Balham Borders

Sarah (client) asked me to come round and have a look at her garden. It is a very long and narrow so allowing for several different rooms / areas in the garden. There is an old shed than needs to be replaced, plants that need to be overhauled or severly cut back and a patio that is pretty user unfriendly with very dangerous steps leading into the garden itself.

Sarah and I have decided that we will build a fence to afford some privacy with trachelosepernum jasminoides climbers. The patio will be “Natural Blend” sandstone, the steps will be almost 2m wide with bigger treads, so allowing people to sit on them or just walk down to the garden in safety. There is also to be a small patio at the rear of the garden where Sarah and her friends can enjoy the summer (when it arrives) surrounded by plants

It has rained everyday that I have visited this site and yesterday was no exception. We have stripped out the vegetation, cleared the gravel patio and unblocked the drains. Next it is the fence and hand selecting the stones for the patio.

18/02/2009. The fence is almost finished. The gate will need to be slightly adjusted once the patio goes down (tomorrow). The stone has arrived and looks great

19/02/09 Started with the patio. The first 2-3 stones took almost an hour to lay and get correct. The angles of the house back wall, the steps and the boundaries are not at right angles, so the eye bcomes the important factor. Once they are correct the rest went down relatively quickly, bearing in mind that it is such a small place to work in. Hopefully by tomorrow it will be laid, but there is a lot of stone cutting to do.. it will be close. Pointing will be next week once it is set.

24/02/09 The patio has now been completely laid and the pointing has started. This is the crucial point and where attention to detail is important It will bring the patio to life.

8/03/09 At last we are almost finished, just the second patio to do. The shed has been built, the steps and main patio finished. All we need to do now is the small jobs, like painting walls, moving plants, sanding down the steps, and a general tidy up (these are also the most important jobs as they are the finishing touches and where the attention to detail is essential.)

11/03/09 We have finished! The second patio has been built next to the shed. The main patio and steps have been pressure washed so the stone now has its natural lustre and my muddy footprints are no more. I am really pleased with the outcome especially as most things seem to have gone to plan which believe it or not is unusual. Thanks Sarah and I hope you enjoy your garden. It will be a great place to enjoy a glass of wine in the sun. It was warm and sunny today.

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