GARDEN PROJECTS 2004
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GREENHOUSE |
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We decided to add a lean-to greenhouse to the back of the house. This meant I had to lift some of the patio slabs. I took a week off work in May to put it together - it then took a number of evenings and weekends to complete and I still have not managed to stop one of the leaks in the roof!
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| I finally managed to put the frame together
following the instructions - these were poorly translated from some
obscure language as is usual with instructions today!
I put the frame in place only to discover the dimensions given on the packaging did not quite tally with the dimensions in the instruction booklet! |
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| To make it high enough to open the back door properly, I had to make a wood frame to fix the base to. This was tricky as I also had to avoid the outlet for the cooker extractor fan! |  |
| With a lot of cursing and a couple of breakages, I managed to fit the glass and plastic and added the downpipe. At least we could now have a water butt! I added a flower bed in front of the greenhouse and planted up my sempervivum bed round the edge of the patio, which I had allowed for when I first laid the patio. We now realised the patio was rather small - no room for the table and chairs. Another project to add to the list! |
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| The trickiest part of the whole greenhouse was the
door! "Lay the glass in place and then simply snap the black
strips into the grooves" it said in the instructions. Oh no it
doesn't!
Not wanting to be beaten I persevered for a couple of hours and a number of evenings. My wife had a go. We tried to push the strips into place feeding them from one end, but that wouldn't work - it stuck once it reached the grey strips between the panes! A friend who thought I was just being stupid offered to do the door for me. He spent 4 or 5 hours at our house, but was not able to sort it out either (at least he realised I was not totally incompetent). Eventually I contacted the manufacturer. They sent me two new black plastic strips. I decided to try fitting them although I had little confidence. However, they snapped into place with relative ease. |
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| Finally, in October, we added the water butt and the staging and replanted the flowerbed - only to find the cats liked digging the nice new soil! We solved this by weaving cotton across the bed using short canes. |  |
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BETWEEN THE PONDS |
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| Spending all that time sorting out the greenhouse meant the rest of the garden had not had as much attention as I would have liked. |  |
| I cleared the ground between the upper pond and the main pond ready for planting.. |  |
| I extended the patio using the slabs I already had and decided we needed to buy more as it was a tight fit to sit round the table and the plants were in danger of being trampled. |  |
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NEW SHRUBBERY |
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| I dug out 5 huge pampas grasses and cleared the area ready to be planted up as a shrubbery. |  |
| I planted 4 hibiscus plants and an experimental honeysuckle which I am training into a standard! Must look for more plants to fill this space. |  |
| TRELLIS | |
| Having bought posts and trellis the weather ran out on me. Just as well we don't use this garage for a car, I can keep everything together ready for next spring! |  |
