Yvonne's Nectar Haven - Work in progress

I've only just caught up with this thread, but it looks like you've already made good progress. Hope the Nepal trip goes / went well, and looking forward to see how you're getting on!

 

Thanks for the encouragement guys Yes, Zigs I can hardly believe it, I booked it a year ago on impulse when I split with my ex and how only have 3 days to go!! I'm going with a travel company who specialize in Nepal and they offer an alternative itinerary such a cookery lesson with the women in a remote Himalayan village, staying in a Monastery and crocodile watching from a canoe amongst a load of other stuff

I hope it's not too cold whilst I'm away, no idea which plants I should be protecting and how. All part of the learning process I suppose.

 

Hope you have a lovely time.

Crocodile watching from a canoe

 

Yvonne - you have done marvellously already. In some ways a blank canvas can be the best start - that's how I started. There are no hang-ups about what to keep and what to get rid of.

Do have a great holiday.

 

Thought it was time to update this, especially as I have taken a couple of days off work to make some progress. At the moment it feels like its going to look worse before it gets better. I've had the greenhouse built, not a typical one, this is a wooden one which I have painted. I would put a photo up of that but some of the paint run as it started to rain before it had dried. I'm hoping to touch it up tomorrow.

Jobs I've done - the back wall have an old timber fence running over the top of it which desperately needed attention. I've cleared back the brambles and Ivy and given both the brick wall (which was whitewashed) and the timber a coat of paint. I need to do a second coat, just need the weather to stay warm and dry enough.


I, have also been tidying up the wall by the area which will be the raised veg garden. It looked really messy as it used to be the back wall of an out house but I've discovered today that it's in such a poor state that you can actually remove the bricks by just lifting them. Clearly not safe, I don't want bricks falling on my head when I'm picking my Spinach. I have removed most down to the original brick line (the curve ?) but the last 3 layers are a little more stubborn.

 

Well it's all systems go this weekend! Here's an update on progress so far

• First raised bed built and filled. I even have my peas and broad beans planted.
• All fences painted and brickwork cleaned up as much as possible
• Wisteria planted
• Greenhouse painted, just need to do a top coat of varnish now

Next steps, I have some stone slabs on Freecycle which would be ideal on an allotment as a walkway between beds. I have 15 x paving stones on Ebay with a bid for £5 so far. Not really bothered what they sell for, just want to get rid and keep what I send to land fill to a minimum. I offered some top soil to a couple on freecycle on Wednesday and in return they have lent me their trolley. The skip has just arrived so I will be busy filling it all weekend.
I have ordered my Indian stone and have booked the landscapers for the 14th May. I'll update this later with some photos.

 

As you can see I have a lot of work to do over the weekend, all the concrete has to go!

 

Got your work cut out then

Thats an interesting bit of brickwork, the grey mortar is a lime ash mortar, made from the ash of the coal fires from the city. Mixed with lime it made a stronger bedding mortar than lime on its own.

 

The top layer of brick just fell away Zigs, I can't budge the remaining bricks and ideally I would like to take it back to the curve of the original garden wall before someone added an out house to it. Any ideas?

 

Top layer came away as the acid rain disolved the bond, but the lime would have percolated down and re enforced the lower mortar.

Quick thump with a lump hammer & chisel on the joints should separate them

 

How have you been getting on Yvonne?

 

Hi Fern, well I have been filling the skip for 3 days now. The skip is full, my back has gone into spasm and it still isn't finished!!! Need to order new skip tomorrow, rest my back, which I'll be doing anyway as I'm working away for 2 days so, I'll order a new skip tomorrow and my brother and mum are coming round Wednesday evening to finish the job off!
All of the 2x2 intact council type flags have recycled. All the large slabs of slate have also gone to a lady who first took some flags off me last year and she is going to use them a pathways between beds on her allotment.

Having a glass of wine now, and then off for a long soak!

 

Why is it that when we want to get something done our backs always give way? I can hardly bend at the moment so I can sympathise with you there. Hopefully when you get back the job will be done and think of all the plants you can buy to fill up the space! . It's looking good though - love the greenhouse.