DECEMBER 2013 WORK - Cookham

Wild life pond

Sitting area - Sandstone (sunset)

Patio area - Waiting for plants

Sahara wall cladding with Oyster Slate capping, built on concrete blocks. This will not blow over in the wind.

Vintage walling used as edging - just waiting for the final stone for the pathways

Fibre glass shell for the water feature, finished in black. 

Once curred can be walked on and guaranteed for 20 years

Fibreglass shell complete, fountains in place. Just need some rain to fill the pond. Rained every day during construction, by the way.

Cookham project Oct 2013

Cookham Oct 18th 2013

Raised herb garden using Bexhill Red bricks with soldier course top.

Sunrise sandstone - 5 sizes mixed with cobble setts

We plan to use a brush in pointing mix, just waiting for a dry dry to do so.

Topiary Italian garden - water feature focal point  .
Works have started on the above ground pond due to be cladded in natural dry stone walling. A new product on the market and we believe we are only the second company to use in the south east.

Really excited about how the end result will look and are looking forward to an Indian summer in order to complete to schedule. In the meantime we have a lot of work to do to construct a 9" concrete surround  for the pond.

Concrete pad shown in the making - Machine rolled Type 1 base with 12 cubic metres of readymix set into reinforced steel mesh should provide a strong base for the construction.

Cookham - September 2013

Water harvesting tank now buried under ground - Inspection cover can be seen left of pathway. 

Sunrise sandstone paving used over tank (please note panoramic photo shows the stone a tad disjointed).

Sunrise cobble stones help to frame the patio area.

Work continues

Italian topiary garden with a large water feature as centre point in the making. Watch this space for updates.

Water harvesting tank install - Cookham Sep 2013

Installing a 3500 ltr water harvesting tank - New design including pump and filter and all fittings for an easy install.We sat the tank on a bed of concrete and all went in without any hassle.

Irrigation system only on this project but can easily be plumbed into a header tank in the house to reduce house water use.

Pruning in March

The first signs of spring are now clearly visible. Plants in the garden and on the balcony are gradually coming to life, and gardeners are keen to get down to work, as there is plenty to do this month to prepare the garden for the coming season.

Pruning

• Remove any remaining dead foliage.
• Prune back roses from the end of March, using clean, sharp secateurs.
• Prune bush roses back to a height of approximately 45 cm.
• Prune standard roses above the graft union, cutting the branches down to a maximum length of 40 cm. Make the cut just above an eye (dormant bud).
• Weeping roses can be left slightly longer.
• Leave the main branches of climbing roses intact but cut the side branches back to the fifth eye. To rejuvenate an old climbing rose, remove one of the old main branches completely at the base of the plant.
• Old privet hedges that need rejuvenating can be pruned now. Use a lopper for this. Leave only the strong main branches, cutting back to a length of 50 - 100 cm.
• Cut back loose hanging ivy branches and remove any branches that have attached themselves to wooden window frames or guttering.
• Cut late flowering clematis right back to the ground. Snails and slugs love the new shoots, so keep an eye out for them.
• Lavender and heather can be cut back using hedge clippers, but make sure you never cut them back to the bare wood.

NEWS FLASH!!!!! Potato shortage.......prices could rise due to a unsuccessful growing year for potato's   The wet weather of 2012 may create a bad crop of the nations favorite vegetable.
Its time to consider 'GROW YOUR OWN'

There is nothing like digging up your own home grown food and serving them to friends and family. Those with young families can have a lot of family time and fun growing food. Children can get involved and understand the value of food while getting their hands dirty. (anything to get them outside and off the computer console).

Potato planting tips:
Once you have bought you seed potato s spread them out or put them in old egg box trays and keep them in a light, cool, frost free area - a porch or garage is ideal. This is called 'Chitting' and encourages the seed potato's to sprout before planting. This should be done 6 weeks before planting out the potato's. Aim for March depending on the weather. The 'Chits' should be short and stubby by the time you plant, avoid the long white ones.

Good luck.......and don't forget water - www.blueskieswatersystems.co.uk