Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
Harry and I knew that the visit to our daughter's on the east coast would be a working holiday, before we even got there.
You see, the brick wall on the side of the front garden had been hit down for the second time by traffic turning in the service lane nearby.
Harry, who is a *retired* builder, put as many tools as he could carry into a hold all because, as usual, we were travelling by express coach.
It took all of us, including the boys, to knock the fallen wall into moveable chunks so that we could dump the bricks into the skip.
As the wall had been shoulder high the bricks covered a great part of the lawn and because the insurance refused to pay the second claim, we had to think of a cheaper way of fencing the garden off, so it was decided to put in wooden posts and link fencing. This was well over two days non stop work for Harry and it didn't look very nice when it was finished. Deb came up with the idea of putting a reed/bamboo screen in front of the chain link fencing for privacy.
This was a favourite flowering shrub that had been shaped into a little rounded tree. Unfortunately it was felled by the wall so had to be sacrificed.
The screening did look much more pleasing to the eye and I hope by the next time we visit, all will be as we left it.
We visited several local garden centres and were pointed in the direction of Photinia shrubs to make a hedge. We were assured that they would grow as high as we wanted up to eight feet, and would thicken into a hedge fairly quickly. The ends of the branches are a lovely red colour at this time of the year. Obviously named Red Robin for a reason. I had never really paid much attention to this plant before but noticed it in many gardens in that part of the country, so it obviously thrives there.
There is quite a pretty outlook in the front of the house but it is more built up at the back. There are birds nesting nearby and lots of wild life all around. Makes my city garden birds seem more precious though, as we don't get as many visiting, nor a fraction as many of the different species that I spied in this garden. The bird song seemed very loud and lovely.
Harry and I were extremely tired by the end of the holiday and our arthritic limbs were screaming out. However, we had a great sense of achievement after shifting such a large quantity of bricks and mess which was an eyesore and leaving Deb with a more pleasing fence to look out on.
We are now home from holiday for a long earned rest!
40 comments:
Hard work, but well worth it from the looks of it.
Very picturesque.
It looks beautiful!!
you guys have done a great job, the garden looks awsome
great photo friday
Reading this post and about all the hard work you and Harry did to fix the wall, etc., brought back memories of my childhood and how my oldest uncle always planned his vacation time to be here at the family homestead and to be ready to work on whatever project -large or small -that needed repaired around the old house! I can't recall his ever coming here, even if only for a weekend, that he didn't have smoe repair thing in mind to tend to while "on vacation." All well done, at no charge and his sons were pressed into service -a familial form of child labor I suppose it was, but it taught them well how things should be done -both the project and how those doing the ork should act too! Loved those "red Robin" hedges and I've never seen nor heard of those before.
Sounds like your daughter needs a wall that pushes back.
Beautiful work you did.
How nice of you to help your daughter out.
At least there was some nice scenery.
Beautiful job! It looks lovely! And your photos are beautiful, too!
How generous of parents to bring tools and fix things for grown children. In our case, our children come home and fix things for us. You'll get your turn.
Hi Maggie May,
Oh I like that flowering shrub. I think the colour is very pretty. That's too bad! But I guess such is life...sacrifice here and there...
Rest up! :-)
You can always tell a good holiday, by how long it takes you to recover from it.
Definitely looks like you need a rest from your vacation! Looks like you did beautiful work though.
You need a holiday from your holiday, Maggie May! The bamboo screening really looks attractive; your daughter was clever to think of this to cover the chain link fence. And I've never heard of photinia before, but they're certainly eye-catching. I do hope she doesn't have any other bad drivers ruining her garden!
I'm glad I saw your last post--I would have wondered forever where those eggs came from:) A fox makes sense! I can see him stealing eggs from a nest, but how did he get ones that were stamped?
Sorry--forget my final question--I went back and re-read the post again. I must have skipped over the part about him stealing from the milkman's delivery. Now, I can stop wondering:)
Your daughter must have appreciated your work so much. You are wonderful parents. The weather must be so much better. It was pretty today here. Just rain tonight.
Maggie, there's a certain pleasure in the ache the body feels after doing important work. Now your daughter will think of you every time she looks at that beautiful place you worked on for her.
Lovely post!
that is quite a lovely view in the back!
The result looks lovely. I really like the bamboo screen behind the new plants.
Photinia is a popular garden plant here, often grown as a hedge. It trims up well with the added bonus of the brilliantly red new growth.
You've earnt a decent sit down with a nice cuppa!
Care and huggles, Mickle and Zebbycat.
Sounds like a dangerous area to live! Your repair job does look very nice too. the red leaves against the privacy fence really is nice. Now go relax! :D
Wow, what a lot of work. Beautiful job and lovely garden.
You certainly did have a working holiday! Looks fab!
hard work leaves a body tired but a good feeling inside I think this is exactly what your story tells
I love my parents! Thanks
Love these Red Robins. We have one that has actually grown like a tree with a trunk and is about 20 ft high now after 8 years. The others we planted, remained like the shrubs they were meant to be. So I think we have a Giant one amongst them. Nature, who can argue?
Love Granny
I loved the whole missing brick wall look. I wish I had enough yard to make a garden. Lovely photo story.
Well done, you deserve the rest now, but aren't you back to work? (though I guess our sort of work is not too physical!)
Such hard work but it looks amazing!
Oh well done you two. Imagine that, in spite of aching limbs, you were pleased with what you had achieved for your daughter and her boys. My OH and I have similar experiences when we visit daughter in Stratford on Avon and it's always good to get back home for a rest. A x
Me again Maggie - forgot to say how lovely it looked. A
The insurance refused to pay? So we're only allowed one idiot to demolish our walls then? Pthththt.
Lovely finish you made of it. And now you need another holiday to get a rest!
Why did the insurance company refuse a second claim? Could they not claim from the idiot that demolished the wall? It just makes your blood boil doesn't it, decent people end up paying through no fault of their own!
You all did a wonderful job - the result looks lovely. I love the screening and the plants you put in. :)
I am gobsmacked that the insurance company refused the claim - it's demolished isn't it? What the hell else did they want to happen to it before they'd pay up? Ooooh, those weasly insurance people don't half make me mad!
Looks like you've made a great job of it - let's hope it stays put this time!
x
That looks great, and it's a very pretty shrub. If you're not too sore, pat yourselves on the back for that wonderful work.
Wow, what a great act of service. And what a beautiful yard.
As someone else said, with luck one of these days your kids will do you a favor and fix things for you. My husband has been great about repairing things over the years, and it has paid off whenever we've had to sell a house. And now our son is showing signs of having learned from the old man, though he pretended that his attention was elsewhere at the time. He has a home of his own to maintain and is doing a fantastic job with it. I love your story and also enjoyed the one about the egg thief.
I did a double take at the first photograph, at first I thought it was a painting! It is very aestetically pleasing, an inspired choice. How infuriating to have to pay to rebuild something that someone else destroyed, so unfair. Your daughter must be very glad to have you as a parent!
You did good Maggie May. Enjoy reccuperating!
How lucky Deb is to have you two to come and help out. I would have been at quite a loss as to what to do next if it kept happening.
It does look very nice. I like the bamboo screen. And a lovely large hedge should do the trick nicely once grown.
There really is something about birdsong isn't there Maggie. Right now my birdfeeders are not being used and I don't know why. It is still snowing here so obviously the birds need food. But they seem to be going next door - the traitors. Still - I look forward to listening to them once spring comes. They love our big trees and they sing their hearts out on most days. So condusive to writing for me I find. So peaceful for the soul.
Super job and what great parents you are (and I've no doubt...grand parents)! Hxx
A car hit the brick wall...No! Well the garden is beautiful now get a little rest :)!
great post...nice pics...also, thank you so much for sharing the info about the signature with me!
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