Cheery's path to fulfilment - finishing the DIY, looking after myself, appreciating the garden 🌻

EssexHebridean

Making a little private garden which isn't overlooked just sounds like such a nice thing anyway, definitely something to get cracking on with I would have thought, neighbours regardless! 

I completely sympathise with ANYONE having issues with neighbours (obviously - bearing in mind the grief we had previously!) - in spite of us having them both sides, and both lots having barky dogs, we're still utterly delighted not to have noise from above any more! 

Greying_Pilgrim

Fingers crossed the neighbour's renovations aren't going on for much longer and that they haven't got a conifer plantation to dispose of...... 🫤  We've been luckyish with neighbours in the last few years, but at Greying Towers it was a completely different matter - so you and MrC have my utmost sympathy.  

The conifer burning stink actually reminds me of a former work colleague who lived out in the countryside, and had a lovely garden.  They used it for entertaining, and opened it to raise funds for charity - not excessively, once, maybe twice a year, sometimes not at all.  It was pre me being pregnant, and we went on many occasions, as guests, or to give a helping hand.  I remember the first time the neighbours - about 1/4 mile down the road, on the other side - had a huge (smelly) bonfire going - think burning of plastics/tyres 😱 And I thought, "oh, how bad to have forgotten the open garden was on".  Then the next time we were there, it happened again, and the next, and the next.........  There was literally no impact on their house/property from my friend's.  No-one parked near to the other house, there was no noise/live music/fireworks.  But without fail, there was a stinky bonfire, every lunch/party/open garden date.  Folk have different ideas how to go on I suppose.  

Greying X

Cheery_Daff

They do indeed have different ideas about how to go on 😬 that sounds grim for your pals 😕

No real news here - I am trying to ignore altogether and focus on projects here instead. Mr C is having less success with that... 😬 so I am also trying to ignore him 😬

Found a place we might be able to go to collect hazel hurdles at the weekend, although I'm tempted just to pay for delivery. If I can get everything assembled I can fit the fence myself while Mr C is out on Friday - a nice sense of (slightly exhausting) achievement 😂 In the meantime, I'm trying to relocate a couple of willow trees (probably just as tall as me) to block part of the view from the garden - I was going to have to take them from where they were anyway, so if they don't take in their new home it's not a crisis, but it would be good if they did. 

Hole is dug to receive the first one (the other day) so I'm just getting changed to see if I can dig it up... Wish me luck!

Cheery_Daff

Well that tree was surprisingly easy to dig up! I had an audience of cows for much of the time... 🙄😂


but it got dug up and transplanted, and well watered in. Fingers crossed. I'll dig another hole tomorrow night I think. There are 4 i can shift - they're all in slightly odd places, and they'll go a good way to filling in the gaps in the windbreak and sheltering our garden a bit more.

Ordered hurdles, posts, and post spikes. Considered collecting, but then measured the car properly and paid £25 for delivery instead 😂😂 Post spikes will be here Friday, everything could be 5-7 working days, so I can't fit this weekend, but i can get the area all ready (strimmed, straightened, odd bits of plastic removed from when the fascia board was replaced). Need to think about seating too, although not urgent. 

Tired now, and back in town AGAIN tomorrow, that's every working day this week! Most objectionable. Still, it's getting Mr C out of the house, and it's getting my office cleared out, a little bit at a time... 

Tomorrow night I must finish reconciling the banks - got part way through last night then got distracted. Payday this week so a bit of shuffling to be done. 

Oh, and we have £100 each from NW 😊😊 Going immediately towards the fence 😊😊 £422 in total 😬 Could have gone for something cheaper than hazel hurdles... but it's a few feet outside the living room window, and also the first bit of the house you see coming down the drive. Wanted to grow plants up it too, so they'll will weave in and out nicely, and also be pretty easy to put up (and it doesn't matter of not perfectly straight... 😂)

Watty1

Love love love the cows watching you removing and replanting a tree.  Fabulous.     Like hazel hurdles too but never had anywhere they would go fortunately, given the price

PennysIntoPounds

Lovely pic. Well done on the tree, this sounds hard work but also great fun. Love a revamp

Cheery_Daff

Thanks both 😊

No, they weren't cheap 😬 and I did also look at making them myself... but it's not really the right time of year, and I'm not sure it would have worked out a lot cheaper anyway. And I've got enough to do, quite frankly! 

Greying_Pilgrim

Cheery - the hazel panels compare quite favourably pricewise to the mass produced 'typical' fencing panels - and the hazel panels are a far more aesthetic proposition.  

I loved the pic of the inquisitive moo-cows too 😁

Greying X

EssexHebridean

LOVING the cows! The farm near us sadly seems to no longer have theirs - it was always lovely stopping on the way up the lane on a walk to see what they were up to, and the younger ones would frequently come across for an inquisitive if slightly nervy look at us!

The hazel hurdles will be lovely too - it's something I would absolutely consider if they would suit what we'd need in the way of fencing, but that's not likely where we are unfortunately. 

Cheery_Daff

I was surprised how expensive 'normal' fence panels were! (I've never actually bought any 😂). 

Our order is being prepared, apparently. No sign of delivery date, but post spikes should be here tomorrow. 

Not long got in, we stopped for a bit of tea in the sunshine on the way home from work 😊 Mr C is quite gloomy about the prospect of neighbours - it's basically been just us up here for a long time now so it'll be quite a change. (And I do realise we're still fortunate, having lived cheek by jowl for the rest of our lives)

Had a long chat about what we can do. Looked on rightmove of course - there are a couple of very jolly places back in the city we'd happily live in, and which I suspect would cost less than we'd get for this place. Unlikely to do that, but knowing you have options helps with feelings of stuck-ness sometimes. 

Obviously we'll continue our fencing plan. Yesterday's transplanted tree isn't looking too good 😬 but I've given it another good dose of water, and will take some more out tonight. Fingers crossed, because there are 3 more I'd like to do - might wait and see if this works first.

Also, we'd originally planned to create a seating area out to the east of the house and never got round to it. It has the BEST view (and only a tiny window from the house 🙄). It's also the furthest from the neighbours... so we might finally put some of those plans into fruition. Not the ones that involve knocking down the coal shed and building a conservatory (although the coal shed roof is caving in now anyway) but maybe the ones that involve removing the nettles and putting out a couple of deck chairs 😂

Back shortly with a plan for tomorrow...