Sunday 5 November 2006

Transformation...

This weekend I've dedicated to working in the garden...
Late this afternoon I finished laying the wooden decking, I bought ages ago, and cunningly hid a manhole cover.YAY!!!

So I eventually, 4 years later, 7 builders size skips filled with soil later, plus lots of blood, sweat and tears* and much help from Andy and Big Rich, turned THIS:


Into THIS:

Guess where the manhole cover was that I discovered buried beneath that lawn?


I got rid of the lawn for easy maintenance *ahem*, because I couldn't be arsed to keep mowing it, and love the look of decking and blue-grey slate, so a Zen garden it was.
I know it's a touch bland at the moment, but I'm yet to add foliage, furniture and ornaments etc, but in its basic completion stage, I'm well chuffed with myself!

After completing the garden, I popped out the front to clean my car before I lost all light.
I witnessed this fantastic Sunday evening sunset, but it's a shame I wasn't somewhere more picturesque than outside my house.

[* Well, no real tears were actually 'shed' (get it?) but I did put my back out, good and proper, when digging out that raised garden]


Today, I'm Most Angry About: November the 5th = Fireworks! Now I LOVE fireworks, but only when I'm in the company of people letting them off, otherwise they keep making me jump, hour after hour; BANG, BANG, BANG... Grrr! It's like someone doing the vacuuming in the same room as you - really loud and annoying, but if you're doing it yourself, it seems acceptable! :[]
Grrr-O-Meter Rating: 3/10

Today's Top Tip: Motorists - Avoid getting prosecuted for using your phone whilse driving. Simply pop your mobile inside a large sea shell and the police will think your are listening to the sea.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow. your yard looks amazing!
and it looks low maintenance, i.e. no lawn mowing required.

Kayla said...

Great job there, DoGGa!
Love the blue/grey slate too.
I'll bet the manhole is under your wooden plant box?
Great place for morning meditations, or evenings.
That susnset is incredible!
I saw one yesterday through the woods, and it was such a brilliant orange/red it looked like the trees were on fire!
Hey..I always listen to a seashell when I'm driving.
haha

Anonymous said...

good on u lovepup. manhole, manhole.... could it be where people have a water feature in their garden, u have a 'pebble-box' feature? as for your poor back, u are no spring puppy but still adorable :X

LindzyPinzy said...

wow good job! It looks great! it will look sooo good when you get some plants out there...I love it. Sounds like a productive day! That sunset was phenomenal..one of my most favorite things is a beautiful sunset. This time of year there seems to be lots of good ones here..do you find that too?

Anonymous said...

Oh, WOW! Your garden looks okay, but it is going to look abfab when you have added the plants, ornamental grasses, an Acer, a few rocks and some lights :) Kidding, add what ever you want and it is going to look fabulous. Well done!

Lovely sunset pic :)

karen said...

No way! I JUST posted some pics of that sunset! Me and the silver fox were driving through Dorset so some nice scenery except for a bloody great pylon. Grrr.

Your garden looks GREAT, I really like it a lot. You need to get you a bamboo - they look amazing and sound really nice when the wind blows them.

Hope ur back's ok today - good excuse for a massage (as if an excuse were needed).

LOL @ seashell mobile phone holder! You should make some. I'd buy one! xx

Anonymous said...

Looks good Dogga!

I missed the sunset last night, not sure what I was doing but I missed it!

Phil said...

Guggen:
Hey, thank you! And yes, no mowing HOORAH! :]

Kayla:
Cheers Kayla. Bet you 'Merkans have huge back gardens, sorry, yards :0)
Yup, the manhole cover is under the plant box indeed, well spotted.
I want to give it an oriental look; I can see my now, sitting cross legged on that decking humming ot myself :]

Boo:
If you say manhole too much, it starts to sound rude! LOL, or is that just me?
Anyhow, a 'Pebble Box', I like it. I think we may have inadvertently created a new got-to-have garden feature! I'll sell the idea to garden centres around the world and we'll make millions... :X

Lindzy:
Cheers Ms Pinzy! Yeah, I want some shrub type thngs and some palnts that will hang over the edge of the raised beds.
Sunset are great, but so short-lived :[ Yup, this time of year, you tend to get some real vivid colours; odd eh! :)

Dakota:
All that sounds cool Dakota! Want to come and kit the garden out for me? :-)

Stu:
OMG, your sunset wins *rasberry*
Cheers Stu! :]

Kees:
Whoa, wierd! See the link above on Stu's comment? Check that out!
Mmm, Bamboo sounds cool yeah. Any ideas are welcome!
I did my back in a while ago; it's all fixed now. But if your offering, a back-rub would be wubbly! :] xxx
Mmm, another make-me-millions idea... Novelty sea shell phone holders! It would look great woul dit not, walking along holding a shell to your ear, having conversation. :0)

Angela:
Cool, cheers mate! You'll be doing your garden soon then?
The sunset was short lived, but see Stu's link on his comment above! :]

Anonymous said...

How long until the weeds start popping up?

Anonymous said...

Good job, DoGGa! *High Five*

And that is a beautiful sunset.

I heart beautiful sunsets.

Purple Donkeys said...

you know what they say - any hole is a good hole except a manhole! ;-)

Phil said...

Hutters:
ALready ahead of you! I put down that tightly woven material stuff under the slate to stop them coming up! *dogga stick tongue out*

Sarah:
Cheers mate!
Twas sunset heaven in the UK on Sunday :]

Steve:
Ooh, yeah, LOL. A man-hole... It wasn't a hairy one! ;0)

Anonymous said...

Whahaha…. We’ll see about that when it’s time to start planting things a.k.a spring ;). This time of year you can plant trees and bulbs but that’s about it :)

karen said...

Holy crap! Stu wins! Amazing.

Of course you can have a back rub me dear :) xx

kat said...

Love the garden. It will look great once you have a few plants in it.

Phil said...

Dakota:
Yeah, I'll wait until spring for any plants! :]

Kees:
He does indeed! Ooh, cool. I'm looking forward to that :x

Kat:
Thanks Kat! :)

Anonymous said...

that is crying out for a monolith if you ask me.

Phil said...

Mr Johnny G:
Hahahaha, you've a thing about monoliths, have you not?
But you're right, it is just screamin gout for one... I can hear it now :]