Topic: 15th Feb

[cambourne7]

Hi All,

After my last builder walked off the job having laid 2/3rds of the concrete i have go back to a proper landscaper (one i have used before) and there going to be doing all the work on the garden on the week commencing the 15th which includes finishing the concrete and leveling up the garden for me to be able to walk a little easier. Door to garage, some steps out of the house (otherwise big drop) and there going to replace the 2 beds which were wood chip and put down aggregate for me so its less a cat toilet. Not sure what to pick yet. There also relaying the lawn which is damaged due to cats and ants and redoing the edging stones which have mostly sunk.

Am very excited once there finished the soil comes for the trugs and i get to start planting things.

Suggestions on what aggregate to use? Trying to avoid anything 2 small in case it gets caught up in lawnmower and it spins off and hits someone of breaks window.

Have dark oak fencing stain and saxon buff slabs.

Cam

[lottie lou]

Hiya Cam, so pleased you are finally getting your garden sorted.  With regard to ground cover, I personally would suggest pea gravel but you may consider this to be too small.  What about that broken slate stuff?  Heavy enough to stay down and big enough not to be mowed.

[cambourne7]

sounds like a great idea thanks xx

[cambourne7]

Gone a little mad and ordered a load of plants for the back boarder as will be easier to have them plant everything than me having to move the slate.
1 x Astrantia major 'Claret' (9cm pot)  (great black masterwort)
1 x Astrantia major 'Penny's Pink' (9cm pot) (masterwort)
1 x Astrantia 'Superstar' (PBR) (9cm pot) (masterwort ( Syn White Giant' ))
2 x Melianthus major (2 litre pot) (honey bush)
1 x Dicentra 'Aurora' (9cm pot) (wild bleeding heart)
1 x Lamprocapnos spectabilis (9cm pot) (bleeding heart (syn. Dicentra spectabilis))
1 x Athyrium niponicum var. pictum 'Ursula's Red' (9cm pot) (painted lady fern)
1 x Athyrium filix-femina (9cm pot) (lady fern)
1 x Aubretia 'Purple Cascade' (Cascade Series) (approx 400 seeds) (aubretia F1) Seeds for plants for front garden for later in the year
1 x Cobaea scandens f.alba (approx 15 seeds) (cup and saucer plant) though this looked pretty :)
1 x Geranium (Cinereum Group) 'Ballerina' (9cm pot)

This will fill in lots of gaps and the Honey Bush will look amazing next to the Sambucus Plant (black lace) i bought in Jan Sales :)

[cambourne7]

Under the apple trees in the other part will still be mostly herb plants although i am going to add some flower bulbs which i have sewn in pots today with harriet and some of the alpine plants i have saved. Not sure what there called but there the ones where the leaves are like rubber and small.

[pumkinlover]

Are you going to post a photo Cam

[cambourne7]

will try

[cambourne7]

Good chance this will not happen now due to the weather!! will know more tomorrow

[Digeroo]

Good chance this will not happen now due to the weather!!

What a huge frustration.  when you have waited so long.  I suppose you have to go with the saying that if its worth having its worth waiting for.  But personally I am rather impatient.

[cambourne7]

HAHA yes i a as well.
Landscaper is confident that they will be starting at 8am tomorrow morning :)

Today its been the first dry second day we have been able to get into the garden since November to paint the fences i have spent 2 hours cutting stuff back and off the fences (lots of climbers) and have a massive pile of wood and green leaf piled high. Husband managed to paint the bottom half of the left side of the garden and 2 and a half fence panels from the main part of the garden before the cold drove him in. Only 7.5 to do before the trellis can be put up which might be thursday.

I have moved more things into the greenhouse and noticed that the plants i have in there are drying out well and i have given all the new plants a good water.

I have physio at 11 so fingers crossed the snow which is falling and settling about a 40 min drive away (friend just reported) leaves us alone!!!

[cambourne7]

OMG OMG there here - OK so is the snow but its here

They have removed a fence panel to allow the big digger in and have lifted all the slabs, also found a nasty future problem in that the patio (nearest house) were sloping towards house and there was no gravel between the house and the patio so there was damp setting in and moss growing. Funny this part of the house always had a cold floor !!

Anyway there having to remove - for a short time one of my apple trees but there going to take a large rootball and its only for a day so should be ok.
 
Hoping i am doing the right thing but know long term this is the right idea

[cambourne7]

Well they came they started and WOW i now have a partly rebuilt garden !!! Work expected to take place till Friday maybe Saturday :)

Electrician has been and i now have power in greenhouse and 2 weatherproof sockets and a light :) they screwed it onto the greenhouse for me. This connects to a new power source in garage which also means garage has lights and sockets and there is also 2 outdoor sockets outside. Plus power to pond which is connected to a brick box to bury the pump etc.

Honestly so pleased with the job i am not 2 worried about the few plants i can see we have missed.

They have raised the paths up so that i have less of a step down from the house which will be a huge help for mother in law and me.

Happy Happy Happy

[cambourne7]

Photos now on the blog

http://mylittlepeaceofparadise.blogspot.co.uk/

[caroline7758]

It looks great- you must be so pleased to have it done after all the delays!

[Paulines7]

Your garden looks great, Cam.  Have you got any pictures of what your garden was like prior to the alterations? 

Can you get to your greenhouse in a wheelchair without going over the slate?  I assume you opted for a Rhino with a low threshold for easy access as I can see from the pictures that the doors open wide.  I am able to drive my mobility scooter into mine, but only when it is tidy and I have everything in order.  I started off with good intentions but it's a bit of a tip at the moment as we have been concentrating on another area of our garden for the past 18 months.

[cambourne7]

Hi Pauline7,

The where the slate is will be planted so once that happens nope.

I am at least 5-10 years away from the need for a wheelchair but when that happens the greenhouse will be unbolted and rotated 180 degrees. The work done means that i would need a small ramp out of the house but no other hard landscaping as they have raised the path to the same height of the concrete pad. I would lose the space for one vegi trug this way

Were currently looking at making the separation between pond and concrete pad more visible and therefore more safe :)

cam