Tuesday, October 15, 2013

The Mad Dash

We're at the polishing stage now with the house renovation so meaning lots of redecorating to do, yay! Very exciting phase for us as it's a very visual and aesthetically pleasing phase, it feels like we're finally regaining our house back from the builders, and everything seems to 'fall into place' after a summer of upheaval. A long phase on its own and sorting out finer details can take as much time as the building work did (it's back down to just the two of us to do all of the redecorating) but once it's all done, it's all done.


Plants...make way for the builders!
Both of us are currently so focused on doing as much redecorating as much as we could (it's exciting and at the moment we're doing the kitchen) that it's difficult to prize our attention away from the house and into the garden.

But winter is fast approaching and that's still at the back of our heads so whether we like it or not we really have to start preparing the garden this coming weekend.

So we're at the redecorating phase which means the builders have very little to do now in the house (just a collection of minor odds and ends left to do), which also means...

They can turn their attention now to the rebuilding of the Jungle Hut. And these builders, when they move they move quick and we have to keep up with them.


Goodbye old Jungle Hut! Sweet kisses to you x x x
The demolition of the Jungle Hut is scheduled for this coming Wednesday and we were only informed last Sunday evening. And to prepare for the demolition we have to clear out the jungle hut itself of anything that is not meant to be taken away for recycling.

Fortunately, we've cleared out most of the contents that are meant to be kept weeks ago but there are still a few items there remaining that has to be removed and stored for the time being. These items are mostly the decorations that graced the jungle hut to give it that 'look' but we're only keeping a select few, especially ones with sentimental value, and letting go of the rest. Clearing the remaining items shouldn't be a big chore and can be done in no time at all.

However, we also have to clear out the pathway that leads from the jungle hut all the way through the side passage of the house and into the street where the recycling skip will be. Now this is the tricky bit. We do have a lot of plants and heavy clutter to remove along that way.


That's it, move plants away from the pathway and jam them somewhere else...
The pathway is narrow enough as it is, might as well make it a bit easier for the builders. The white materials are extras for when they built the conservatory and they'll have to clear them out too tomorrow (along with the Jungle Hut).
We only have Monday and Tuesday to get everything ready and we both have work during the day on both days. Which means we only have the evenings after work to do all that shifting. And with autumn being autumn, it will be dark already by the time we get back home from work. Not to mention rainy and cold too.

But it had to be done so there it was, the mad two night dash to clear out as much as we could in conditions that are less than ideal. Two nights of post work lifting and shoving of plants, vases, and decor in the dark and in the rain.


Randomness and chaos, but most of the plants are looking good though!
It wasn't too bad in the end and it went quicker than I initially thought. We would have preferred to do all the shifting at a much slower pace but we have to adjust to the scheduling of the builders.

So the pathway to the skip is as clear as can be (or wide/good enough anyway). Now it's time to say goodbye to the old jungle hut. I think it deserves it's own dedicated post which will follow soon, sort of a mini tribute to our garden fixture that unexpectedly met a fiery end this year. 

Never mind! Out with the old, in with the new! But whilst the old one was fine, it was good fun!

Mark :-)

27 comments :

  1. I loved that jungle hut and all of those bits and pieces that you decorated it with - can't wait to see what the new one will look like :)

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    1. Thanks Rosie! Was feeling a bit nostalgic whilst taking them down. Some had to go but most were kept even if they'll never go on display again.

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  2. So glad that you're near the end with the house redo, and into the decorating phase. That's fun stuff! Good bye to the old Jungle Hut. The new one will be better!

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    1. Love the decorating phase Alison, such good fun and seeing things transform in front of you is wonderful. Oh and there's furniture buying too which is even more fun :)

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  3. You must be exhausted and running on pure adrenalin! I hope you at least have some time to rest this weekend.

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    1. Tell me about it Kris, two nights of hectic shifting and rushing before it got too dark to do anything. There's no electric supply at that part of the garden too which made it extra tricky.

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  4. Wow! You two amaze me with how busy you keep yourself with home and garden projectsI wish you luck, easy days at work and dry weather for your cleaning out of the old jungle hut. Can't wait to see what the new one will look like!

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    1. Thanks Peter :) The aim next year is to be a bit milder and more restrained with projects, to have a more a chilled out year. Ha, we'll see...

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  5. There's nothign quite like those frenzied days of activity, is there! So glad you're nearing the end of the Reno...can't wait for the big reveal!

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    1. Thanks Scott! After all the upheaval last summer then suddenly things fell into place. So glad we're on the decorating phase now.

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  6. Building off Scott's comment (again) there will be a big reveal right? I mean it's not like I get to fly back to London anytime soon to see your new kitchen/conservatory/anything else you feel like sharing! As for the demo on the Jungle Hut I'm very hopeful it will all go smoothly. Looking at the privet removal/fence building coming up this next spring in my garden I can easily get carried away with worry about destruction during the tear-put phase but with proper prep it should all be minimal. (right?)

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    1. Ohh I'll have to ask Gaz about that Loree :) I'm sure we can post a few pics once most of the redecorating has been done. The only other thing is we let go of a lot of our old furniture too and it will take some time to re-accumulate them so the rooms will look a bit sparse at first (or should we call that minimalist?).

      You're right about concerns about destruction that may happen in the process rebuilding anything in the garden. We were discussing that between us yesterday. We're giving the builders some berth, after all we can't expect them to be as careful as us when it comes to plants. We're expecting some plant damage will be incurred within that area whilst in the process of rebuilding but we're crossing our fingers it won't be too much.

      Privet removal/fence building - sounds exciting Loree (in a garden makeover sort of way). Good luck with it, hopefully your plants won't sustain damage in the process and won't be too messy too!

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  7. Hope the rain holds off for you and the builders; clearing the old is usually the worst part of the job so you're nearly there - then the garden new make over?????????

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    1. Hope so too Christina! It will be a messy one too with the old plasterboard being torn down and trailed all the way to the front of the house. Lots of cleaning to do on our part too but never mind, looking forward to the end result :)

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  8. I am sad to see the hut go. But I guess you are building a new improved one right? I wish I lived closer and could come and watch all the goings on. Don't catch cold or get sick doing all that work in the cold rain. We need you guys healthy to keep doing what we can't! LOL

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    1. The new hut is something to look forward to Candice :) Most of the work will be done by the builders. It does feel a bit strange to have somebody else do some work in the garden when before that we did all the work ourselves. But these professionals do work a lot quicker which will be appreciated. Will try to keep warm!

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  9. "In with the new" indeed, many, many new things, and at this time of year and with a bright new shiny interior to play with I am unsurprised that the garden has lost a little of its allure. I know its temporary - and I'm sure the plants do too ;-) And I am sure they don't mind be shoved, willy-nilly, out of the way for a new Jungle Hut. Oh no, not at all...

    So, to recap, you will end the year with a bright new shniny Koi pond fully working and stocked, a bright new shiny interior - and conservatory - to make being indoors a delight, a bright new shiny Jungle Hut to be lovingly re-integrated into the garden, and a somewhat unexpected "opportunity" to re-plan a section of the garden that you were previously quite happy with. You must need to sleep for at least a month, good job it is coming up to hibernation time, although something tells me you will be partying and planning more than sleeping!

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    1. Thanks Janet, lovely words and you're spot on! Ok, maybe not the partying bit, once most of the work is done we could do with lots of rest and gentler times afterward, to recover from all that hyper activity and to plan for the future.

      Shiny new interior - love the sound of that! Such an exciting time, but yes once the inside is sorted and settled then we'll be doing lots of gardening again.

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  10. Thats all really exciting...next year will be fabulous, but perhaps when it is all done and there is nothing left you will get bored and need to move house ;)

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    1. That made me laugh Clive! And yes that's also an option...

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  11. You keep on doing. I don't know what you guys are going to do with yourselves when you get all these big projects done. Hope you enjoy all your hard work for a time before you find something else. :)
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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    1. There's always something to do Cher but a more mellow year ahead would be nice :)

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  12. I'm impressed that the builders move so quickly! It will all be back to "new" before long! I know you are working long hours. Be sure to take a break every now and then and enjoy the changing of the seasons - not just getting ready for it!

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    1. Will do Holley :) Sometimes our bodies tell us when we need a rest and we do listen from time to time...

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  13. Next spring is going to be so exciting at your place. New garden hut, lots of fire-damaged plants regenerating . . . I can't wait to see it all unfold. Congrats on making it through the worst of the interior construction!

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  14. I see a cozy winter of playing house in your future. Well-earned, to be sure.

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