Tuesday, October 30, 2012

A Few Steps Closer

Funny how sometimes things work themselves out to go in the right order even if you were not intending them to be that way.

Laying the sandstone stepping stones and putting in slate chippings along the pathway in the new area was something we thought we won't do until right at the very end of the pond build. So when we started burying the cables to give power supply to the filter house (which involved digging a narrow trench along the pathway) we realised that the best way to keep the cable secure in its position is to cement on the stepping stones that will go on top of it.



And that was a spontaneous decision we had to make that early afternoon. It didn't even cross my mind that morning that we would do anything else apart from sorting out the cables, let alone cementing on the paving stones. But it worked out that it was the right thing to do even if it was not the order of things to be done that I expected.

Fortunately the materials are already at hand, and because the weather was cool already and there were bouts of rain during the day, we had to use quick drying cement to do the job which sets in half an hour and can even set under water (i.e should be fine to set even if it rained hard afterwards).


Trench to be dug outlined, cable with protective pipe in place...
Gaz made a sketch of the way the stepping stones will be laid and that was whipped out from the file, quick measurements for the spacing, cement mixed and by the end of the day most of the stepping stones were laid.


Landscape fabric on, spaces measured, sandstone slabs put into their proposed places...
Then cemented on and left to set.
The next day, with the first batch laid already set, the remaining ones were finally laid and the slate chipping were poured in to finish the pathway off.


Once set, slate chipping were poured in to finish the pathway off
The slate chippings are dusty and will take awhile for all the dust to be washed away and go at the bottom. And it will have all winter to settle and 'polish off' and by spring we would know where else we would need to top up with slate. The black cable you can see in these photos is only temporary until we have the power connected into the filter house. 





Quite a nice visual accomplishment for us and it didn't even take that long to finish. The progress of the rest of the pond build has been on the slow side though as we give priority to get the rest of the garden ready for winter. And once all the winter preparations are done we can go back full force again to finishing the pond project (as long as it won't be too cold to do anything).

A few more steps closer!

Mark

29 comments :

  1. Mark and Gaz you did a spectacular job on that pathway. It is gorgeous. Can't see all the plants on the right, but the ones on the left look fantastic with it. They and the path enhance one another beautifully. It's a beautiful display area.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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    1. Thanks Cher, we will feature the plants in the beds by the pathway in future posts.

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  2. The path looks absolutely fantastic, as do all the plantings around it! Great job!

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  3. Bravo! Love the look...that last photo is especially magical with the light and the Euphorbia falling over the wall just so.

    (btw I've finally started editing down all the photos that I took at your place...at least this nonstop rain is good for quality computer time)

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    1. Hi Loree, glad you like it, we had spent quite a bit of time thinking about the look we wanted here. The preparation helped as once we were started we knew exactly what we were doing.

      How many photos did you take? looking forward to seeing the ones you select!

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    2. That would be 235! Of course many are duplicates as I wanted to be sure they would turn out since a trip back isn't in the cards anytime soon. I think it's going to be a two day post!

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  4. I LOOOOOVE the way it looks. I wouldn't change a thing. Can you come visit and build a walkway like that for us?? LOL.

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    1. Hi Gerhard, joking aside we would love to come and visit! Although perhaps we can supervise the pathway construction :)

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  5. Wow it is really looking good now, love the walls. It is great when you achieve more than you anticipate especially when it makes such a fundamental difference to how things look. Maybe one day I will see it for real

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    1. Hi Helen, thank you! we are so pleased the way its now all coming together. For such a long time it was all a muddy mess, and now finally the different textures and finishes are starting to compliment each other.

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  6. It looks wonderful! Love the design. Great job!

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    1. Thanks Holley! We're pleased with the way it looks as well :)

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  7. A great job finished. I always think that the tasks one thinks are going to be time consuming end up being quick and easily completed and the jobs that you think are simple are the ones that take ages and end up with problems and multiple visits to B&Q! Somebody's inverse law no doubt!

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    1. Thanks Ian! And funny enough yes, how often things turn out that way, and it can get even more infuriating at times especially once the shops have already closed and you desperately need something to finish it off! :)

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  8. It really takes a good eye to make "nice visual accomplishments", as you said Mark, which i would just say "beautiful". I was looking at it and it is easy to put the slabs in a more direct way, but the "visual effect" will not be as nice as that! Great job.

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    1. I'm pleased to hear that Andrea :) I like the way the slabs goes with the curve of the raised beds and pathway.

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  9. I think the stepping stones look great, and the best thing about them is that they look like they've been there forever... So often new paving seems to scream "I'M NEW!!!", but this looks really lovely and fits in very nicely.

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    1. Thanks Soren! That's one of the good things about using rough cut sandstone, it looks weathered already and ages quickly too (which is a good thing in this case).

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  10. Great job. Slate does look alarmingly dusty at first but if the rain continues as it has done it will soon be pristine :)

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    1. Thanks Anna! It was very dusty indeed but left for awhile for the rain to wash it off (or a hosepipe for a quicker effect), it does look lovely especially when wet.

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  11. Another beautiful addition to your stunning garden! Thanks for sharing your new pond journey with us.

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    1. Thanks Outlaw! It is all now starting to come together :)

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  12. Absolutely smashing job. Lovely finish, well planned and lots of interest for the eye.

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  13. that looks great, i love it when things come so quickly at the end of a long job like that

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    1. Thanks Fieldfest! There's still a bit more to do but yes not long now :)

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  14. Wow! That looks stunning. You two have such an eye for design, and detail. I just want to wander down that path!

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    1. Thanks Hazel!, Once the rest is finished we will do a virtual tour along the path and the pond beyond.

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