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I recently demolished my garage in order to extend the garden and within the last few days I have broken out the garage floor slab. The idea is to create flowerbeds around the perimeter and to lay turf adjacent to that. The broken out flooring was only a couple of inches thick and once I have broken it down even more I was intending to put a topsoil/compost mix on top to create the flowerbeds. I am assuming that the broken up flooring will assist with drainage and stop the soil from simply washing away when it rains? I have several bags of Homebase topsoil and was intending to mix them in with compost of some sort. Can anyone offer advice and tell me if this is a good idea? I intend to plant climbing roses and honeysuckle at the far end of the garden because I have installed trellis at high level. Going forward I will be planting runner beans and tomatoes on the more exposed wall and pyracantha and other Sparrow friendly plants elsewhere. I will post some photos when I get home, in order to give a better idea of the layout. Hope someone can offer some advice. Thanks.
Unicum arbustum haud alit duos erithacos
(One bush does not shelter two Robins)
Zenodotus (3rd Century B.C.)
If your weather is anything like ours you'll be dodging showers for a while yet MC!
I was up a ladder cutting the tops off our old fruit trees which have to be dug out to make room for the pipes coming from the new septic tank we have to put in (no trees within 3 metres of trenches).
Best wishes
Hazel in Southwest France
I was hoping for at least a couple of decent days so that I could start work in the Lower Garden. I need two sections of 6'x6' trellis for the East wall and maybe two smaller ones for the bottom of the fence to allow the ivy and honeysuckle to climb up. Maybe there will be sufficient breaks in the weather to allow me the time for this prep work? At least GR is keeping an eye on things from the shelter of the holly tree!
Just catching up with this MC. You've been doing a marvellous job, what a transformation already. I look forward to seeing it mature and progress as time goes on.
Paul
My bird photos HERE
I wish you better weather than is forecast for Saturday MC ... just had a storm here & I see we are on a weather warning for the heavy rain until about four in the morning!!!
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Slowly moving on MC
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The rain isn't helping!
More storms all night & yet more lashing rain all morning ... bet those bags of yours weight more than a ton each by now!!
Luckily I don't have to lift them up! I've been beavering away today, doing prep work for the planned vegetable patch and also planting the three climbers that will have the run of the main fence and trellis: One each of Honeysuckle, Clematis and Climbing Rose. I also piled the remaining rubble in the far corner and have created the basis for the rockery. I will have to let it settle and bed in for a few weeks I suppose, so any rain will help that process. I have marked out four sections, each of them 1.2m in size. Each section will have a ton of topsoil allocated to it. I have so far shifted about half a ton for the far end of the garden and will continue tomorrow and each morning this week (I am on the late shift at work and don't leave home until 1pm). GR has been 'supervising', which means he visits every hour or so, does a spot of ditting to get my attention, patronises me by feeding from my hand and then clears off! The Spadgers have been keeping me company for most of the day, there are about 50 of them at present, which is a lot for this time of year. Some GT's and BT's made a few sorties to the sunflower hearts and a few Goldies flitted around late in the afternoon. I am currently deep frying some chips to have with ham and fried eggs. My work today is done!!!
The boy did good!!! Lol Am feeling exhausted just reading about all you've done today & so pleased that you had birdie company, especially from that little GR who appears to have you sorted just how he wants!!
Sounds like you deserve double ham,egg & chips after all that work, youve got a few calories to replace MC. I'm sure the birds are looking at that soil with enthusiasm, they'll be picking it over as soon as your back is turned!!