Trickydicky2

Designing from scratch

Yes it's hard work doing all that hardlandscaping stuff before the plants go in, lovely when you see it taking shape though.

I've got eight chickens and most of them love a cuddle now and again, the blonde one at the back of the queue is a buff orpington, she is so tame she comes up and stands on my shoes until I pick her up and cuddle her, then she usually goes to sleep in my arms lol

Designing from scratch

  Hi all, 

I've finally decided to make a start on my garden! 

It's still at the early stages but I'm really enjoying building all the hard landscaping, it's hopefully going to be a sort of "contemporary Japanese" style, which in my head, means modern looking landscaping filled with acers, bamboos, wisteria and any plants that look remotely oriental (suggestions more than welcome)!

Here's a few photos of the garden beginning 14/02/2008 until now.  I ripped out the old greenhouse, shed, concrete post and some horrid trees! to create a blank canvas.  Since then I have built a summer house (named the Wendy House!), had new fencing put in and conservatory and now built a decking area and started on some raised planting areas!  It's deffinately still at the "before" stage

 Untouched by human hands for some years!!!

 The Wendyhouse was the first thing I built at the bottom of the garden.  My girls live beside it quite happily in the coop and run I also built.

 I then learnt how to build the decking area outside the conservatory.  It is angled to match the angle of the Wendyhouse, so hopefully the whole garden will be designed on diagonals.

 Then I started work on the first of the concrete block planters I have planned.  Hopefully I'll then try and learn how to render them smooth on the outside so I can then paint them.

 Well that was a sage but at least it ended up looking straight and level!

I'm quite pleased with my garden so far, considering I've never done woodwork or bricklaying before now, fingers crossed I don't run out of energy before the planting fun begins

Watch this space for updates for anyone that's at all interested...

Happy gardening to all,

Rich

Some pics of my before and after garden

Hi LL,

Great to see what other folk have achieved in their gardens, when starting from a blank canvas!  I also moved into a blank canvas just over four years ago and after decorating the house, I have now begun designing the garden.

It's still at the early stages but I'm really enjoying building all the hard landscaping, it's hopefully going to be a sort of "contemporary Japanese" style, which in my head, means modern looking landscaping filled with acers, bamboos, wisteria and any plants that look remotely oriental (suggestions more than welcome)!

Here's a few photos of the garden beginning 14/02/2008 until now.  I ripped out the old greenhouse, shed, concrete post and some horrid trees! to create a blank canvas.  Since then I have built a summer house (named the Wendy House!), had new fencing put in and conservatory and now built a decking area and started on some raised planting areas!  It's deffinately still at the "before" stage

By the way, I love your cat too, my garden wouldn't be a home without my two cats exploring it!

Happy gardening to all,

Rich

 Decking area built diagonally to match up with angle of wendyhouse

 Building the first of my new planting areas, which I will hopefully render smooth and paint white.

Finished first planting area this month, Oct 2012

 A view of the Wendyhouse in Jan 2012 with my girls coming up for a photo shoot!  I built them a lovely home and run, down beside the Wendyhouse, which they have plenty of room to live and play.  My two cats are a bit concerned, so they tend to just keep out of their way

Designing from scratch