Mat's Garden "Build"

Build, transformation, make-over - whatever you want to call it.

The garden was pretty much completed about a month ago, after giving it a mow today and clearing some final bits of rubble, I decided to take a few more pictures.

So, here are the pictures I have taken along the way.

Garden as show in the "house sale" pictures/listing





Once we moved in. Looking at file name, it was 4 days after, taken on 29/4/13



And just a month later - 25/5/13











Trimmed everything back as far as we could, cut the grass etc











The next day was to remove all stumps, slabs, ivy around the garage etc 26/5/13

 

So, that was the start of the transformation. The rest happened as and when we (I) had spare time. The idea was to have a fairly low maintenance garden. Whilst we would both like something really nice, we are both busy to maintain it.

As some may know, my brother is "builds" football/cricket pictches, golf courses, school playgrounds etc. I decided to start from scratch, especially as the "lawn" was more weed than grass.

After about a week of grass killer being down - 12/6/13



I borrowed a rotavator from my brothers work



The next day all of this arrived - 29/6/13



And I made a start on rotavating as all the grass had well and truly died



Oh, I forgot to mention a "trench" had been bug for the new path whilst waiting for the grass to die



And I also dug some fresh boarders out





A couple of week later, my and my bro laid a new path - well, that start of it - 6/7/13



The week before we had done the "patio" area outside of the conservatory. About 6 or 7 slabs needed relaying, so replaced them with new.

15-7-13 - All slabs now done



22-7-13 - I then made a start levelling the garden the best I could.











So, almost 2 months after all the work began, I eventually got around to seeding the garden. With the help of my brother - 4/8/13









(notice all the rubble down the bottom)

 

A week later, and first signs of grass - 11/8/13



First attempt at pointing - this was literally the first bit down







a day later :lol:



16/8/13



17/8/13 - Went to fetch stone for around the garage. SWMBO then decided to fill ALL boarders with this. The original plan was stone around the garane and decorative bark around the lawn







The next day. Filled up the boarders part way with wood chip as I dug them deeper than I should have





That was it for the day. And I also rolled the grass as it was long enough. The idea was to roll it and break the blades so it grows back thicker and stronger



First cut of the grass - 25/8/13





Still rubble at the bottom

And finally, as of today it looks like this 14/9/13
Garden cut, all rubble bagged up and in the shed/white bag













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So, that's the garden about 95% completed. Need more stone in the boarders around the lawn as it doesn't come up high enough and the garden centre ran out (we took 51 bags in total :lol. We will also get some nice pots next year, and plant some flowers in the breeze blocks at the end of the lawn.

I will also paint all fences, the shed (which is virtually new and mint inside), wood around the garage next year. We may also opt for some decking down the bottom of the garden. That will be either next summer or 2015 - depending on budget next year and also if we "use" the garden enough to warrant it.

I think that that's it. Thanks for looking

 

Sorry, just added a "side by side" picture

From this:


To this:

 

Yes, personally I liked it how it was, sorry.

 

Well a lot of work has gone in there. The lawn is looking very good indeed
Splash of colour needed in pots.
If you have a wilkinsons near you, they are selling pots off cheap now.
Well done

 

Pete: a couple on other forums have said the same. But with our lifestyle, we just don't have the time to maintain something like the original pictures.

Mowgley: I'm in Chesterfield. Hoping to get a few pots from Glapwell Nursaries. Cheapest around for most things we've looked at. Even had a really nice "love seat" there for around £60. We went a few weeks ago, and pots were massively reduced.

 

Hiya.

I tend to agree with Pete. I prefer a garden with a bit of flow to it. I note though that you say you wanted low maintenance, and what you have done is very neat.

 

I think I need to explain my comment above.
I agree a lot of work has taken place, but is it a garden? or just a bit of grass and gravel, both of which only make a garden on "ground force".
Should low maintenance mean "no plants"?

The original garden had some good plants that just needed a trim and looking after, the first pics show the garden overgrown and in need of the grass cutting at least.
No garden looks good when the grass needs cutting.

 

SWMBO didn't want plants in the boarders, and have to spend time weeding etc. So the idea was to have pot plants. Keeping weeds to a minimal, both in pots and around the lawn.

Plus, the garden is like your home. We felt we had to make it "our own", not that of the previous owners - if that makes sense.

As a car lover, I also had to get rid of all that ivy around the garage.

Each to their own, we are only a young(ish) couple, who plan on starting a family. I guess what we have now is, simply put, a blank canvas to work with over the coming years.

 

Agree whole heartedly, your 'garden' is yours to do with as you please, it looks very neat and tidy. Yes, personally I like to see more planting, but I also like to see it well kept even if there is little or no planting. Cannot stand to see outside areas looking like land fill dumps.

I would go with the idea of the decking, as once it is there I am sure you will use the garden. (nothing better than sitting out on a summers evening with a glass of something cold, helps relieve the stresses of the day)

Enjoy.

 

I agree, my parents have had decking for the last 10 or more years. Great just to chill outside after a hard days work, or evening jogging session. We're getting a dog in 2 weeks, so could sit on the decking and watch him play.

 

I think it looks fine for what you want it for. Couple of observations:

I think you should have put some membrane under the gravel to stop the weeds coming up (although maybe you did?)

You could perhaps plant a climber(s) along the fence for some colour, without it intruding into the garden or being a lot of work.

I'm with the others though (not surprising given that this is a gardening forum!) that I would like to see it chock full of plants instead ...

You likely to become a lawn fanatic? That lawn could become really plush, if you chose to go down that route

 

One word of warning, if you are getting a dog, remember it is natural for them to want to dig up lawns... And pee and poop on them...

(Spoken as a dog lover with two big dogs, male and female, and also as a garden lover. I have come to accept that the green space may be grass, may be clover, and may have hidden "landmines" lurking!)

 

Best to have an area reserved for the dog, and then train the dog where to go ...