❤❤❤
@@Jayrose59 Hello Jill 🙋♀️😊
Michael, your garden is beautiful and once everything is in full bloom, it will be gorgeous! Don’t forget to show it to us every couple of weeks. One thing I would suggest: get some screening, frame it in oak, then put it on the outside bottom of your beautiful new window. That way, you can open the window and not worry about bees flying into your kitchen. I’m allergic to bees so I can’t even put in a garden. So if it’s okay with you, I’ll enjoy yours surreptitiously.
Michael, beautifully produced with perfect music. A bird bath would be so nice in the middle of your beautiful garden. ❤
I adore your dad. What an absolute sweetheart. 🥹
I have watched this so many times! The images are stunning and heart warming. So incredible that you are able to recreate Beatrix Potter's Garden in the most perfect setting possible. Just Wonderful!!!
Wow, what a great life for Ernest and Archie being a part of a great family who teaches and loves life. Well done! Love your new Cottage Garden idea Michael and as always, love your videos! Good to see your Mum, Dad and Gwen in the mix! Thank you!
I enjoy watching you and your Mom create the beautiful Cottage Garden. It will be a joy for you to look out on it through your new Cottage window. Enjoy its beauty!
Oh Michael I absolutely loved this video sweetheart 💐🌺🥀🌷🪴🌻⚘🌸❤💕 so beautiful Mrs Potters garden indeed she would be proud
I do believe 😁💞
My love to all
Stay safe and well 🙏🏼💕
Michael and Mom are working together, how beautiful. Not many sons and moms work together and garden together. You two make the birds sing. Yes, mom is right. Put some bulbs in the fall.
Thank you Michael, I absolutely love every bit of this show today. Keep up the good work and don’t forget to show us your cottage garden in bloom.
Michael: as a keen triffidologist myself, I love having loads of variety but don't feel like forking out a millionaire's budget on them. In the UK, you can buy a fairly decent range of plants in packets and cellophane wrapped small cardboard boxes. Shrubs, climbers, trees, herbaceous perennials etc, etc, can all be found in discount stores and supermarkets such as Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, etc for relatively little money. You may have to grow on the smaller specimens for about a year before planting out into the garden but it's a small sacrifice on the instant gratification front to save a lot of money.
You're in rural France so I'm not sure what local shops are in or close to your area, but if some of the aforementioned outlet types are nearby, I heartily recommend checking these out.
My garden's stocked with many a discount shop or supermarket sourced plant. A shrub I bought about 15yrs ago, in a cellophane wrapped cardboard box for £1•49 is now at 5 metres tall, enormous, despite regular yearly pruning, flowering its head off each & every year; anyone looking at it would have no clue as to its humble beginning. Gardening doesn't (have) to be expensive.
Garden centres are mistresses of temptation, but resist, I say, resist! They're the pathway to damnation - or at least bankruptcy....😜🤪😅 BUT if you do fall for the charms of your mistress of temptation, here's a couple of tricks to save a lot of money.
1) When needing multiples of something, especially shrubs or herbaceous perennials, watch out for a trick of the horticultural trade. They will often use 3 -6/7 small specimens in one pot to make it look as though it's larger than it really is & charge 2-5× the price. [SO], look for a pot that has the most cuttings & which is the most vigorous, always tipping it carefully out of the pot to determine strong healthy root growth. Buy it - just the ONE! Take it home, divide into individual plants, potting them up & growing them on, at least for a season & preferably 1yr to recover from root disturbance & grow sufficiently large enough to survive life out in the wild.
Did this myself last year. ONE pot of Azaleas for £5 with SIX cuttings saved me £25. I divided them a few weeks ago & they're just coming into flower; will plant out next Spring.
In simple terms, anything that looks as though it will have a root system of its own is a candidate for tightwads like me.
2) Unsold shrubs such last years lavender, Heather, or anything that's gotten a bit leggy is often potted up into a deeper pot to make it look both bigger & healthier than it really is, again, charging 2-5× the price they should be. Customers end up paying for extra compost, NOT extra plant! So when looking at the more expensive individual specimens, ALWAYS carefully tip them out of the pot to look for root development that's reasonably mature. Little to no roots visible on the outside of the compost means that this is a complete have - RUN!! Save your cash & buy a smaller specimen; it will soon grow. Bought 3 (small) Acer trees for £4 each 3yrs ago & they're developing nicely, having tripled in size; larger sizes would have cost me about £36 for the lot.
If you buy smaller specimens & they fail, that's gardening for you sometimes, it's nowhere near as painful as if you'd shelled a small fortune.
P.S. I've got greenhouse envy on steroids! 😮😢
A lovely garden pyramid for your clematis to grow on would give height. Fox gloves. Asters. Lambs ear. Bee balm. So excited for you.
Michael, when you plan your garden, make sure you know ahead of time how TALL they'll grow and how WIDE, to avoid short plants from being hidden by bigger ones. Also know whether they are annuals or perrenials. You have a fine selection of flowers. Keep us posted with the progress. 🙂
I love everything about your sweet family. Your dad is a natural on a tractor. Your mom is always lending a hand. So nice to see Gwen and the boys. I love the garden. ❤❤
Micheal, you should put some Holly Hocks in your garden. they are really easy to care for and look fabulous!
What a georgous video. Three generations and lovely Gwen. I have watched it several times. Very inspiring to. NZ