The Ideas Genie Community Forum

Our Gardens => My Garden => Topic started by: Palustris on April 25, 2020, 05:47:56 PM

Title: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on April 25, 2020, 05:47:56 PM
We have been doing some work on the new garden.
We removed part of a Leylandii hedge. This is the brash from it
Going, going, gone.

(https://i.imgur.com/rFY9VXj.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/SlZWqou.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/gbQyBx2.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/IMoTcnc.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/topcB5a.jpg)

And this is where it has gone to.

(https://i.imgur.com/T0MXHJ1.jpg)

The branches and stumps were also cut up and stacked. A neighbour will have the logs when they have dried out and when the Lockdown is over.

Going

(https://i.imgur.com/t3rz5EL.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/4vS7Ude.jpg)

Going

(https://i.imgur.com/1en5vDJ.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/4FA0dNy.jpg)

Going

(https://i.imgur.com/sBi6e5S.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/FDlKi02.jpg)

Gone

(https://i.imgur.com/A8PFIHk.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/y9QdOum.jpg)
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: ideasguy on April 25, 2020, 07:22:29 PM
Oh my goodness, gracious me :o
 
Did you do that on your own Eric????? :o
You one very fit guy and all neatly stacked.
I presume you are handy with a chain saw??
I am SO impressed. How long did it take you? How tall was it?

That's going to keep somebody's home fie burning for a LONG time ;D

You'll sleep tonight Eric:D

I hate Leylandii hedges with a passion,
I have a Leylandii Castlewellan Gold hedge all the way along the length of our property. Its is a nightmare. SUPER FAST growing. I cut it over the winter months, filling a recycle bin in each session. It sure keeps me warm on a cold
day! After a couple of months it looks like it needs clipped again (I never have time to do that in summer!) and by winter it has 2 to 3 ft growth in most places,

Now, your solution? I LIKE that!
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on April 25, 2020, 08:27:17 PM
At the bottom of the garden was a 40 feet long, 12 foot high Leylandii hedge. It has gone. Most of that went to the re-cycling yard. Car load, after car load.
This is what it was like.
(https://i.imgur.com/6UhuJSH.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/LrmpYAS.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/eh5f1Z1.jpg)
All cut back  Stumps  needed removing and the cut material needed shredding.
(https://i.imgur.com/QllXzmf.jpg)
We left the ones nearest to the drive for the moment for security. We removed them when we had a date for fencing. The length of the piece is about 14 metres. It gives us another 2 metres of garden behind the shed and the greenhouse base.
(https://i.imgur.com/7BuKvjj.jpg)
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on April 25, 2020, 08:42:56 PM
And more images,
(https://i.imgur.com/pgky3i7.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/q7W5wAa.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/eE4jr0a.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/JRzF3lV.jpg)

The new fence.

(https://i.imgur.com/knJZZOc.jpg)
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: ideasguy on April 26, 2020, 12:43:30 PM
Is that your property on both sides of the new fence?
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on April 26, 2020, 02:10:46 PM
No, that fence is along side the communal drive.
The boss and I did all the work on the cutting down, shredding, cutting up and stacking. We work together very well. Been using a chain saw for the last 30 years. They scare the living daylights out of me , so I am extremely careful with it.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on April 26, 2020, 02:21:41 PM
This is the section we have cleared for the next length of fence. The neighbour is as pleased as us to get rid of the hedge. He is finiding it increasingly hard to trim it.
(https://i.imgur.com/S7Jj96H.jpg)
I cut away the dwad stuff on our side.
(https://i.imgur.com/nvhlL1D.jpg)
The tree in this corner was dead and it came down with no effort.
(https://i.imgur.com/8riAmo7.jpg)
Part cleared. We leave a good 4 feet of stump to use as a lever to get the roots out.
(https://i.imgur.com/vw2YLCm.jpg)
Cleared.
(https://i.imgur.com/Etd5YfV.jpg)
I painted the side of neighbours Car port as once the fence is up he would not be able to access it.
(https://i.imgur.com/OK6BR3L.jpg)
Some of the removed stumps.
(https://i.imgur.com/M1I7Ppt.jpg)
Leaves his garden a bit open to us, but nothing much I can do about that except put in some shade netting.
(https://i.imgur.com/g8iT5KZ.jpg)
Final section. We have left the stumps in here until we can get the fencing company in.
(https://i.imgur.com/B3lOloQ.jpg)
Someone approved.

Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Eric Hardy on April 27, 2020, 02:12:19 PM
My goodness, Eric, you have been busy. I am back again after being quiet for a few years.  Those Leylandii are a menace, people put them in because they are quick growing and by golly they are.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on April 27, 2020, 03:10:37 PM
What we find odd is that our neighbour is keen to have this hedge out and replaced with a fence because he finds cutting them so difficult, yet he has Leylandii all round the rest of his garden.
I am slightly allergic to conifer resin so getting rid is more than necessary.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: ideasguy on April 27, 2020, 07:22:31 PM
He probably hoped you would volunteer to do the Leylandii all round the rest of his garden ;D
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on April 27, 2020, 08:18:03 PM
He will have a long wait!
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: barryl on April 28, 2020, 07:16:44 PM
My ex-neighbour (a grumpy and unsociable couple) planed 4 leylandii on our shared boundary. When they left (hooray!) a nice young couple with 1.5 children moved in (they now have 3); quite early on they removed 2 of the dread trees, and I knocked on their door to thank them. "Oh goodness, she said, I suppose we should have asked first" (shows how nice she is....); I explained that I came in to bless them! They are lovely neighbours - and have removed the other two as well....
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: ideasguy on April 28, 2020, 07:51:01 PM
Lucky you Barry!

The top of my garden is invaded by very much unwanted delights from the two neighbours who back on to our fence.

One is Populus gileadensis 'Aurora'. They call it the Hankerchief tree It may look like it but it most certainly is not.
That one has very invasive root system. It has spread under the fence and into my garden. Have to get rid of its suckers when I see them. The lady lost her husband a few years ago and she hired someone to prune it. A large branch fell into our garden and they left it for me to deal with. I was just glad to see it lying flat(ish) instead of upright!
Next, a honeysuckle. Beautiful when it flower, but in winter I fill a wheelie bin with the tangle of growth left behind.
The most annoying is some spiny invasive variety of Raspberry. It is all over my side of the garden fence. Then it started spreading down the hedge and grows merrily through my beloved Castlewellan Gold hedge (yes, Leylandii) and is within a few feet of my own well behaved Raspberry bed.
The other neighbour had a variegated Ivy on the fence. It made its way to my side. I hate the stuff so I keep removing it when it appears.
Gardening = Man versus nature. Nature usually wins ;D
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: barryl on April 29, 2020, 08:57:46 AM
Dont start me on ivy..... The same awful neighbours put in a lot and of course it is impossible to eliminate.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on April 29, 2020, 09:51:31 AM
You have only seen the conifers from the edge of the garden. We also removed them from the interior as well.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: ideasguy on April 29, 2020, 12:38:41 PM
Quote
We also removed them from the interior as well
You are a champion Eric. :)

I hope you don't have a hedge near that Ivy Barry.
Hedges are great when they are small. Over here, the Ivy comes from nowhere and infests any hedge I have which is about 10 years or more. Its making its way into my beautiful Leylandii hedge. There is a good side - the birds love it for shelter and build their nests in it.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on April 30, 2020, 11:17:34 AM
From last year. This was a very dead stump with various self sown tree seedlings in and around it. There was also a very poor conifer in the way too.
(https://i.imgur.com/gRbsSh0.jpg)
The stump was very rotten and collapsed while I was clearing the weeds away.

(https://i.imgur.com/unajecM.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/1IM23El.jpg)
The Laurel was a self seeded one too.

(https://i.imgur.com/xwFQD0F.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/ZleaYp4.jpg)
The roots of the tree had rotted away so it was easy to turn it over

(https://i.imgur.com/9LjXLy0.jpg)
It just fell to pieces.

(https://i.imgur.com/rQwyLiP.jpg)
It filled a few boxes and bags.

(https://i.imgur.com/Tw356Ax.jpg)
All cleared away and the hole raked over.

(https://i.imgur.com/r67aTuC.jpg)
Replaced the conifer with a Magnolia lilacifolia rubra.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on April 30, 2020, 11:19:35 AM
Again from last year.
A day in the life of a garden.

(https://i.imgur.com/VjIvq9Y.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/ShSsgMF.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/gxwp6SJ.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/j5Vx0uk.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/bkeuyQ9.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/Gj6TYlA.jpg)

The stump at the end is dead. I leant on it and it came out, very nice.

(https://i.imgur.com/DO5PWCc.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/h9B4MUT.jpg)

 (https://i.imgur.com/gKPsKYz.jpg)

Another stump removed, the conifers trimmed so that we can clear out the Ivy and Bindweed underneath. Eventually all three of the conifers will be cut down.


Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on April 30, 2020, 11:21:27 AM
From this last March to

(https://i.imgur.com/QlyU4tj.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/nJPFZxt.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/JfVXcUA.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/TcDGkB3.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/aMy7rbv.jpg)

This.

(https://i.imgur.com/QSMmf9f.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/iUSfy4c.jpg)
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on April 30, 2020, 11:23:01 AM
Pieris Bed


At the top of the garden on the South side of the house was a huge bed of Pieris.
(https://i.imgur.com/8M4aZg7.jpg)

Next to it was the remains of a bed with a huge tree stump at one end. The stump was too big to remove. So I dug it over.

(https://i.imgur.com/U9UwN2Y.jpg)

It seemed more sensible to remove the Pieris and make a bigger bed.

(https://i.imgur.com/LMgNiYp.jpg)

It was easier than I thought as the shrubs had fairly thin branches.

(https://i.imgur.com/HEZ00rn.jpg)

That still left the roots to be removed. I marked out the size of the bed we wanted.

(https://i.imgur.com/2u8VK3T.jpg)

Then I began the task of digging out the roots. Again easier than I had feared. The roots were fairly shallow and the soil quite soft.

(https://i.imgur.com/TDGeijD.jpg)

The branches and roots I took to the recycling yard.

(https://i.imgur.com/bo4Q91Y.jpg)

I marked out the shape of the bed with a lawn edging turf and began removing the turf.

(https://i.imgur.com/L2Rvbjz.jpg)

The turf was stacked elsewhere to turn into top soil. The bed did not take long to clear.

(https://i.imgur.com/uqEebAO.jpg)

I began to dig it over. Very soon I found a lot of large roots from the felled tree. These I removed.

(https://i.imgur.com/kvT81kI.jpg)

It did take a few days to dig it over as there were some very thick roots which had to be cut out. Eventually it was done.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: trishs on May 14, 2020, 01:57:58 AM
Goodness, so much work!  I thought we'd done quite a lot of tree pruning recently but nothing quite as extensive as you.  I guess we have all been tending our gardens for so long now that this time has sneaked up upon us.  I still can't quite believe that our walnut tree was once a tiny seedling in a yoghurt pot which I bought at a village fete in the eighties,  We too have a small run of leylandii hedge which we have been trying to get back down to a manageable height, and  a lonicera nitida hedge which , like me, had fattened rather too much over the years and is being brought back into a slimmer and trim  shape.  As regards chain saws, when we bought ours years ago , it was via a very entrepeneurial young lad in one of my teacher husban's classes.  he was such a good saleman that he also got us to buy the relevant safety kit and Rog now always dons his special chainsaw trousers which makes me feel slightly less apprehensive when they are out cutting.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on May 14, 2020, 05:42:00 PM
The biggest problem we have after removing the Leylandii and the other over grown conifers, is the roots left behind. Taken all afternoon to lay two paving slabs. All because of the roots under the grass of the 'lawn'. They are like steel hawsers.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: ideasguy on May 15, 2020, 10:00:52 AM
I bet you sleep well at night Eric :D
I am amazed at the work you do there.
You've turned a nightmare created by your predecessor into a beautiful design.
Keep up the good work 8) I look forward to the planting stage and seeing that develop.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on May 17, 2020, 08:31:01 PM
The Fencing contractor came and measured up. 42 metres of fence. Sheeesh. That is going to cost well ove £2,000. BUT it has to be done and there is no way we can do it. The gravel boards are just too heavy for us these days. AND, they will only deliver to the bottom of the drive so we would have to carry them 50 or so metres up to the back of the garden. The fencing chaps can get their vehicle almost up to the top of the garden s no problem for them.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on May 18, 2020, 05:38:50 PM
Taken out three more conifer stumps. There was a stone inside one of the roots so it blunted the chain saw blade. Too tired to change the blade, so we packed in for the day.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on May 19, 2020, 04:01:53 PM
Only managed to remove one stump today, but it was a big awkward one with mahoosive roots. Fortunately the base of the tree was beginning to rot so the ones going straight down snapped easily once we got it so that we could push it over. Removed all the branches from the next stump, so tomorrow we should be able to get it out. There is an awful lot of brash to shred though. This last stump is not that big, but the soil round it seems to have been used to dump all the small stones from the garden, so digging may be a bit of a problem. However, I can use the stones when I make the next alpine growing feature.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on May 20, 2020, 04:12:11 PM
Well that is the final conifer stump removed. The stones were in a layer at the surface so once we removed them it was not too hard to clear the roots. The stump was rotting at the base, like a lot of them have been so not too hard to remove. The brash will need to dry out for a while before I shred it. The resin in it makes it very 'sticky' when it goes through the shredder and it blocks.
We have removed 20 stumps from this hedge row. (And at least seven from elsewhere in the garden and perhaps a dozen from the bottom hedge.).
Nothing much more we can do until the Fencing people come and put up the new fence.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: ideasguy on May 20, 2020, 07:19:55 PM
I take it that you dug those stumps out manually?
You must have unbounded energy Eric.

I'm sure you are looking forward to planning and planting out your alpine beds :D
We look forward to photos of that!


Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on May 20, 2020, 08:24:54 PM
There is no other way of removing the stumps othe than by digging round the roots, cutting them with the chain saw and good old brute force. It has taken about 6 weeks to clear them from the top hedge. Worst part is still to come in that the stumps themselves need to be disposed of. Once the local re-cycling place is not as busy I will take them there, two at a time as they are rather heavy.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: ideasguy on May 22, 2020, 11:49:59 AM
Look at the bright side - you have exposed a very large area of your new garden  :)
That must have been a very pleasing sight.
Next to complete the transformation from the unsightly to the beautiful :D
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on May 23, 2020, 04:36:02 PM
Fence people booked in for next month. Price is about what we expected and budgeted for . Need to finish digging over that bed, cut back the conifers which we are leaving in and shred the brash so they can get on with it, 20 foot run of conifers belong to neighbour so they have stopped in and the fence will go inside them, right up to the trunks. He can have the pleasure of keeping his side trimmed.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on May 25, 2020, 08:16:52 PM
Finished digging the bed next to where the fence will be. Shredded all the brash. Everything ready for them to begin.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: ideasguy on May 27, 2020, 01:42:21 PM
You need a rest after all that hard work Eric :D
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on May 28, 2020, 11:34:14 AM
Am sitting round today.
Created a path across the Drive side bed yesterday so that we can reach the Holly hedge for maintainance. I would like to extend the path along the side of the hedge, but we have run out of bricks for the edging. Since I made the path as much to use up a lot of bricks it seems a bit silly to go out and buy more,so  will have to think again.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on June 04, 2020, 08:26:41 PM
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.

(https://i.imgur.com/suFSTR6.jpg)

We had enough bricks to make a path across from the drive to the hedge.

(https://i.imgur.com/fIS6TLn.jpg)

The mulch had killed off the grass so it was easy to strip it off and remove the mulch at the same time.

(https://i.imgur.com/25XEUAy.jpg)

I replaced some of the mulch as a foundation layer for when I put  decorative bark down.

(https://i.imgur.com/5uhLjgF.jpg)

The section of garden between the Drive side bed and the Holly hedge.

(https://i.imgur.com/C0MXsjR.jpg)

Again the mulch had killed off the 'grass' underneath so it was easy to strip away the dead stuff.

(https://i.imgur.com/zc8OkQl.jpg)

Our neighbour gave us a large number of bricks to make one side of the path.

(https://i.imgur.com/c01Rlpx.jpg)

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.

(https://i.imgur.com/PA0MQyz.jpg)

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.

(https://i.imgur.com/5kNyw8O.jpg)

I used logs to make the right hand side of the path. The decorative bark finishes it off nicely.

(https://i.imgur.com/8AvOTkf.jpg)











Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on June 04, 2020, 08:41:57 PM
Top path

We needed a path across the top of the garden to get from one side of the middle bed to the Drive.

(https://i.imgur.com/hl3pJeS.jpg)

The bed has a curved top so the path followed that curve.

(https://i.imgur.com/0pPgZP0.jpg)

I used some pieces of old concrete roofing tiles to make a low wall .

(https://i.imgur.com/axCFer1.jpg)

I had enough to go round and down the drive a little way.

(https://i.imgur.com/ZuiEGt3.jpg)

I added a second layer.

(https://i.imgur.com/CmD7NEU.jpg)

Finally I put a layer of nice stones which came from the old fire surround in the Living room.

(https://i.imgur.com/D1Hj3MH.jpg)

For the other side of the path I used some more concrete roofing tiles which were lying around the garden.

(https://i.imgur.com/qIlWGDy.jpg)

There were enough of them to make the edging.

(https://i.imgur.com/V3xrh8V.jpg)

I  covered the soil with mulch from when we shredded the conifer hedge to make a soft surface.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on June 18, 2020, 10:05:02 AM
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.
(https://i.imgur.com/GQeCg1q.jpg)
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.

(https://i.imgur.com/gHxXQgl.jpg)

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.

(https://i.imgur.com/rl7Yrj9.jpg)

There is quite a large area between the Stumpery and the bottom of the garden.

(https://i.imgur.com/8iHHFii.jpg)

The end of the first day of construction. The front part of the bed completed.

(https://i.imgur.com/ibNNBJu.jpg)

The left hand side. I made it slope down from the big stump to ground level at the back

(https://i.imgur.com/HKe0uQU.jpg)

I then began work on the right hand side, again sloping it down from front to back.
End of day two.

(https://i.imgur.com/qfsIBRN.jpg)

We decided that  it would be more pleasing if the bed was not a regular shape and give more planting areas so the back stumps were put in at an angle rather than straight across.

(https://i.imgur.com/h5f0iQT.jpg)

I positioned a largish stump at the back ready to which I built out.

(https://i.imgur.com/psaI3m9.jpg)

Now I began to fill in the gap from the right hand side to the back stump.

(https://i.imgur.com/1jmM0nK.jpg)

End of day three.

(https://i.imgur.com/CM5hWwr.jpg)

The gap from the back stump to the left was filled in.

(https://i.imgur.com/WionqMr.jpg)

The picture from this side shows the irregular shape of the bed.

(https://i.imgur.com/8DobFL4.jpg)

I began to fill the bed with good leafy top soil.

(https://i.imgur.com/0SBcGyO.jpg)

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.

(https://i.imgur.com/A0duf7b.jpg)

The next job is to find plants which will grow in that situation.




Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: ideasguy on June 19, 2020, 04:48:12 PM
That was a lot of hard work Eric :o
Thank you for taking the time to take photos as you progressed with the project and posting them here.
How    doo    youuu    doooo    it ???
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on June 19, 2020, 05:57:18 PM
Biggest problem was that the soil is full of stones and rubble and roots. So to dig a hole I have to push in my fork which has needle points on the tines, waggle it back and too, use the extremely sharp 'D' lawn edger to cut the thinner roots and the loppers to cut any bigger ones. Then I can leaver out the lump of soil, bang it about until the unwanted pits are separate. Then I collect the rubbish and bag ready for taking to the recycling. The decent stones go to be used in another project. Repeat for the next lump and so on. Fun!
As for taking pictures, no trouble.  I take one each time I stop for a cuppa!
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on July 17, 2020, 08:27:08 PM
The top Fence.
In the beginning was a Leylandii hedge.
(https://i.imgur.com/mVMrm2H.jpg)
Digging out the stumps was a long, hard job.
(https://i.imgur.com/f9N9xek.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/u4u0DsT.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/S7Jj96H.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ijR9CwH.jpg)
Eventually all the stumps were removed.
(https://i.imgur.com/kB6gMHs.jpg)
The last section is not ours so we had to leave it in. We cut back the branches which came into our side.
(https://i.imgur.com/y4LYr9o.jpg)
The first two sections of the fence. Concrete posts and gravel boards.
(https://i.imgur.com/Kj5xlFH.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/DdjgpoO.jpg)
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.
(https://i.imgur.com/iKdHKeM.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/VrTqMP3.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/72DUVHk.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/1nWz3sP.jpg)
Almost to the end. The last section took a long time as it was over the top of the old drive.
(https://i.imgur.com/sFhYoff.jpg)
Finished.
(https://i.imgur.com/RhJbgjI.jpg)
£2300 well spent we think.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on July 24, 2020, 08:40:06 PM
This part of the lawn was a pain to mow so we decided to get rid of it.
(https://i.imgur.com/Vdv5hVe.jpg)
The turf needed to be lifted. I will use it to fill in a bare patch where there was just moss and no grass.
(https://i.imgur.com/BWZp921.jpg)
Strip after strip.
(https://i.imgur.com/g5J1YiE.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/zJkK8rE.jpg)
All gone.
(https://i.imgur.com/3LCEl40.jpg)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.
(https://i.imgur.com/dMwKFCx.jpg)
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.
(https://i.imgur.com/9Auah8b.jpg)
Enough stones to cover the whole area. The piece behind  the Scree bed will be planted up with shade loving shrubs, like Rhododendrons.
(https://i.imgur.com/15Ddp3o.jpg)
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.
(https://i.imgur.com/GBgYgju.jpg)
More than enough to cover it all.
(https://i.imgur.com/v4ls6CW.jpg)
Quite a pleasing result we feel.
(https://i.imgur.com/GM31sKy.jpg)
And from the other side.
(https://i.imgur.com/C1vk90v.jpg)
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: ideasguy on July 25, 2020, 07:50:55 PM
Looks great Eric. You sure are enjoying this :D
Looks like you are getting sunshine. Its been pretty miserable at times over here in Ireland this past week.

Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on November 27, 2020, 05:38:59 PM
The Garden in August this year.
https://imgur.com/a/tlrixDM (https://imgur.com/a/tlrixDM)
Done it this way for now, will post individual shots when I have more time.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on November 28, 2020, 11:49:08 AM
Our neighbours had a massive garden make over. I happened to go down the Drive as the workmen were bringing out the old paviors. "They look good!" says I as they began putting them in a skip. ""Do you want them?" asked the chap. "Yes please," says I.
So I got my wheelbarrow and began moving them on to our drive.
(https://i.imgur.com/mRj4zK1.jpg)
There were a lot of them. So I stacked them at the top of the Drive
(https://i.imgur.com/cTxgJ8Y.jpg)
I put them along the side of the Drive to give me an idea of what they would look like.
(https://i.imgur.com/gLyfiNq.jpg)
I began at the bottom of the Drive putting them so that about half the pavior was showing.
This did mean removing a lot of bits of tarmac covered gravel.
(https://i.imgur.com/hQdhq1L.jpg)
It was not easy as the Drive slopes and curves. 
(https://i.imgur.com/MIHF6r1.jpg)
Looking back down the Drive. A pleasing result.
(https://i.imgur.com/I1MTWaf.jpg)
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: ideasguy on November 28, 2020, 12:06:19 PM
Excellent job Eric. One mans waste is another mans treasure.

You have lots of leaves there to make good natural mulching.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on November 28, 2020, 12:36:09 PM
There were still a lot of the paviors left so I decided to use more of them to edge another one of the beds.
(https://i.imgur.com/8Oa6aMv.jpg)
Looks as if it should have been fairly straight forward, but the path edge is not straight and there were bits of cement  into the soil.
(https://i.imgur.com/X1IHRd5.jpg)
Looks good and did not take that long. Hopefully it will stop the mulch from spilling over on to the path.
(https://i.imgur.com/4TfoYjG.jpg)
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on November 28, 2020, 12:37:27 PM
Still lots of them left. Every time I thought we had used them all up, the workmen brought out more.
So I used them to edge another part of the garden where the soil spills over on to the path.
(https://i.imgur.com/FJ9LdYS.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/SqIiZGt.jpg)
I also decided to build a raised bed with them. This was a bit of an experiment to see if it could be done without using mortar.
(https://i.imgur.com/IsdYkfm.jpg)
I riddled a lot of top soil to fill the bed'
(https://i.imgur.com/5u32tFt.jpg)
It will have to be left to settle and for the inevitable weed seeds to germinate before planting up.
(https://i.imgur.com/ahh0Cua.jpg)
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: ideasguy on November 28, 2020, 12:49:56 PM
Gosh - that neighbour was chucking away tons of those paviors.
Sometimes, they come with concrete attached. Yours look as clean as new!
Love the raised bed!! You've given me an idea ;D I have loads of concrete blocks piled at the hidden part at the top of the garden.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on November 28, 2020, 12:57:34 PM
Some of them did have mortar on them but it was very easy to knock off with a brick hammer.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on November 28, 2020, 12:57:48 PM
Not only were they removing paviors there were also a large number onive house bricks. They did not want them either so I used them to finish off the path along side the Holly hedge.
(https://i.imgur.com/LkMDUnT.jpg)
Not that hard except for where this Laurel stump was in the way. It took some cutting down to below the path level. Laurel wood is very tough.
(https://i.imgur.com/SnaoN6u.jpg)
Not easy to get it in a straight line because of tree roots
(https://i.imgur.com/LSaSZFS.jpg)
As before I used some of the tree branches as an edge under the Holly.
(https://i.imgur.com/eDDsD70.jpg)
I extended the path along side the Compost heap area down to the Drive.
We covered the path in bark mulch.
(https://i.imgur.com/nRIzIIi.jpg)
Still lots of bits of paviors so I made a pth in front of the Compost heap. Here I used some of the tarmac gravel to give us a dry area to stand on when adding to the heap.
(https://i.imgur.com/JNcEbzu.jpg)
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on November 28, 2020, 01:13:26 PM
We had intended edging the West window bed with round topped edgings, but the Lockdown meant that we could not buy them straight away. When we went in they had sold all the ones they had and could not get any more.
Fortunately as well as the paviors and the house bricks the neighbours were also throwing away some round topped edgings. I snaffled them too.
(https://i.imgur.com/SJyYq9Z.jpg)
Still no end in sight for the paviors so another path edged.
(https://i.imgur.com/hqSYYaA.jpg)
Getting to the stage where we were looking for places to use them. This bench was waiting for pacing slabs to be put under it, but the paviors were just as good.
(https://i.imgur.com/lzneOPR.jpg)
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on November 28, 2020, 02:56:14 PM
Whilst digging the bottom of the Drive side border in the hope of being able to plant it up later with shade loving plants I found a lot of reasonable size stones.
(https://i.imgur.com/50A7pkP.jpg)
 So I used them to make a sort of rock garden next to the Summer House. This should be a fairly sunny place. I did build one there before. I dismantled it first and brought up the rocks from the Drive bed.
(https://i.imgur.com/dqQrRJ1.jpg)
Beginning at the top.
(https://i.imgur.com/0fzTzmK.jpg)
And moving down the slight slope.
(https://i.imgur.com/TsrEiGe.jpg)
Down to the front.
(https://i.imgur.com/dJDwruj.jpg)
And completed.
(https://i.imgur.com/oPdtXG1.jpg)
The spare stones I spread out alongside. If need be I can remove them and use them elsewhere. Now all it needs is a top dressing of small gravel and of course some plants.
Title: Re: Not sitting round
Post by: Palustris on November 28, 2020, 03:25:11 PM
And a final use for the paviors.
(https://i.imgur.com/yvQ1i6R.jpg)