If you can't access the video then here are some pics to give you an idea of what we started with and how we progressed.
Luke getting in some r & r before the hard work starts - he doesn't know it yet but he will end up cutting down a massive oak tree in the neighbour's garden, digging up old roots, concreted-in posts, dismantle a dangerous brick wall, design and build a fence, raised pathway and decking area and provide a house and run for chickens. Phew!
The work begins..,
When we first moved in we had a huge oak tree next door which starved the garden of light. The old boy who had planted it as a youngster, just a few feet from his back door, still lived in the house but was ready for it to be taken down so we did just that for him although we made the mistake of cutting all the branches off it first and then had nowhere to stand whilst cutting it down from the top. In the end we had to hire scaffolding which cost us £70 so it was an expensive lesson learned. However, this opened up the garden and offered us the opportunity to plant lots of things which needed full sun instead of a few bluebells which seemed to be the only things growing there before.
We knocked down a rickety shed and then Luke slaved over a raised wooden walkway I'd designed in a curvy shape, crossing the little pond I had made and then stepping up to a higher deck area in a kidney shape. We softened the edges with planting and lined the walkway with lavender. Our favourite plant was a small standard olive we bought for a tenner which absolutely thrived. I read that olives should be pruned to allow a small bird to fly through it's branches and it seemed to enjoy it's 'haircut', shooting out new growth almost immediately. The year before we left it had three lovely looking olives on it.
Here we have made some leeway, having put up the fence and deck but still have to put in the raised curving pathway and taking up the small patch of grass to make two wide borders each side of the path. At this stage we haven't even thought about chickens or a courtyard yet.
The same year I spent over £1000 on cobbles so I could lay my own courtyard design which I started by drawing a design on graph paper after skimming through a pebble mosiac book. I began the design very diligently using a half metre square frame I'd knocked up but soon gave up on that and ended up doing my usual 'freestyle', working by eye (which is why it was so wonky).
I spent 11 days on my knees for 10 hours a day to complete the courtyard - a real labour of love. The cat hated having to walk over it and I had to pressure wash it every other month to dislodge the fallen leaves and suchlike which settled in between the cobbles but I loved looking down at it from the upstairs window. When it comes to fashion for me it's always comfort before looks but I turn that around in my garden and try to make it look as beautiful as possible with little thought to how it will function. With practise I am getting better but it's been another learning curve.
Shakira checks it out for me.
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