Grassed up

The lawn's finished and so the project grinds to a halt for a few weeks as the grass beds in.

Next we'll have to pick our plants. The landscaper isn't confident that he'll be able to get exactly what we've asked for but we'll see how it goes.

Square dance

The spaces for the bushes were moved yesterday, as requested, and we have some paving for our bins too:

Lawn time coming

And this is the new lawn:

Well, most of it. The suppliers didn't send enough grass, so more is due on Tuesday.

The strange squares on the left are intended for fruit tree planting, apparently. We'll be having those moved tighter against the wall before the grass takes root.

Here it is looking the other way:

Muchos grasses

It's here!

All square

A concerted effort on patio-related things today. The last stones of the back one are now in place, plus two new stones at the entrance to the shed where the grass used to wear badly.

Also there are some flags laid between the planting beds, and the groundspike is in place for the washing line, between the patio and shed.

On the big patio, meanwhile, the final stones are in place, just needing to be grouted, and a few more have to go on the step to finish it:


Inching steadily towards completion.

Stony grey soil

... or, more accurately, gravel:

This is a preparatory layer to aid drainage when the lawn goes on top of it.

Other bits and pieces today included a couple more blocks on the step, plus the grouting of the remaining bits of both patios, even though neither has all its stones in place. Odd. Anyway, the whole place should be looking very different by the end of this week.

Epic conclusion

The years long saga of the front hall finally concluded today when the plumber came round to fix the radiator to the wall:

One resident of 265 wasn't even born the last time that was in place.

Time for beds

The landscaper and his glamorous assistant worked a ten-hour day today, in the sunshine. It was all about moving the big pyramid of topsoil from the front of the house to the raised planting beds:


Most of the rest of the garden got rotivated in preparation for the lawn which is scheduled to be laid on Thursday. In the meantime, I hope, we'll get the patios finished.

Excitement!

This was the most interesting thing the landscaper did on his half day today, rendering the patio wall and laying a couple more blocks for the step:

Maybe tomorrow will be more interesting. Watch this space...

This and that

He takes quite a scattered approach to the project, our landscaper. Today, for instance, even though the big patio was ripe for grouting, he never touched it, opting instead to concentrate on laying the small patio, not that he finished that either:



He also made a small start on the steps up to the big patio:


Lots of new topsoil arrived today too, so there's another strand to be woven in over the next few days.

Laying stone, and plans

A tale of two patios today. Construction of the rear one continues, with the pouring of a cement foundation:

And we're nearly done with the front one, with just a few final stones and the last of the grouting to do:

Once these two are finished we'll be into endgame. The landscaper says he wants to just throw down the paths and the lawn, and then leave the planting for three to four weeks. That, he says, will give him a chance to launch a final assault on the serious weed issues we have, and will continue to have. Hit 'em hard is the only way.

Shrink my patio

Had a big discussion with the landscaper this morning concerning the back patio, and whether the washing line will fit between it and the shed. End result: the back patio is now a metre or so narrower.


It was another filthy day so not a whole lot else happened. Just more clearing of debris from the garden. Not that that isn't important. The rubble itself has been thrown into the rectangualr hole to form the lowest foundation level for the new patio.

Rain stops play

The guys only did a couple of hours' work this morning, before some nasty heavy rain sent them home very early for the long weekend.

They got a bit more digging done, and laid out the shape of what will become our three raised planting beds:


Here's hoping for more conducive weather when they return on Tuesday.

Can you dig it?

Today the garden was rotivated and the fine tuning work of removing the debris and raking the soil was begun. The left-hand side is pretty much done:

At the back you can see the foundations of the lower patio are being dug. More back-breaking slog tomorrow.