My tiered garden log.

NEARLY THERE!
The wall is up, bar the backing wall and the pillar for the seating (yay!) i need to level off the ground a bit better, i was waiting for a dry day... alas, this week is literally a washout all week, so i doubt i'll be flattening the paving area at least until sunday!

We also got the final order delivered, a ton bag of sand (for under the pavers) that's going to be fun to get up the steps. and all the woodwork (bar one single fence panel) Exciting!

So, the roses are finally getting there this year, good for their first year!
And the fence panel for scale, iirc its a 3foot x 6 foot panel, we kind of had to choose this style due to our neighbours fence behind.


Then the important updates!
The wall is done! Bar the pillar and backing, but at least now i can progress with levelling everything, fitting the fence etc.



Overall view from the top level,



This is the central pillar that is going to add strength to the wall, and be the mounting point for the benches




Testing the spacing and the seat out, :D
Nice and wide so if anyone has a little bit too much to drink, they can lay down comfortably!
That is also the approximate height it will be too!
We wanted brown decking, but this 38mm stuff was on offer, compared to something like 20mm thick decking, we went for strength and plenty of meat on the wood, over colour!

Also tested out the fence panels... we need a third (WHOOPS!) my bad!
Sorry for the finger, early morning, sun behind the photo.



And i finally got started on using my new toy to make my fence posts (from pallets, ofc!)
Our neighbour on the right has this style fence, so i took a template cut it out, and sized it to how big we wanted our picket fence, so we match!



10 down, another 45 to go, bah humbug!

Oh and we got a new freezer, so my evening was taken up by doing work to the garage, corner shelf!

I've been busy!



I'm sure there probably won't be many updates until next week, I've seen the weather forecast, not good...

 

Making really good progress there!

I love the reusing of pallets - they are going to look good!

 

You've made a fine job of the wall and it's all coming together now in that 'room'. It's not going to be easy lugging that sand to the top. Have you got some burly mates that can help you out as I can't see you using a yoke with a couple of buckets!

With the weather being lousy again at least you will get a break and some thinking time ready for the next step.

 

At least everything gets a good watering!
I think it's going to be a bbq afternoon with as many people as possible, get it all up, screeded and laid in one day followed by an almighty bbq!

 

Sounds like a brilliant plan!

 

Oh yes!

Well, here we are, in sunny Yorkshire, it's been throwing it down for a good 48hours now, and i mean heavy heavy heavy rain.
So i took the opportunity to see how my grading was up on the levels.

I want to make sure the soil drains before we lay the artificial grass and the pavers, and with this amount of rain the ground is well saturated, so i get to see what the runoff is like.



Well well saturated, i levelled this with my feet, as you can tell!
once we get the whacker plate in for the pavers i'll have another go over it, but that's draining, bar the far right hand side of the artificial grass at the end, where theres a bit of a puddle. Winner!

I haven't finished levelling the top yet, but there's only two real problem areas... easy!


the slope is down to the right hand side of that picture, so obviously this is going to pool behind the wall blocking the way down the hill, Easy fix!

This corner is going to be raised anyway because this is the beginning of the slope.


Not as bad as i thought, oh and the gulley down the wall that needs filling, we needed that to point the wall up under the ground (not that you will ever see that part of the wall!)



Claggy, clay-y sticky mud! oh the joys!

Steady away!

 

Good thinking, to see the heavy rain as a drainage test, rather than a problem...

 

Always positive

 

On the whole it looks like general drainage is good. Have you got any drainage, soakaway or similar at the bottom, house end to take what is draining from the garden?

 

Nope, it just floods and weeps up into the garage :/.
Lol!
Yeah, the tarmac at the bottom is on the same level as both the waste water and house gutter exit pipe to the drains. So it's all good for the house. It just doesn't fully drain in one corner and behind the garage, but the garage doesn't have guttering so that doesn't help!

 

Sounds like another job for the future then.

 

IT BEGINS!
I started this last night on my own, about an hours work...
Tonight is the night of the big bbq, i think there's about 6 people coming that can lift up those stairs!
I've got a feeling we will be having our BBQ on our new patio tonight!!!
I've done the important bit and worked out all the spacing etc ofc!
And worked out the level so i can have a good grade down to the bottom of the pavers.
As always, i know it's not the "correct" way to lay pavers, but it's an adequate way for a temporary patio, and i don't mind the upkeep of shuffling sand around if i get a few wobbly ones after winter etc.





Obviously not going over the pillar, or too close to the wall, as you'll never see under the benches once they are done (also another way to save paving slabs)
I think that's quite nice for my first try and youtube as a guide!
I'll be re-using the sand down the sides closest to the wall and haunching with concrete around the edges so they don't wander.
Fingers crossed we have enough energy and sand!

 

I'm surprised there's not more members watching your thread VC. Your garden is unusual and makes for interesting reading along with what you are achieving in the landscaping.

 

And the unusual manner in which I work? Lol
It's all coming back up again, my sand was way too thick! Didn't have enough with a full ton bag, oh well you live and learn and all that!
At least all the sand is in the right place!

One step forwards and two steps back! I can't wait to make my benches, yay woodwork, but the journey to that is more heavy lifting, which I cannot get excited about any more! >:(

 

Don't be disheartened, Neil!

We all have times like that, where we are having to do something with the "suck it and see" method. It works sometimes, but in my experience, most of the time we have to re-do. But you will end up with a beautiful finish, and you have learned on the way...

(Wish I was nearer, and could turn up with some cookies, and an extra pair of hands for a while)