One of the biggest attractions for me when I bought this house was the fact that it had no garden. Blocked paved at the front, continued all through the car port area at the side then a large sand-stoned slab area at the back. I already had problems with both wrists and really didn’t want to be gardening – a few pots full of pretty flowers, I thought I could handle that.
I succumbed quite early to building a raised bed in one corner, well it wasn’t too much to deal with and it meant I could fill it with bulbs and shrubs.
And they all survived – not bad for me as I have never been really good with plants.
The problems with drainage started this year really after the ‘proper’ roof was fitted to the carport area and any rain ran down this new roof, onto the garage roof then poured down the back of the garage into an ineffectual soakaway.
It looked okay from the inside until I discovered a pool of water coming up through the garage floor – that was when I really started to look at how the whole area had been created….
All the other gardens are raised or tiered at the back – so that they are level with the road beyond the property, but the previous owner of my bungalow had dug out all the soil down to the clay bed to make the area flat enough to lay slabs. this meant that the road at the back of my garden and the garage at the side are a good two feet higher than my garden. It also meant that any water getting into the back garden could not drain away – the clay was too dense. The previous owner had also put concrete collars around the drains so rainwater couldn’t get out that way either.
After much thought I decided to take the slabs up at the side of the garage, dig down two spade depths into the clay, and fill the whole area with hardcore and gravel – this would help to soak some of the water away and as Hippie likes to use a gravelled area as her toilet (liquid only, readers) – it would make it easy to keep clean.
And Hippie approved too!
Once this was done there seemed little point in keeping the rest of it slabbed so decided to go all out for drainage and have a small area next to the raised bed dug out and filled with topsoil for the rest of my potted shrubs and trees, then another 48 slabs were to come up and turf the area at the end of the garden.
I ordered all the materials and my daughter and her boyfriend completed the gravelled area and made headway into getting the garden area dug out. My son had arranged to come up and help but we knew it was too much to tackle in one weekend so my girl did me proud working on the project whenever she could.
And of course, like all greyhound’s Hippie just had to join in.
Then last weekend my son came up as arranged – and the three of them got on with it – they started on the Friday night in the pouring rain and the dark..
It was really late when they finished and they were so wet
But – they shifted two tons of soil and took up countless slabs ready to lay the turf the next morning.
It was hot showers, large glasses of wine and a takeaway that night – ready to start again the next morning.
……..
And they did, they shifted sand from underneath where the slabs had been and dressed the area with soil – I pottered round them all painting the wall round the edge of the garden and sweeping all the residue soil away. the sun shone thank goodness and bless them – they worked all day.
I couldn’t believe how it was suddenly coming together, that turf went down easier than laying a carpet.
My daughters boyfriend knew how depressed I had been about all this and kept giving me hugs and thumbs up’s (see above) he knew it would be nice when it was done!
I went off and got dinner sorted – the very least I could do in the circumstances – but I kept a watchful eye on them…
And suddenly – it was finished..
Cleared of rubble and looking amazing – time to celebrate!!
And lets not forget the night view as anyone who knows me will also know my love of fairy lights so having painted the side of the garage, the lights went up!
Very pretty!!
What a weekend!! It was big thanks all round to my wonderful kids – my son stayed until Sunday afternoon and sorted out some of the electrical nightmares that this house has – he says he’s coming back to do a wiring job but then again he has seen the wiring in the loft – I’m not allowed up there!!!
And now – I am diligently watering the turf daily, and keeping Hippie off it – though she keeps looking longingly at it… trouble is she could rip it all up in 5 seconds flat – so its no go area for quite some time.
A big job, and well done. What a difference a proper garden makes. They really are “feel good” places. Once the new turf is well established, I can only guess how much fun Hippie will have as well.
Looks fantastic. How lucky are we to have big burly sons to do the heavy work! Mine’s working tirelessly at creating a little patch of bindi free lawn just near the pool so that we can walk on it barefoot without the spikey little buggers getting stuck in our feet. Last week he was on the roof cleaning the huge amount of gum leaves blocking the gutters . . .I love your fairy lights too! I never took mine down after Christmas!
What a delightful difference! You, your children, and the boyfriend did a terrific job, and now you’ve truly got a place to be enjoyed. The lights just make it all the more special. Happy times!
A lot of hard work, but it is going to be so worth it. Sitting out in the garden, reading a good book or sharing some time with a good friend, surrounded by flowers and greenery. It is hard to beat that!
Cortes: thank you – it was a huge job and one that I thought would never be over but now I have to think about buying a lawn mower!! I love the smell of freshly mowed grass!!! And if Hippie tears it all up …well… she better not!!!!
Baino: Like you and yours – my kids are my best friends – and when things go wrong they are always in my corner – they did a lovely job!! The fairy lights? – mine are always all year round … I just love them.. oh and lava lamps too and at Christmas – well I just add to them!!
Ethelmaepotter: It will be lovely next spring and summer when I can spend time out there and my favourite flowers – daffodils – start blooming- I just need some more solar lights for in the trees now!!!
DBM: I know… my daughter says she is going to get me a new garden seat just for those very occasions – now its nearly finished I can’t wait!!!
Wow – Kate, what wonderful family you have! Spectacular job done by all. It looks lovely and will be even more beautiful come next spring. I am so glad you got it done, I hope it lifts your spirits! Hug.
Scritches to Ms Hippie!
What a story! I shall cherish this post for many years as I had to do exactly the opposite when we moved into our place twenty years ago. Our neighbours all have lawns in the front, but I did not want the bother of maintaining one and decided to pave the front yard with stone slabs with gaps in between for grass to be planted and grown. It has made all the difference to our garden and has enabled us to keep shifting potted plants to many different places and keep the edge left unslabbed available for seasonals and perennials.
oh my what a lovely garden. I might do that to my garden next year. Hippy seems to like it to. you must be very happy with the end result.
Sistertex: Thank you, they are amazing people… I feel very loved! And now its finally sorted I can enjoy the view from my window a little more. Yes, thank you my dear, I am feeling much better!
Hippie thanks you for the scritchies too! x
Rummuser: I bet yours looks lovely- I must look on your site for pictures – you see thats what I wanted, low maintenance – but, alas, not at the expense of flooding and worse! Thank you for visiting.
Vicky – Hi there – yes its all looking very colourful now and I am sure Hippie can’t wait to lay on the cool grass (next summer, maybe) – yes I am happy with it now I have gotten used to the idea!
It looks wonderful, well done to you all.
Knackered of Swindon reporting for duty! Looks good still, although waking up to grass outside on the Sunday morning was a turn up for the books for all of us!
Yep, now you have the joys of watering and mowing (and keeping Hippie off it too!) – Enjoy
Thanks Val – it seems to have been going on for ever but now – well its a nice surprise every morning when I look out of the window!
Keiron: And well you deserve to be knackered – all that pushing of loaded wheelbarrows while singing (?) ‘Hi Ho Hi Ho – its off to work we go’ in the rain – wore me out too! Its still looking good – the lines are disappearing – lets hope it survives the holiday…. its bound to rain then – isn’t it????
Hippie is fine – she looks longingly but is confined to the smaller patio area and coping well.
Might start looking at mowers over the weekend!! Any ideas anyone?
great that it was all completed so quickly and what enjoyment you will get from it all next summer.
The kids have done a great job Kate. It looks wonderful!
Oh, I’m SO glad you’ve got this done at last! Looks great, too! And I’m sure Hippie will appreciate it once the turf has ‘taken’. Well done everyone! Yes, you too – those fairy lights look lovely!
Hi Kate.What a wonderful team of workers and a most pleasing end result of their efforts.If they should wish to garden full time I would most happily employ them!
Thanks Tony – although it doesn’t look so good now – Alfie and his mates have made a mess of that lawn – and some of the slabs have sunk a little – but the summer is coming and hopefully it will all pick up again – even the chewed plants – she said hopefully!!!