Compost Progress

Although Chris finished constructing the compost bins a few weeks ago they really need a slabbed area in front of them if they are to properly useable.  Moreover, we would like to make the area big enough to put our garden bench; it will be in just the right place to sit with a nice cup of tea and watch the bees!

So last week he begun the job of preparing the ground.  He needed to dig out the top soil to a reasonable level so that there is room for hardcore and sand on which to bed the slabs.

This week he carried on with the job.  He was pleased when, after a while, Luke came to join him.  The amount of top soil being dug out was a little problematic.  They have already made me a couple of little hillocks which I hope will make a suitable nesting place for bumble bees.

One of my wild flower hills.

I thought that the rest of the soil might be added to the large round flower bed that we recently made in the middle of our lawn.

We are hoping that by the time the soil is spread about it will make a nice gentle mound.

With Luke’s help the paved area was soon dug out.  The two chaps also enjoyed discussing whether it was the right depth for what it will be used for.  Then Luke had to go but Chris cut some weedproof membrane to size.

Then he covered it with hardcore.

It’s really starting to take shape now isn’t it!

New Old Path

The story so far!

As you may remember two weeks ago I started giving my garden path a makeover.  On Sunday I decided to finish the job.

First I cut a weed suppressing mulch to size.

Then I put down a layer of sand so that I could bed the bricks down in it.  It was a bit complicated because I had an edge of new bricks which were on their side so at more depth than the main path.

I was a bit grumpy when Chris pointed out that I needed to use a straight edge to make sure that they were laid evenly.  Thank heavens no mention was made of spirit levels!!!

I was even grumpier when the bricks which I had arranged on the grass last time would not fit into the space!

Then the man himself came and pointed out that if I wanted a slightly curved path I would not be able to make it with rectangles butted tightly together.  Hurumph!  There he is casting an expert eye (and hand) over the project, and there he is with some sort of noisy machinery trimming some of the bricks to fit.  He also suggested that the edging was making things unnecessarily complicated and that we ditch them.  So we did.

And here is the finished path.  I had to import a lot of soil back to fill up the space that I had originally dug.  Doesn’t it look lovely though? (The scissors were used to cut the weed supressing membrane to size).

And my Valentine’s trugs?  One was used to cart top soil and one to cart sand so they have already been put to very good use indeed.

Old Brick Path

When the children were much, much younger I was very proud of myself because I made a brick path from the lawn to their play-house.  However, when I recently changed the shape of the lawn the path didn’t reach it anymore.  Moreover after nearly twenty years the original path was looking a little the worse for wear.

So today I decided to start again.  I lifted all of the old bricks.  I was delighted to be able to get to the roots of all of the weeds that have been so difficult to reach!

I redug the foundations.

Then I arranged the bricks on the lawn to make sure I had sufficient to make a path of the required length.

Finally I washed all of the bricks.  Some were a bit the worse for wear after so long being a path.  I hope that next week I will be able to finish making my new ‘old brick path’.