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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.)
Evening Hazel & MC, hope you are both recovering from your heavy colds; I agree other berries like Pyracantha, Hawthorn are more popular with birds than Cotoneaster but I like Cotoneaster because they are thornless and also very attractive plants. Probably a favourite would be the Rowan tree for berries to coincide with a Waxwing winter lol !!
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Regards, Hazel
I've got a tiny Pyracantha to plant this weekend, but it will take a while to be of any use. The Cotoneaster plants from Ashridge are quite big and I'd like something that will have benefits for the birds before the decade is out!
I almost bought the "standard" Cotoneaster from Ashridge last season but believe it or not we are running out of space in this garden to plant anything larger than a daffodil bulb lol
Over the weekend I managed to empty the final bag of topsoil, finished the step from the top garden and planted the Raspberries and Pyracantha.
The next stage of the step project. I set two sections of breeze block in the ground at right angles to create a square section. I filled that with some of the rubble and stones that I had accumulated whilst digging over the final sections of the sub floor. I then added two 25kg bags of post crete, mixed in with the rubble, levelled it off, added water and thus created a solid base. I then placed two more sections of breeze block on top of the base, creating small side channels with pieces of brick, added more post crete and set that with water.
One more section of breeze block to be added...
The Site Foreman decided to make a brief visit on Sunday, after an absence of almost a week.
Sunday evening. Just under half a ton of topsoil to go...
I'm intending to get a larger Pyracantha to go with the rather small one that I have just planted. The Spadgers have requested it.
The 'last step' is in place. The idea is to have grass around the side and the back.
The second section of trellis in place.
The last of the topsoil done and here's the view from the top of the step. There's a small area on the right which will be for the Alpine Strawberries.
The second section of trellis (the one on the left) is for the Runner Beans. The area in front is for veggies.
Looking back towards the house. The middle will be a few inches lower than the stepping stone path
I'm not sure what to do with the small area between the SBS and the lower garden. My latest idea is to trellis it off and create a small arbour facing the new garden and make a seat of some sort.
Ok, here's the next project. It 'jumped out at me' as I was fixing the second section of trellis to the other side of the wall...
It's not entirely clear from this photo, but there is a very spectacular white rose growing from the left, just this side of the arch. It is still in flower and has about a dozen or more blooms and buds. The plan is to move the trellis gate and assembly this side of the arch, which will re-establish the temporarily dismantled SBS. It will also open up the overhead section and allow the rose to follow the arch across from left to right and over the wall. Ultimately it will result in a more secure SBS and a floral arch (I hope).
Viewed from the far end. I will enclose the small section on the right with more trellis to stop the Ferals from taking the sunflower hearts.
All of this will need to be moved along and the rose will go from left to right and then split along the top of the wall
Interesting update MC, such progress being made! It's great how ideas evolve as you go along ... it's going to look really good!
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Well done MC you are doing just a grand job, will look lovely.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Great update MC, as it progresses you always find other things to do, it's good to keep an open mind! The pyracanthas will grow amazingly quickly & Hazy is right about them being prickly, so avoid planting too close to a path, but their pricklyness makes them a good protection against cats.
We've got 2 robins in the garden now & they don't seem to be too bothered by each other, so i'm hoping they are a couple.
Best wishes
Hazel in Southwest France
Well done on all the hard work MC, its all taking shape nicely and once the plants begin to grow and spread it will give a lot of protection and perching places for the birds and create a lovely relaxing area to enjoy. That topsoil looks good stuff so all your plants should grow well; the trellis will be covered before you know it with sparrow faces appearing from all sides lol !! Nice to see the site foreman reappeared :)
Thanks all. It is taking shape. Should be even better once I have the grass seed sown. Hopefully this mild weather will afford me that opportunity.
@Hazy I'm glad you didn't spell 'faces' with an extra 'e' lol
This morning I planted grass seed around the stepping stone path and various Daffodil and Narcissus bulbs alongside and to the right. The 'Mighty Monkton Oak' has pride of place in the middle!
From the covered passage towards the arbour (both areas to be completed in due course)
I have planted Snowdrops around the base of the Oak sapling and Daffodils around the inner circle of the stepping stones
The Vegetable Patch (to be)
Pyracantha