The new project

Jungle walk / area is underway... Into the jungle

 

Couple of small updates - firstly the storage area which now has a roof. The corrugated tin sheets I found stuffed at the back of a border so figured to make us of them The alternative was to spend cash money!!

It's nothing more than a dumping area for bbq, bikes, kids stuff etc. I think it needs something opposite the wall to create a doorway effect and block off that fence you can see on the 2nd pic

 

The eagle eyed will have noticed the floor has changed a bit... Which is the second update. The ruddy awful concrete had to go, it was just shocking and I couldn't stand it. Cost being an issue, I chose to hide it rather than remove; I wasn't comfortable laying slabs on old concrete and I could have opted for bedding in some paviours (still might in the future) but the old favourite of gravel was picked.
Edged with bricks dug out of the ground all over the property, these have simply been laid on top of the concrete around the edge and are pressed in by earth one side and gravel the other so no mortar used and they're surprisingly stable.
I created a curve to the concrete which was the key bit for me to interface with the next bit of garden and changed the shape of the existing bed then added around 4 tonnes of gravel.
That didn't look quite right (too much gravel) so I broke up areas of the aggregate with 900x600 paving slabs. There's also a new steel ring planter in the middle which will, over time, rust and blend in a bit more with the wood wall and borders.

 

You end up with entering one area via the side gate, with the planter, then move through a narrow bit into a wider area with chimenea and next to the main patio. It needs a bit more planting to soften the edges but it's getting there and looks 100% better than the concrete!

 

Stuck a big planter on top! There's around 20cm of hardcore at the bottom of the planter so any water can still get through. The concrete is also so cracked that there's masses of drainage and the edging bricks aren't mortared down either so runoff will be fine.

 

It really does So much happier with it than that ghastly concrete.
I had planned a clay tile base and tropical feel courtyard but funds dictated otherwise...

 

I'm just happy the concrete is hidden!

 

Hold that thought...