Garden redesign

[Barrykearley 6,973]

So for years the missus has insisted we need a better outdoor space. This weekend Ive finally relented and agreed to get it redone and a mates doing us a grand design.

We removed a big tree a few weeks ago in preparation for a hot tub relocation - but now it’s the whole bloody lot that needs to be done 

so this came out and left us with this

today I managed to find some pallets and the old patio block paving has come up - even got the girls gently slaving 

then had a tidy up in preparation for the site to be marked up on Wednesday for the digger man to come and level and clear the site in anticipation of starting

let’s see what the next few weeks brings - well other than bills...

[Barrykearley 6,973]

So we have had a brainstorming session and have a draft - but pending wife approval.

the artist impression is this....

 

looks like bloody centre parcs 😂 let’s see what I can get past the missus. 

I would very much like to sneak in some of their artwork. My mate Ross and his Dad Neil are incredible guys - check out this they did a few years ago 

 

 

[Steve V8 1,311]

What a waste of wood, you'd be better off using that to to shore up the gable ends in the garage.

Tell Ross and his dad, it's very dangerous putting a low roof above a trampoline.

Is that yellow path made from Cotswold shail? Tell the misses you  need about 20 tonne, then the kids can barrow and spread the 15 tonne left over to make a nice road up to the workshop.  🚜

[Barrykearley 6,973]

Had a day and a half with the digger man and me running the dumper truck round.

drains now relocated, new drain for surface water for the patio area, hot tub area dug, 40 oak sleepers coming Wednesday and 70m2 of sandstone paving enroute. It’s a right feckin mess outside. Oh and the missus still isn’t sure what she wants 🥴
 

we do have some painted lines out there now though - so the path and patio area is defined. Let’s see what some of these sleepers look like stood up in the trench - see if she likes that - we have to somehow bring some cosiness to the garden area

[Mysterae 263]

46 minutes ago, Barrykearley said:

.... see if she likes that - we have to somehow bring some cosiness to the garden area

I read that as cosines in the garden but I'm going off on a tangent.

Good luck with the redesign @Barrykearley, I really like reading and watching this kinda stuff. One day I'll do my own!

[Spinney 751]

I feel your pain, it’s a gender thing! 

We had our garden redesigned by landscape specialists around 12-15 years ago and a great job they made of it too. However, I’ve now lost count the number of times my wife has changed her mind about the layout and altered it since, with endless replantings, reshapes and rejigs. 

The original landscape design cost a fortune and the endless redesigns are still costing me a fortune. Latest thing is a green oak pergola/pavilion/summer house construction going up shortly. It’ll be a lovely thing, for sure, but will only keep her happy for a short while. 
Trouble is, every time I bravely broach the subject of why can’t you be satisfied with the garden as it is, I get the question about my car buying addiction!🙈

I don’t have a leg to stand on really! 😂

Edited July 5, 2020 by Bibs

[Barrykearley 6,973]

It’s already pissing me off - a lot @Spinney. 

Ive now been presented with a million pictures and links of summer houses and different furniture. And a question this morning - is the path to wide ? 

Ffs - all I want is the plan - stop chopping and changing and let me get the f££k on with it.

when this is all done - I’m buying another car.

[Barrykearley 6,973]

We do have some progress - much indecision from her indoors - but we do have a section almost finished

[pete 1,905]

Which section is that then

[Barrykearley 6,973]

The bracket where the new bird feeders going 

[Dan E 1,582]

Buy some big windows, you need light and lots of it 

[Barrykearley 6,973]

I’ve seen the light - don’t need anymore enlightenment 👍

[Barrykearley 6,973]

Last cuts done today and the aico drains fitted in front of the biomass room. 
 

24 sleepers now stood up - bolted together and concreted in place

[C8RKH 6,411]

Where's da bloody pictures man? No piccies it didnae happen....

[Barrykearley 6,973]

@C8RKH it’s been proper hot today in Englandshire - not sure if it’s even stopped raining in Scotland - but I can currently understand what it’s like to be a Spanish builder 🤣

that’s the view from the house

sleepers up - Evora watching the progress

down towards the house - all the cuts and drainage in - that took bloody ages

I even managed to sneak in some of the old pavers round a gulley pot that the aicos discharge into. 

 

 

It’s been that hot - I even shaved me muffin 

[ChrisJ 1,488]

Glad they weren't up a couple of days ago as I might have walked into them

Is he full of mice ?

 

[Barrykearley 6,973]

Muffin would have absolutely no chance of catching any mice @ChrisJ - there’s some nice special all you can eat black buffet boxes down for the mouse. I was stunned at just how blatant he was running around the garage.

[ChrisJ 1,488]

My wife would have been in whack a mole if she had seen it.

[Barrykearley 6,973]

Some concrete yesterday - body aches this morning 

[Barrykearley 6,973]

All shuttering removed and chucked on the fire before work this morning. Picked up a load of 20mm slate chippings  and have filled in the edges all round the house and patio.
Some additional outside furniture arrived yesterday and that’s all set up awaiting the decking. 
Just awaiting another couple of loads of topsoil from Toddy and at least it’s looking a wee bit tidier.

just need to missus to sort the hot tub now.

[Buddsy 1,643]

On 02/09/2020 at 07:44, Barrykearley said:

Some concrete yesterday - body aches this morning 

Looks great!

About 8 years ago I used some of that new railway sleeper sized wood to construct a retaining wall in my garden (as I cant lay bricks :-) ). I used heavy duty plastic sheeting on inside to protect from the soil. It was said to be pressure treated to protect it but already its rotten though. I treated every year with the crap new creosote you get so was very disappointed with the way it lasted. Might be an idea for you to cap the top of those posts with something maybe even some kind of gloss just to give you a bit longer lifespan? I can imagine that isnt a job you are going to want to redo in a hurry! 

[Barrykearley 6,973]

You could well be correct @Buddsy - however you’d not believe the effort involved in getting a decision from her indoors. It’s oak - so hopefully it’ll last 5 years. Once it’s knackered - I’ll have an outline to follow and a block wall will go up 😂

[C8RKH 6,411]

I had the same @Buddsy, the problem is they are "soft" wood sleepers and no matter how much they have been treated, and you retreat them, they rot from the inside out. Total disaster and waste of money.

If OAK then I think you'll fair much better @Barrykearley to be honest. Up here in Scotland anything "wood" outside just gets beaten by the weather. I'm looking to replace my wooden decking with composite as a result as I'm getting fed up treating it every year! And if I don't treat it every year then it deteriorates really quickly.

[Buddsy 1,643]

3 hours ago, Barrykearley said:

You could well be correct @Buddsy

As above I think if youve gone oak you should be ok. The ones I got I think are shite wood 🙂

 

buddsy

[Bravo73 1,339]

When I made a raised bed, I went for used, Australian Jarrah sleepers:

https://www.railwaysleepers.com/railway-sleepers/used-railway-sleepers/used-g1-2-jarrah-tropical-hardwood-railway-sleepers

Not only is Jarrah a very hard wood to start with but these have also been baked out in the Aussie sun for 50+ years. Hard is an understatement. We struggled to cut these with a chainsaw. I’m pretty sure that the raised bed is going to outlast the building that they are next to.