The Phoenix rising (I hope)

You have worked so hard (and found so much!). Makes you wonder what the person was thinking who did that

 

They'd make great plant supports

@Ellie Jones .... what a job that is...as Sheal said no wonder your lawn didn't stand a chance.

Beautiful dog BTW

 

It really does....

Surely they must have known the green plastic was under the decorative stones/slabs, and plonking the remains of the shed without removing the pond liner, the lawn wasn't going to drain, then adding brick walls just gonna tank the whole area...

When we moved in the garden was a real mess we found goodness know what, car parts, electrical wiring, connectors, broken light bulbs to name a few...

Today, I hacked out the fishpond breeze block and cement surround, and backed fill part of the hole I created yesterday.... Just got a couple of barrows of rubble to move to the skip, but after 7 hours of hard labour I packed up.... They can wait until my next day off on Wednesday...

Then it's leveling everything, hubby said that it' be fine to leave the decorative stone/slabs where they are to, as this is well compacted and will give a stable surface to put the sharp sand bed on...

Hopefully will have the ground level by Friday, this is when all the paving bricks, sleeper's etc are being delivered (hopefully still have to order them) so we're ready for the off on Sunday when I start my 11 day annual leave..

 

You've certainly put some work in it's going to look great though

 

We're having a day off the garden today, as the work men are here replacing the left hand fence...

But we have hit an hitch, went to order the materials yesterday, only to find unlike the advert in the shop of next day delivery if you order by x time, there's actually a 7 day lead time when you order on line! So won't arrive until next Wednesday...

I so wanted to get most of it finished by then, so that we could have a couple days rest/recovery before going back to work....

So I can feel some shopping therapy required today at the garden centre me thinks hehehe

 

Enjoy your retail therapy!
Honestly, the amount of hard work you are putting in with your garden, you deserve a day off and a treat

 

I came home with a boot full of goodies

I brought some trailis plain wood one for my honey suckle, and what transpired to be a twin pack willow one for my Lady's bloomsbury fushia

I also brought some willow canes for my sweet peas...

2 very nice and very heavy taricotta pots on a bogof at £25

Several plain small taricotta pots.

Some veg plugs for my allotment, they were selling off some of their flower plugs so brought more for my containers.

oh, some 5 tomato plants different varities, as my seeding died off

Got home to realise that I'd forgotten to pick up some more plant feed, so off tomorrow to B&Q to pick some up, and perhaps I might just sneak in some a Palm or two, as they seem to be the only place that does them.....

 

No faulting your enthusiasm Lots of therapy there, Ellie!

 

I came on here expecting to see a large Phoenix canariensis date palm !

The one thing I note is that you will fill your garden very quickly, before you know it, you'll have no space for anymore plants. Gardening is one of those things where you plant things up, then you realise you want more, it's a snowball effect.

 

'M' my enthusiasm has been brewing for a long time....

2 frozen shoulders put a spanner in the works when I first moved in, also meant that because I couldn't work financing anything in the garden was a no no....

Stephen

Now you mention it, I have a phoenix date palm in my greenhouse, where I over wintered it not go the room to bring it out until work is done, as I'm struggling to keep all my other containers out of the way, they are currently all bunched up on the patio corner....

And you're correct, it isn't going to take long to fill up my beds, so wish I had a bigger garden to play with... Then I could think about fish ponds rather or as well has the water feature I've choosen.

Still not decided whether to go for a tropical style or cottage garden.. I like the idea of the structure that a palms etc bring, but also love the profusion of colour of the cottage garden and plants viving for space and air... I actually hate formal gardens that have colour coded borders...

But who's to say I can't mix both

 

Oh do I ache

But the ground work is now complete, removed the last several wheelbarrows of rubble, and leveled the ground... I also put the trailis up for the honey suckle, then watered all my plants.

So it decision tomorrow, do we crack on with putting the wall in, and bricking in the shed step, or do I go out the allotment and some planting and seed sowing!

 

It took two journeys to the builders merchants, to get the bricks, sand and cement for the front part of the paved area... Might have a landie but heck it can only take so much weight, and really didn't want to push it...

But hubby under the watchful eyes of the hounds, has almost finished this part even though he didn't start until gone 2... So he's aiming to finish this and the shed step tomorrow, but we have to pop over to see his mum, alas tis a 30 miles round trip...

Should find out tomorrow whether the main materials will be delivered morning or afternoon on Wednesday...

 

I really love these types of threads Ellie. It really is a voyage of discovery (and back breaking), to go from a neglected patch to a finished jewel of a garden. Keep those before, during and after pics coming in. Love'em to bits me!

 

Why not mix both.. Go for a Mediterranean style and mix the styles together.. for example, there is something very attractive about a Trachycarpus (Windmill palm) underplanted with Lupins.. for colour, you can't beat it. Or a Yucca with Convolvulus sabatius trailing over the side of the pot. A cistus works well in an dry bed, and would look good around a Yucca.

Also for something exotic and hardy, look up Crassula sarcocaulis, it's actually a fairly close relative of the money plant; Crassula ovata, only much hardier.

Also if you have a corner where a small tree can go, plant Viburnum tinus and let it grow somewhat, then topiarize it to make it look more polished then you can underplant it with some Azaleas, or perhaps some Cosmos, or Californian poppies or English marigolds, make it look Vibrant all year around (the Viburnum flowers in winter), if you want that vibrant look of colour.

 

Stephen some food for thought there....

Well, as I thought, as I started to crack on with painting the fence, our delivery turned up.... So packed brush ect away. But must say the delivery driver was brilliant, He first discussed with us exactly where we wanted everything placed and popped everything on my drive....

Hiked my son out of bed, tis his day off to help bring in the paving blocks, it took the 3 of us just over an hour to shift 700 paving blocks....

Then my youngest daughter turned up with grandson.... So one heavily pregnant mum and a 2 year old, to add to the dogs to manuvoure around... So not an easy afternoon trying to get the garden sleepers moved, cut and into position.... Then the realisation that I had made a measuring mistake and didn't have enough..

So off to get some, which proved to having to make a design alteration, as nobody had any, one place did have some but only in 2,4m length, which won't fit into my landie... So ended up in the farmer merchants down the road from me, and they had railway sleepers, which had been cut into half, so 4ft long... Decided that I could use these within my design, couldn't make my mind up 2 or 3! So got 3 of them.. I only needed two.. But can turn the other one into a nice seat for under the kitchen window, phew

Hubby got the shed step built, and we started to sort out the border on the right hand side of the garden... But quit at 7 pm due to needing something to eat...

But considering having to search for the sleepers, we got a lot done really

Tomorrow, it's up early as need to pop out first, get a new angle grinder, and electric screw driver, and some more brackets to hold the beds together.

Then home to see how much we can do.... As we're still hoping to finish before the weather really turns at the weekend. hubby's brought another rubber mallet, as he reckons that he's going to teach me how to lay paving blocks! hrmmm I willing to give it a crack..