The zombie army COVID-19 Gardening thread.
Discussion
Some very neat looking gardens in this thread. 
This week I've been tackling the hedge. The hedge is a privet of our neighbours. Our very elderly neighbours that haven't lived there now for 2 years. They have some "gardeners" that "maintain" the hedge, amongst other things. The hedge is about 5ft wide if not more, meaning that that its "maintenance" by "the gardeners" has never actually been that extensive. It's also about 10ft high. Their garden as a whole has been left to run tiot, with overgrown laurels, holly, conifers etc, and the last 30ft or so just completely wild
This was the hedge in 2017, when I'd got utterly pissed off with the maintenance on our side and hacked it low enough to at least be trimmed from the top of a step ladder. I'd left it higher on the right as the reason it was so high was to block out our carbunkle of an extension (their words not mine) that the previous owner built. You can see the full height behind of what was left on their side.
I'd been begrudgingly maintaining our side on that basis since 2017. However, last year I spotted the neighbour on their other side hacking away at the bottom of next door's garden- the truly wild part - with chainsaws and burning going on. I got talking and it turned out he'd had a chat with the owner's son who had basically said, do whatever the hell you like. So one day I also managed to collar the neighbour's son, who said exactly the same to me. Do what you like and if you get someone in, tell us the cost and we'll pay for it.
So I did feck all
Roll on 2020, and the CV19 lockdown, and I started tackling some of the big stuff in our garden and, in particular, next door. Now this next photo looks like I've done remarkably little - but you really should see the pile of hedge that now resides at the bottom of next door's garden until I come to shred it! I've also cut their side back so the hedge is now only about 3ft wide. I've a small amount to the right side of the pic to get to, but it's behind a massive bit of box topiary on their side and can be reach from our side. To the left of the gap it their topiary holly. Tempting to chainsaw the fecker right across.
Lastly, this shot shows the bottom end and our makeshift compost heap made from bricks dug out of the garden a few years ago, and the remains of a mound which was home to a gigantic rhododendron when we moved in.
That compost heap is mostly full of shredded hedge from this bottom end, in particular the furthest end where it had probably reached about 20ft high. There's another massive laurel down this end that I'm eyeing up for logs. There's a lovely Rowan and Copper Beech on their side that are being overwhelmed byt the laurels and hollies, and I'm keen to free them up.
I've got easter weekend to flll ours and next door's green bins, for their last collection on Monday - albeit so far Trafford haven't been that successful in actually doing these last collections. So this weekend will be busy with the shredder again, ruining everyone's peace :lol:
This week I've been tackling the hedge. The hedge is a privet of our neighbours. Our very elderly neighbours that haven't lived there now for 2 years. They have some "gardeners" that "maintain" the hedge, amongst other things. The hedge is about 5ft wide if not more, meaning that that its "maintenance" by "the gardeners" has never actually been that extensive. It's also about 10ft high. Their garden as a whole has been left to run tiot, with overgrown laurels, holly, conifers etc, and the last 30ft or so just completely wild
This was the hedge in 2017, when I'd got utterly pissed off with the maintenance on our side and hacked it low enough to at least be trimmed from the top of a step ladder. I'd left it higher on the right as the reason it was so high was to block out our carbunkle of an extension (their words not mine) that the previous owner built. You can see the full height behind of what was left on their side.
I'd been begrudgingly maintaining our side on that basis since 2017. However, last year I spotted the neighbour on their other side hacking away at the bottom of next door's garden- the truly wild part - with chainsaws and burning going on. I got talking and it turned out he'd had a chat with the owner's son who had basically said, do whatever the hell you like. So one day I also managed to collar the neighbour's son, who said exactly the same to me. Do what you like and if you get someone in, tell us the cost and we'll pay for it.
So I did feck all
Roll on 2020, and the CV19 lockdown, and I started tackling some of the big stuff in our garden and, in particular, next door. Now this next photo looks like I've done remarkably little - but you really should see the pile of hedge that now resides at the bottom of next door's garden until I come to shred it! I've also cut their side back so the hedge is now only about 3ft wide. I've a small amount to the right side of the pic to get to, but it's behind a massive bit of box topiary on their side and can be reach from our side. To the left of the gap it their topiary holly. Tempting to chainsaw the fecker right across.
Lastly, this shot shows the bottom end and our makeshift compost heap made from bricks dug out of the garden a few years ago, and the remains of a mound which was home to a gigantic rhododendron when we moved in.
That compost heap is mostly full of shredded hedge from this bottom end, in particular the furthest end where it had probably reached about 20ft high. There's another massive laurel down this end that I'm eyeing up for logs. There's a lovely Rowan and Copper Beech on their side that are being overwhelmed byt the laurels and hollies, and I'm keen to free them up.
I've got easter weekend to flll ours and next door's green bins, for their last collection on Monday - albeit so far Trafford haven't been that successful in actually doing these last collections. So this weekend will be busy with the shredder again, ruining everyone's peace :lol:
Looks like you’re making good progress. Season the laurel well before burning it if you do use it. It burns well but doesn’t have a great heat output. Lots of scare stories about it containing cyanide, don’t burn it green is the best advice. I’d have the holly down if I were you, it’s indestructible so unless you actually dig out the stump it’ll keep coming back.
Had a go at dry stone walling where a section had collapsed in the past. (Never done it before).
Collected fallen stone and put shards of glass in green barrel.
Cleared ground in front of wall, wet down asbestos sheets and double bagged for when tip reopens.
Started taking down wall.
Taking down takes longer than you think to sort walling stone from rubble infill, through stones etc.
Hit foundations, dug out as best possible. With the Dog helping by being in the way all the time
Start building back up.
Getting there!
Done for the day!
Things I have learned:
It is harder than it looks to get right and also takes longer than I thought!
Collected fallen stone and put shards of glass in green barrel.
Cleared ground in front of wall, wet down asbestos sheets and double bagged for when tip reopens.
Started taking down wall.
Taking down takes longer than you think to sort walling stone from rubble infill, through stones etc.
Hit foundations, dug out as best possible. With the Dog helping by being in the way all the time
Start building back up.
Getting there!
Done for the day!
Things I have learned:
It is harder than it looks to get right and also takes longer than I thought!
MiniMan64 said:
Yeah unless you have materials already now might not be the time for big projects!
I’ve used up everything I had. Im fancying a block rendered water feature type thing and wanted to browse and cost up. I’m sure the 321 thousand people in front of me had more pressing needs. To be honest I always have a project or 28 on the go. I’m back in work tomorrow as having some plants donated for inside and out so want to organise those.
PositronicRay said:
XCP said:
One of them was me. I was 298thousand and something when I gave up. I only wanted some compost and ready mixed mortar!
It's to give you a virtual 'in store' experience. I swear that you can tell how bent and scuzzy a local area is by the number of bags of items in B&Q that someone has opened at the back to pilfer from.
Out here I use the one in Evesham and it’s OK to the point that you occasionally forget to check in store and get home to find the bag of ten bolts contains 8 and a hole. In London I use the Cricklewood one and it is farcical as there is barely any stock that hasn’t been pilfered from. I used one in Birmingham once and that had been harvested almost as much as Cricklewood.
DonkeyApple said:
PositronicRay said:
XCP said:
One of them was me. I was 298thousand and something when I gave up. I only wanted some compost and ready mixed mortar!
It's to give you a virtual 'in store' experience. I swear that you can tell how bent and scuzzy a local area is by the number of bags of items in B&Q that someone has opened at the back to pilfer from.
Out here I use the one in Evesham and it’s OK to the point that you occasionally forget to check in store and get home to find the bag of ten bolts contains 8 and a hole. In London I use the Cricklewood one and it is farcical as there is barely any stock that hasn’t been pilfered from. I used one in Birmingham once and that had been harvested almost as much as Cricklewood.
I had scheduled quite a few small projects to be under way by now but many have hit snags.
We have a strangish garden lay out which has also since we moved here three years ago I have just been basically maintaining. The previous owner did some landscaping maybe a decade or so ago but then never touched it again.
The single luckiest feature of the garden is a disused Georgian stone quarry, through the bit of woods where the stone to build our house and the local cottages was taken from. This is where all the garden waste goes and over the last few years I have slung vast amounts in there as I’ve slowly cut the garden back.
The garden breaks down into 3 separate sections. The front two were due to have had borders dug by now to making mowing easier but while the gardener is willing they are unable to hire the turf remover.
At the rear the chaps who were scheduled to be redoing the paving down through the garden have bailed and so have the team who were due to be building some retaining walls down at the far end to hold the banks back.
The builders were due to be doing some work on the roof of the barn instead of the planned work inside the house but I have managed to find them scaffolding from a farmer friend they cannot currently get a portaloo or skip.
I’ve busied myself so far with cutting back the hedges and digging some trenches for new hedging to separate the back garden into two zones, ordering some sleepers to build some raised beds in that new back zone.
I would do the paving but I’m lacking the sand and cement but I think I’ll start digging the borders out of the front lawns in due course in between still trying to work, cooking meals and home schooling!
We have a strangish garden lay out which has also since we moved here three years ago I have just been basically maintaining. The previous owner did some landscaping maybe a decade or so ago but then never touched it again.
The single luckiest feature of the garden is a disused Georgian stone quarry, through the bit of woods where the stone to build our house and the local cottages was taken from. This is where all the garden waste goes and over the last few years I have slung vast amounts in there as I’ve slowly cut the garden back.
The garden breaks down into 3 separate sections. The front two were due to have had borders dug by now to making mowing easier but while the gardener is willing they are unable to hire the turf remover.
At the rear the chaps who were scheduled to be redoing the paving down through the garden have bailed and so have the team who were due to be building some retaining walls down at the far end to hold the banks back.
The builders were due to be doing some work on the roof of the barn instead of the planned work inside the house but I have managed to find them scaffolding from a farmer friend they cannot currently get a portaloo or skip.
I’ve busied myself so far with cutting back the hedges and digging some trenches for new hedging to separate the back garden into two zones, ordering some sleepers to build some raised beds in that new back zone.
I would do the paving but I’m lacking the sand and cement but I think I’ll start digging the borders out of the front lawns in due course in between still trying to work, cooking meals and home schooling!
Spent Easter weekend building steps for access to the field at the bottom end of the garden.
Unfortunately I'm nearly out of sand so wont be finished until my B&Q Click and Collect is ready.
Made a Log Store last week with old timber to sit by our summer house.
Enjoyed a couple of days outside making it and cutting up old wood for burning.
Unfortunately I'm nearly out of sand so wont be finished until my B&Q Click and Collect is ready.
Made a Log Store last week with old timber to sit by our summer house.
Enjoyed a couple of days outside making it and cutting up old wood for burning.
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