garden maintenance

[ChrisG]

Yes, still planning to go elswhere - but we need to house to be saleable before we do, hence all the work. We know where we want to go and there are several properties available in the right area, but if we dont get a good price for our current house, we wont be able to move there.

ETA: we saw one the other day that has three cottages in the 'garden', two derelict cottages in addition, one of which has planning permission. The whole thing comes with 28 acres and costs less than £400,000. With properties like ours nearby fetching good money, we could just manage to do that and would have an income from the cottages too.

[Lillia]

Beautiful, Ruth! I wish you luck in selling and getting what you're looking for

[ChrisG]

Managed about 1/3 of the greenhouse.

However, we (Hubby and me) were not idle. This morning, a part of the garden looked ,like this:


By the end of the light (not the day!) it looked like this:

[LittleBrownFrog]

I like that kind of gardening- you can definitely see where you've been

[Spreckly]

I have really enjoyed your gardening account, and the pictures, Ruth. Hope you do manage to sell, after all your efforts to clear the garden, and that you get somewhere very nice, but without all the work.

[ChrisG]

Thanks Spreckly. Hard work is the truth! My shoulders, back and arms ache something chronic now, having just cut back all the ivy off the top of the wall. You can see where it hasnt been cut back over the gate/archway; it is a good 18" higher. So been working at arms length with a pair of loppers, standing up a ladder about 6' from the ground:


Just a bit of tidying up still to do - clearing away the debris. Hubby has been digging out the bramble stumps - there's about 9 of them and even he is finding it hard work.

[ChrisG]

Beyond that wall (through the arch) there is another area of garden that belongs to us. Several years ago, I dug a large-ish pond, but never got round to finishing it off. So there is no liner in it, and no water, obviously. That is my next project. Of course, it didnt remain as a nicely dug hole - weeds and grass grew in it, so I have my work cut out:





If you look, you can see two hollows (both full of grass). These are/were connected by a short 'stream' area. The whole thing needs redigging.

I have no excuses - I bought the liner and underlay for it years ago; they are sitting, still packaged, in one of the upstairs rooms

[ChrisG]

Soil is quite soft, but it is clay so it is heavy. Have done 'part 1', the 'stream bed':





Tired out now and going out this evening - acoustic night at the Vic Need to eat and have a bath!

[Lillia]

The ponds and stream will be awesome when you're done with it! Are you going to have a little bridge?!!

[ChrisG]

Plan is for a decking bridge with a seat on the far side.

I am giving myself two to three weeks to complete the pond, then it will be time to prepare the grass area beyond, which will be seeded with wild flowers as well as grass.

[Spreckly]

Wow, Ruth, you have certainly made progress. Enjoy your night out, you have earned it.

[ChrisG]

It was a great evening, thanks Spreckly.

Today has been a lovely sunny day - unexpetced too, which made it all the better. Anyway, carried on with the work and got very hot and bothered - not to mention starving. Honestly, whoever said that exercise supresses appetite didnt know what they were talking about - I've been eating like it's going out of fashion! Not so good for the waistline though

Have stopped now. Not sure if I will go out again today as I am soooo tired. Yet it is tempting to finish the little bit of part 2 that's left. Just dont want to overdo it, that's all - and we have a party to go to this evening - if I can still stand up that is! I wrote an email to my daughter just a bit ago and said my arms ache, my shoulders ache, my back aches, my ribs ache, my legs ache - and all she could do was reply, 'LOL, sounds like it's good exercise'. Hmmmph! No sympathy there then!

Funnily enough, it's posting the pics on here that is giving me the incentive to keep going. If I stopped now and didnt complete it, I'd feel a right wally! Anyway, the update pohoto:

[Spreckly]

Well done, Ruth, looking good.

[LittleBrownFrog]

Nice hot bath before you go out & keep dancing so you don't seize up!

[LittleBrownFrog]

Ruth ... haven't seen you in a while, hope you haven't fallen in to your pond!