Patio

A patio at long last has now been laid after getting the Indian sandstone ( cheaper to get it all the way from India than local sandstone) in December following the very mild spell of weather. With temperatures in double figures I felt I couldn't put the job off any longer so now there is a place to sit and somewhere for a rotary clothes line.

As there was some stone left over a little path to the greenhouse was laid  and the part on the stairs where the steps changed direction and there was no decking was infilled with stone slabs.

Somewhere To Stay Warm?

Come the new year and it was time for a new project which was the long promised greenhouse. This was started at the beginning of January and completed at the beginning of February. In keeping with the rest of the garden an off the peg structure would not fit the bill so a purpose built one was constructed to cope with the split level. It has a soil bed on one side of the central path and then the "bench" is solid on the other side. The size is just under 3m long and  2m wide. The roof and just over two of the sides are of triple wall polycarbonate and the rest is glazed with old dutch light glass cut down. Frost protection is via electric heating and also there is a propagating frame with soil warming cables. Automatic ventilation is provided with an extractor fan.

The Start Of Retirement "Proper"

Moving permanently to the house in September was the start of some really hard work with the building of a conservatory at the rear of the house, first job was to remove part of the decking from there.

 As the conservatory would be opening from the first floor and access for building work would be difficult a steel frame on concrete pads was installed

A sectional steel base wall was used again for speed and ease.

The hardwood frame was built in sections in Yorkshire by Webster Joinery who then delivered and erected, fully glazed in two days

The external walls were rendered and harled to match the rest of the house.

The next task was to make the steps a bit safer with a hand rail so using mostly rails that were originally around the decking area a low hand rail was constructed.

The top terrace which was used as a bit of a repository for items that had no home was the next project. The terrace was levelled and a back wall extended from behind the shed to make a 2.4m deep terrace. This will enable space for a patio next to the shed, a bed along the front of the terrace for herbs with a greenhouse at the rear

Although it was stated earlier in the blog that there would be no more steps it was clear that once the top terrace was complete then access to the semi wild area at the back of it would be very difficult so some more steps were built -

and some more until snow stopped play 

The Last Flight

The middle of June saw the last flight of steps installed that would finally enable you to get to the "Sun Terrace". This was the section we had all been waiting for which would allow relatively easy access to what would be a level area of 2.4m x 10m.

The last 6 Steps

Looking down give you an idea of what it looks like from the top, there is still more work to do with a banister and extra supports under the treads.

As this flight went in relatively easily with no rock to cut away a start was made leveling the top terrace properly and an area for a shed/workshop

Final Terrace



Area for Workshop



10 days later I was back up to build the shed/workshop

Work in Progress



The Finished Shed/Workshop


  

 


Planting June 2011

 


Another Terrace

May saw the construction of another terrace using 20 sleepers, followed by another 6 steps. The soil was profiled on the second terrace and both the first and second terrace were planted mostly with ferns and primulas on the first and a mixture of herbacious on the second.

Looking down onto the steps from the top gives you an idea of just how high up the steps will take you when finished

Six More Steps

March saw a return to the garden with the addition of another six steps, slowed down a little by the manifestation of the base sandstone on the left underneath the the riser. The winter's snow seems to be finding its way into the garden as there was more water than usual which didn't make installation easy.

The main spring was in fine flow also,  etching its way into the bank and in the process bringing soil and gravel down with it. To try and stop this a small wall/barrier was built with a hole at its base to put a halt to this erosion.

Lastly a small log store was built (about 2M²) and half filled with beech wood ready for the winter.

Start At The Bottom

It was now time to start at the bottom with a wall, built on the sandstone rock

May 2010

May 2010

May 2010

This wall set the base of the terracing and with the higher terrace already in position, the position of the intervening ones could be calculated

May 2010

The next terrace could now be constructed

June 2010

June 2010

The lower section of the temporary steps was removed and it was decided that some proper steps should go on the east side of the terracing thus forming a division between the terraces and the untamed wet areas.

Oct 2010

Another section was added to the top terrace on the left of the picture and half a dozen fruit trees were planted mostly higher up the bank but in this picture an espalier trained cooking apple is flowering in front of the terrace

May 2010

Left unchecked a few nasturtiums did rather take over during the summer, still they are an improvement over the bracken.

Sept 2010

A garden shed was needed and there was not much space to put one, no level ground near the house. The west side was decided as the only spot where one would fit

Oct 2010

Above is the base for the shed with some temporary steps and below the end result was this

Nov 2010

Last picture of 2010 November

Nov 2010