Topic: PICS FROM GWL

[ACE]

The team

[Hyacinth]

seeing nothing but Xs here, ACE. :(  My PC?

[ACE]

No, I will try again.

[ACE]

[lorna]

Ace. WOW!! Great pics love the colours  thanks for posting them.
Lorna

[Mrs Ava]

Nice pink watering can!  ;)

Absolutely love the mosaic wall hangings.  Would love those for behind our pond as a huge conifer in the neighbours garden means nothing will grow up the fence behind the pond, and those really would look amazing!

Great pics Ace!

[Jill]

Lovely pics, Ace.  Particularly like planting in 4th photo - the one with the heucheras, lupin etc.

[Hyacinth]

WONDERFUL Ace! Well impressed by the mosaics acting as a backdrop to the planting - who designed and made them, btw? ...and who's got them now?!

and I love the pink watering can too ;D

[ACE]

Mosaics made by my own fair hand, they will be put up in our sponsors park, the pink watering can is chucked in the back of my van, the yellow cap has been hidden by my wife. All of the plants have been cut down and re-potted after the stress of being on the north island.
If you think that this garden is colourful. Just wait until next year.

[Hyacinth]

Already planning next year! - thought of a theme yet?

You've a rare talent for design ACE. The mosaics are so brill  in the design and the colours and the way they complement the planting. And the North Island? ;D ;D ;D Nice one!

[busy_lizzie]

ACE, That is a fantastic display, and I think you have hit on something that could become very popular too with the mosaics,  - looks so decorative. Many congrats!  :) busy_lizzie

[MrsKP]

echo the sentiments re the mosaics !

and i thought your cap was very fetching  ;D

[ACE]

I have had an approach from a big business name they want to commission a couple of mosaics for Chelsea next year. I notice that a few of you would like to have some in your garden. I do not want to make them all of the time but this is how you do it.

Get your timber merchant to cut you some stirling board to the size you want.  this board is awful to cut yourself as it has a lot of resin in it and can make feel ill when you are cutting it.  Take it out in your garden and colour in your design with coloured chalks using the tones and colours of the flower bed you want it to back. If you are useless at drawing transfer a picture from your pc using a grid system.

Now comes he easy bit. Drop a dustbin at your local tiling shop and ask them to put all their broken tiles in it and collect  it once a week. If you drop the man a drink you might get some nice colours. Then go to morrisons and get their bags of glass nuggets, usually they are bogof and are the cheapest place that I know of. Every skip in England has a broken mirror in it so grab them when you see them.

Stick your mosaic bits on the stirling board with no-nails, dont go buying cheap stuff it does not work outdoors. when you are happy with your picture. grout them with floor tile grouting, the stuff you mix your self. I prefer the unibond charcoal as it brings out the colours better.  Just smear it all over with your hands then as soon as it starts going off brush off the excess with a semi-stiff hand brush then give it a final clean with a dry cloth
if you have any stubborn bits use wire wool.

Use a lot of blue, green and yellow and stay away from too much red

When you mount them on your wall space them out from the wall about an inch.

Easy and cheap ain't it.

[Tulipa]

Ace, the mosaics are brilliant, would look great in my garden..... One day I will have time to make some! Thank you! :)

[lorna]

Where else could you get advice from an expert at no cost? Ace I am going to print out your instructions and maybe I will be able to make one. Big thank you. Good luck with your new customer and many thanks for taking the time to show us what to do.
Lorna

[busy_lizzie]

I just knew the Mosaics would be popular ACE, as they look so briliant!  Thanks for the tips on how to do it.   :) busy_lizzie

[froglets]

Love those yellow Verbascums.  Will you be mounting an expedition to the darkest deepest wastes of the North so we can see you at Tatton?

[ACE]

The verbascum is a variety called gainsborough, I had to replace them once as a nasty caterpillar started eating them. But it proves they were planted right, as the judges look to see if the butterflys can fly through them.
I shall only be at Tatton as a contractor so I will not be there when the show is on.
I have just done the same at Hampton laying an Indian sandstone patio on the daily mail cottage garden. Tommy Walsh was there and he admired my work.