Path building We decided that we need to make a path so that we can access the Holly hedge along the side of the garden. We had enough bricks to make a path across from the drive to the hedge. The mulch had killed off the grass so it was easy to strip it off and remove the mulch at the same time. I replaced some of the mulch as a foundation layer for when I put decorative bark down. The section of garden between the Drive side bed and the Holly hedge. Again the mulch had killed off the 'grass' underneath so it was easy to strip away the dead stuff. Our neighbour gave us a large number of bricks to make one side of the path. Putting them down in a straight line was fairly easy except where there were big tree roots from the hedge and the Rowan in the Drive side bed. There were not enough bricks to go all the way to the shrub at the end. We will have to buy some to complete the path another time. I used logs to make the right hand side of the path. The decorative bark finishes it off nicely.
We need another 50 of the bricks to take the path right up the side of the hedge. Trouble is I am not sure what kind of bricks they actually are and with the Lockdown we cannot just go round all the Builders merchants and look. I also need 48 or so of Concrete commons to do up the side of the Drive and again no way of looking before buying. It is very frustrating.
Found out what kind of bricks they are. Red pavers as supplied by B&Q. Trouble is the nearest store has none in and in any case it is in Wales and we are not supposed to drive into Wales. Also it will take two trips as my little car will not carry 50 of them. A waiting game methinks. They will not deliver that few by the way.
Stumpery We have removed a long Leylandii hedge from the rear of the garden. The trunks are slowly being removed by a neighbour who uses them for heating. The stumps which had to be removed from the soil to make way for a fence are too hard to cut up with an amateur chainsaw. So, we decided to use them to make a Stumpery. This area seemed perfect for it. Traditionally the stumps would be used with the roots upwards, but we felt that burying the roots would be more stable . The first stump and the biggest was put in. The area here seems to have been used as a dumping ground for every bit of building rubble and loose rocks from the rest of the garden. The rubble will go to the re-cycling yard, but the rocks I can use when I make an alpine plant growing area elsewhere. The next row of stumps. There is quite a large area between the Stumpery and the bottom of the garden. The end of the first day of construction. The front part of the bed completed. The left hand side. I made it slop down from the big stump to ground level at the back I then began work on the right hand side, again sloping it down from front to back. End of day two. We decided that it would be more pleasing if the bed was not a regular shape and give more planting areas so the back sumps were put in at an angle rather than straight across. I positioned a largish stump at the back ready to which I built out. Now I began to fill in the gap from the right hand side to the back stump. End of day three. The gap from the back stump to the left was filled in. The picture from this side shows the irregular shape of the bed. I began to fill the bed with good leafy top soil. Finally I cut back some of the overhanging branches from the trees in the hedge row to let in more light and rain. We cannot do anything to the Beech tree as it has a Tree Preservation Order on it. The next job is to find plants which will grow in that situation.
Wow what a beautiful place. You two have sure been busy with all the projects you've done. Great job.
I have stripped off the narrow bit of grass up the edge of the Drive. Begun forking it over. Managed 10 metres of it. Filled three bags with bits of tarmac and house brick and other rubbish. I will plant it up with low growing creeping things which will spill out over the edge of the Drive which is not actually used as it goes nowhere.
Dug more of the Drive side. Very hard going as it is mostly small gravel. Got another 20 feet or so to go.
The top Fence. In the beginning was a Leylandii hedge. Digging out the stumps was a long, hard job. Eventually all the stumps were removed. The last section is not ours so we had to leave it in. We cut back the branches which came into our side. The first tow section of the fence. Concrete posts and gravel boards. End of the first day. The last piece took ages as there was a stump in the way which we had not been able to remove. The contractors managed it. Almost to the end. The last section took a long time as it was over the top of the old drive. Finished.
This part of the lawn was a pain to mow so we decided to get rid of it. The turf needed to be lifted. I will use it to fill in a bare patch where there was just moss and no grass. Strip after strip. All gone. Over the last year I have dug up a huge number of stones ranging in size from half inch gravel to 12 inch wide boulders. The smaller stones I used as a sort of stone mulch. Since we do not intend growing anything in this section there was no need to dig over the soil. It is full of tree roots in any case. Enough stones to cover the whole area. The piece behind the Scree bed will be planted up with shade loving shrubs, like Rhododendrons. The area under the tree is hot really much use for growing either so I used more of the stones to cover the bare soil. More than enough to cover it all. Quite a pleasing result we feel. And from the other side.
I can see a face on the large stone beside the bucket can you? It looks as though it's shocked at what you're doing!!
