Work for play - eventually

Posted by Simon

I've been working hard on the boule/play area and have at long last got the sleeper edging in place and have levelled the area off. Also the section where the play tower is going had to be filled with topsoil. I seem to have been moving earth around for the last week and if not earth, sleepers. But I'm pleased with the result and now ready for the next stage(s) - to have 15 tonnes of crushed stone delivery, level and compact it across the boule area and then get the top surface stone and level this. Build the play towers and swings. Plant trees and hedging. Do other planting and finish other landscaping. Oh and put a fence along the back of the area as there is a 1.5 metre drop into the neighbours field. Not much more to do then?

As I needed more subsoil and topsoil for the above areas I have had to dig it out from an adjacent area. This has now been named the quarry and will eventually be filled with soil from other areas as required. The subsoil is quite stony and using this as a base material much reduces the need for so much crushed stone, hopefully saving us buying so much in. The plan is I should end up with one final hole - the swimming pool. Well that's the plan.

Now the quarry has given the boys great entertainment value. They have played and played in it and it has kept them amused for hours. Which makes me wonder why I need to build a tower for them, especially when Ben asks if the tower can be built in the hole. Em, a 2 metre high tower in a two metre deep hole - now that's novel!

In between time I have been getting ready for the hedge laying course, like last year, that we are running this Friday and Saturday. Rosie and I have been getting the binders and stakes from our friends place and I've started clearing the hedges out ready. We have 7 to 8 people coming each day so hopefully we can get a lot done. When these hedges are laid and the gaps planted up we have nearly restored all the hedges on the property. Plus we have planted new ones. There is one more hedge that needs a decision made about as it is completely overgrown with bramble and needs ripping out, but that can wait for another year.

And I wonder why I'm so knackered!