Yesterday I dug a hole
Today I filled it.
Well, I actually started filling it last night, but I was too tired and the mosquitoes were out in force. It feels too early for such bad mozzies, but there they were, biting the crap out of me. I think it would have been worse, but I was covered in sweat and dirt, like Arnie at the end of Predator. Normally I choose a nice picture for an article header, but given the topic this is what it is today.
And the "finished" product doesn't look much better at the moment, but it will!
The reason I had to dig a hole in the ground was to lay foam insulation to try to keep the spring thaw at bay. For those from warmer climes, when the ground freezes and then thaws after the winter, it can leave quite large undulations in a yard and over time, it is like mowing a golf course in the Himalayas. Putting down insulation helps to stop them warping. While I don't care about the grass, our driveway was insulated when we had the ground work done last autumn, and it has held up well this first year at least. We will pave it when we can afford it.
Around 2037
So, this space I created is an afterthought, otherwise I would have had it prepared last autumn too, because it would have taken them 5 minutes to dig the hole with the bobcat, and then another ten to finish the rest. But, with a lot of sweat, it took me two full days by myself to get it to this stage. Well, Smallsteps brought me a few glasses of water - without me asking - which was awesome.
What is the space??
Oh. It is a place for my wife to have tea occasionally in the morning, when she has time, and if it is warm enough - and if mercury is in the third phase and entering into Saturn's orbit... or some such nonsense. But really - it was my idea. My plan was to have a small sitting area in half, and have some planter boxes in the back half for some herbs and vegetables. However, tonight when my wife came home from work she casually nixed the idea of the boxes and wants the who space for sitting.
It is almost as big as our loungeroom....
So in order.
- Dig hole about 50cm deep (I could only manage about 40)
- Flatten
- Lay foam insulation
- Cover with some dirt (should be gravel)
- Lay special fabric to stop weeds
- Add edging
- Cover with sand (need much more)
- Add about 5-10 cm of stones
- Wash sand from stones
- Decide to add a path as another afterthought
- Rinse and repeat
Granted....
It looks shitty!
But it won't soon. Firstly, we will by putting down the weed retardant fabric and then mulch over the top across the large back space behind this, and down three of the sides. Plants will be put along the left-side straight edge and mulched. The disgusting pile of brocks will be moved, and the equally disgusting looking garden bed (on the right where there are a couple patches of green) will be cleaned up and will soon be blooming with poppies and pink and white peonies. It has other stuff too, but we are going to reorganise, and edge the garden bed also. And between the bed and the stones will be a strip of grass that rounds the cherry tree at the same width and joins a larger patch of grass to the right (yet to be planted). And to the left of the image, there will be grass and then a line of thujas to give more privacy from the road. One day opposite all of this will be a terrace/ patio built against the house.
Maybe...2042
So, if anyone has done this kind of thing before, walking on it at the moment sucks for two reasons. Firstly, the stones haven't settled yet, so they roll and move a bit under the feet. The second is the reason why it is doing it, because I didn't buy anywhere near enough sand. I thought 150 kilos would be enough, but it looked more like icing sugar on a coffee bun for a diabetic. I will have to buy several more bags and dump them on top. This isn't an issue, because of course, the sand will just brush easily down to fill the crevices and a hose or the rain will do the rest.
This is the first time I have done anything like this, and it was a fair amount of fun, despite being alone for the last couple days for the most part, working my ass off. Once the sand goes in, I will get some comfy outdoor chairs, a small table and I think that this should be enough for a birthday present for my wife - especially considering she commandeered the half of it that was meant to be for me and Smallsteps, and banished us to the bark chip mulched areas.
Once I build them.
In 6 weeks from now there should be some grass, and the flowers and plants should be coming into full swing - so I am looking forward to getting it organised for the most part over easter, so it is set for the radical shift from a dust bowl to a garden of Eden - or at least, not looking like the exercise yard of a maximum security prison in El Salvador.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]