COBBLING PROGRESS

Studio Path

Setting the 'Landing' date

Yes- it does say MMXII

There's no stopping Chris just cos the temperature has plummeted! Today was even colder and greyer but, after cobbling around the landing date, he ploughed on with the greenhouse path and digging the sump hole for the Herb Garden water feature.  I nearly froze to death - just helping to set the date tiles yesterday!  A hot bath was the only way to defrost!

The studio path has 3 diamonds each made from 4 tiles and have been inset with the smaller sized cobbles. The greenhouse path is a combination of York stone flags and cobbles.

The Draycott Gate

Caught on camera again!

Brian and Maureen's gate is given centre stage as entrance to the new herb garden.  It seemed the perfect spot for such a lovely old estate gate. The gate posts were of course made by James at Lane's and we haven't yet decided on how to finish the curves between the posts and the brickwork.  The gate threshold is a row of granite sets - some of which also came from Draycott House!  More thought has been given to the centre feature and we're leaning towards an old salt glazed pipe topped with a terracotta bowl filled with industrial glass.  Of course, you have to imagine water bubbling over it and  all the glass being lit from beneath and the movement of the water over the glass etc etc etc!  Well that's today's idea!  We'll see what actually transpires.

What to do in those curves????

Herb Garden Progress

Chris's Curves

Chris's curved studio steps

Despite underestimating the numbers of skips required and their sizes (ahem!) Chris continues to make huge leaps forward with the (sunken!) herb garden.  He doesn't seem to mind all these progress photos but doesn't much like posing himself!  There has been much grumbling about the lack of plans but the fact is: we like his ideas far more!  The idea is to make it secluded but sunny.  Chris realised from the outset that there would be a requirement for drainage and has laid pipes beneath as well as conduit for electricity enabling me to have a water feature/light or some sort of ornamental feature in the centre.  I had this idea that maybe it would be possible to drill through the very biggest piece of rock we quarried and have water bubbling up through its top.  Chris doesn't seem to think that drilling a massive piece of rock would in the least difficult!  However, he was quite strict about the base of the rock needing to be small enough for the water to trickle into the sump beneath in order for it to circulate.  Mmmm.  I hadn't thought of that one!

Brick & stone combined

We're very pleased with the stone and brick combination - an idea I spotted in Jersey. The plan (or lack of!) is to have trellis at the back and natural timber planks above the wall on the right.  It turns out that the Prunus is exactly central to the little Draycott gate. The jury is still out on what style to have in the curves.  Maybe estate fencing to match the gate or even thin chestnut posts.  Anyway; tomorrow a bulk bag of pebbles is expected, a delivery from Lanes and yet another skip - let's hope they don't all arrive together!

New Laurel Hedge

Chris nails on the last rail

Saturday saw the fencing and the new Laurel  hedge finished.  Being behind the camera means it appears that Chris does all the work alone.  Not true! We also removed a relic of a variegated holly.  It was a shame because it provided such  superb winter colour but was a really bad shape and in the wrong place, Hopefully, we can plant up our now enlarged border next week.  I will need to set up a seep hose in order to keep it well watered for its first year.  Now - all it needs to do is GROW!

The finished project

Gale Damage

A man of very many skills!

They say a change is as good as a rest and so Chris took a break from building and plastering and kindly welded the base for the bird feeder which had partly rusted and then blown off in the gales.

Late Chilli Harvest

Better late than never but, having been left hanging to dry in the greenhouse,  chilli storage was a tad overdue this season.  That being said; the yield was excellent and a night on the top of the Aga meant they were thoroughly dry.

These little Apache's really are very seriously hot!

Hedge Replacement

As if there wasn't enough going on with interior painting and decorating running alongside fairly major garden projects; a decision was made to replace the front hedge - which as you can see was mainly ivy and brambles with little left in the way of actual hedging.  We decided to go for Laurel as it's evergreen and grows a little quicker than Yew.  It meant moving the rabbit wire and erecting posts and rails first but over the weekend, a good start was made.

There were some miscalculations and, as a result, we ran out of both rails and Laurels!  This weekend should see the job finished and afterwards the - now much bigger border needs a major overhaul!  We have shrub roses heeled in the veg plot and some sale bargains in the form of 3 Hydrangeas plus a Pink Hawthorn and a Skimmia all in need of homes!