What Projects have you done/are you doing ????

Hi again, him outdoors

Presumably there won't be children around so you are free to take up slabs as you wish?

Why not take up about half of them and prepare the soil, if it looks good - plant in what you fancy and use containers on the remaining paving for those more tender plants. Wrap them in bubblewrap if frost is imminent or take them inside if its possible.

Make sure containers have good drainage holes and a good free draining mixture and should be ok.

Then next year you could decide whether to take up the rest of the paving (or put it back!).

Just my suggestion and as to the plants and exposure, there are better qualified people on here who are not that far away from you who could give you a better answer.

 

Cheers Dag,
1st step is to lift a few slabs and get a quick growing windbreak in(don't worry,it won't be leylandii !)plant in my existing stock and then i think i'll try some containers, i've heard that architectural salvage yards are a good idea.I'll get the eldest brat(sorry fantastic daughter)to take some pics and maybe i can do a before and after in about 3 months.Its daunting and exciting to start from scratch.As to suitable plants,the Open Gardens Scheme will hopefully start soon, they usually have plant sales and if the plants are local should be suitable.

 

Dave - when you have done your polystyrene planter, if you pour on a mixture of manure (preferable cow) and water, it will encourage lichen and other green stuff to grow on it.

 

I have been turning my vegetable plot into a wildflower haven..i dug a pond and put logs all around it...and i have bundles of sticks thrown here their and everywhere...i have roses and ivy climbing up sticks.. grasses ..and a load of herbs dotted around..by june the whole plot will be covered and it will look really nice..i have a few plants that fit in well that are not wild or herbs..i am still tweaking it daily but because i have thrown seeds all over i cant keep walking on it now so most of it is seing to itself...and i shall also add some runner beans up sticks at the edges to give height and the extra interest..

 

Dave - some live natural youghurt will do the same as the cow poop - but MUCH less smelly!!!!

As for my project - we are counting the days down to the diggers moving in....then 6 - 8 weeks of frantic digging, wall building and patio-laying,(not by us, by a landscape gardener) and then, hopefully, a wonderful garden (and no money!!!!!)and our garden is only 40foot square....... but with a 6foot drop front to back, and a 1 1/2 foot drop from right to left....

 

oh but the fun involved in harvesting the cow poop!not to be missed

 

It'a little task I do to stain new stone work and help it mellow in colour.
Trouble with yoghurt is that snails love the stuff and wipe the areas done almost clean overnight!

 

Paladin is that the same as what I sing - areas - or is it my spellin again

 

Only if you put yourself about a bit Waco :D
You could sing arias in areas to some "extent"

 

I think I can manage to sing big areas in littel arias

 

Hello, after moving in last summer our project is to strip the garden of 40 leyandi conifers that were touching the power cables, make new beds, fence off the garden and patio area (oh yes, make a patio area) from our 2 very destructive bullmastiffs, install a summer house and dog run, plant it all up and relax. Thats the theory and to lay the lawn (not a subject i wish to discuss). i would do a before and so-far but i dont know how to add a picture yet.

[ 19. April 2006, 02:16 PM: Message edited by: Happy Hippy ]

 

If your Leylandii are touching power cables, you may be able to get them romoved by electric supplier, they keep a team of tree men on the go and often would prefer to take out than come back pruning all the time - 40 does sound a lot though!

You MUST take the pictures - it does tell you somewhere how to do it, but not sure where. I have my old layladni hedge pictured somewhere, when I look back at the photo I never regret taking it out.

 

Happy Hippy - go to "Members Gallery" "how to upload pictures"

Lets see it all and how fast you are working

 

Thanks Waco, but its too late, trees are no more, they had actually grown round the cables at points, my workmen were not happy dangling up trees to cut them off, Here goes a before during and a so far

 

Whoops sorry pics too big dont know how to alter the size.