Gardens - all this talk lets see pictures

[Kazz]

Originally Posted by Donna

I will give it a go!!! Its just the heavyness of the job!! Did you get your slabs/shingle delivered? B&Q do bags, but they are really heavy or I am so feeble!!!

Did you cement your slabs or just place them on sand or firm ground?

Hiya Donna have you got access to the back garden from the front without going through the house? if so, get a tonne bag delivered I did and then shovled the grael into the wheelbarrow and pushed it round much easier and cheaper in the end.

I laid my slabs on a base slab fix you buy that in bags like a mortar type mix perfect for laying slabs on also used a spirit level to make sure they are level but made sure the ground was level first, using sand to even it out and hardened it down and put the membrane (surpress the weeds) down then placed the stepping stones where I would walk and at a reasonable distance apart walk it a few times. Leave them down a day or two an check out they are in the right place first. I put them at different ways and used mixed sizes too ie 300x300 300x450 450x450 600x 600 etc etc looked better I found.

Once I was happy with the placing of the slabs and they were level I just put the gravel down and a tip I suggest if you want to confine the gravel to a path and don't want the gravel to spread all over get some thin tannalised timber (ie treated) lathe I think its called and then either paint or creosote it and put down the edges knock in and it holds the gravel in place and you really should last a good few years and easy to replace if needed.

Karen

[Kazz]

Donna if I was nearer I would come and give you a hand. Choose slab sizes you can easily handle yourself. Don't choose the 600x600 or 2ftx2ft. ones.

Karen

[Donna]

Originally Posted by Kazz

Hiya Donna have you got access to the back garden from the front without going through the house? if so, get a tonne bag delivered I did and then shovled the grael into the wheelbarrow and pushed it round much easier and cheaper in the end.

I laid my slabs on a base slab fix you buy that in bags like a mortar type mix perfect for laying slabs on also used a spirit level to make sure they are level but made sure the ground was level first, using sand to even it out and hardened it down and put the membrane (surpress the weeds) down then placed the stepping stones where I would walk and at a reasonable distance apart walk it a few times. Leave them down a day or two an check out they are in the right place first. I put them at different ways and used mixed sizes too ie 300x300 300x450 450x450 600x 600 etc etc looked better I found.

Once I was happy with the placing of the slabs and they were level I just put the gravel down and a tip I suggest if you want to confine the gravel to a path and don't want the gravel to spread all over get some thin tannalised timber (ie treated) lathe I think its called and then either paint or creosote it and put down the edges knock in and it holds the gravel in place and you really should last a good few years and easy to replace if needed.

Karen

No access unless I go through the house front to back Kazz, unless I walk all the way down the road around the back and through the rear pedestrian access into the garden!!! Would take ages!!! I will have to buy the bags of shingle I think so they can be carried through the house.

The ground is already flat so can just lay the slabs onto the old concrete with some cement stuff and the house is one side and a fence the other so has its own edges to restrict the movement of the shingle. I will need to just restrict it at the end of the path so it doesnt travel all the way down the garden!!

[Kazz]

Donna I can't remember have we seen pictures of your garden?

I am geting old and forgetful

[Donna]

THIS IS HOW IT WAS BEFORE ANY WORKS WERE DONE. (STARTED WITH THE REMOVAL OF THE DERELICT SHED AND HAD THE TREES REMOVED:

LOOKING FROM THE HOUSE I HAVE A CORRIDOR KINDA PATH LEADING TO A RECTANGLE GARDEN. THIS IS THE BORDER TO THE RIGHT AS YOU LOOK DOWN THE GARDEN

TO THE LEFT IS A SMALL AREA, THEN A PATIO AREA

AND THE LEFT HAND SIDE IS MAINLY LAWN AND THE GARDEN SHED AT THE BOTTOM.

ANY ADVICE GREATLY RECEIVED!!!

[Donna]

This is a picture taken last week:

[EmmaG]

Originally Posted by Donna

Just noticed your trek to the washing line Emma!!!

If that was my area, I would of walked to another street if I walked that far

It use to be closer to our garage but we are going to (hopefully) be rebuilding the garage next year and moving it down the garden so we decided the washing line needed to go further down the garden as well, it is good exercise!! lol

[Kazz]

Donna I think your improvements are fantastic. I think I would be empted to put a trellis in front/side of the shed and grow some climers in my case honeysuckle (I adore honesysuckle) in front of it, and maybe put some "wire" eyelets in the fence and garden wire across and growsome climers up the fence.
I think I'd take that little "wall down by your patio area" and take the gravel over that area and your skabs right down the path putting a woodenor brick "edge" down the grass side. to stop it spilling over and a nice decent sized slab (the only one) in front of the gate to stop it going out that way.
Or maybeeven raplace the paving with the new slabs leaving a gap so you can not cement in but put gravel in like DM did.

Therefore unifying the whole area path and patio area. You have the added bonus of having a nice sized garden. Choose some nice coloured slabs/stepping stone.

Karen

[dinahsmum]

Originally Posted by Kazz

DM - Your garden like mine is littered with Staffie toys. Dead or punctured footballs etc.Karen

Forgot to comment on this - so I will now............................................... .................................................: lol:

[Sweet]

Great photos of all your gardens x