Eat Fencing, Sleep Fencing, Dream Fencing, Arrgh

Well, I've been at it again, fencing that is . When we moved in here nearly 4 months ago the big garden was an absolute paradise. Unfortunately, with all the flooding we've been having and 24 pairs of feet running around and digging holes, the garden has been turned into a muddy swamp with hardly any grass

I decided to fence about 60 foot of it off so that they can still be outside in the bad weather if they want, and they can still do their birding, but this area will be slabbed and that will enable the rest of the garden to recover and for the grass to grow back.

I have left two huge spaces for gates (which I intend to make myself), one just as you come into the garden and the other at the end of the area, and, on the days when they have got access to the lawn, I shall open both these gates so that they can chase each other around both parts.


I want to slab this and put pebbles in the bits where the trees and shrubs are, just so it doesn't look like a total concrete jungle. I also have some leylandii that I shall be planting around the edges once the posts and wood has been stained with preservative, that should make it look a bit nicer.


All I have to do now is save all my pennies for slabs, I keep trying to win them on ebay but either get outbid (as I'm still on a strict budget) or they are too far away and I can't get them here. Still, I'm sure I'll get it finished soon, even if I have to buy a few slabs at a time.

Thanks for looking.

A partly paved area sounds a really good idea

No-one could ever accuse you of being lazy, you always see what needs doing and get on and do it (when money's not holding you back)....
any time you fancy a break from your place, feel free to come over to ours and sort us out. We've been talking about planting a hedge round the front garden since we moved in 5 years ago and thats as far as its got - talk!

Sheree, it's going to look absolutely fab!

Len's a digger, so I paved my garden (it's only tiny) and it's the best thing I ever did!

Thanks Hali, such a pity you aren't nearer, thats the only thing that is stopping me taking you up on your offer

Thanks Vicki, I saw a photo of your garden and it looked lovely and neat, I hate mine being an eyesore, if I can get it to look as nice as yours I will be well pleased

Auntie Vicki, me and Lennon get blamed for everything norty, have you noticed? Love and snuggly hugs, Bradley xx

Sheree, Don't you ever sleep?????
your garden will be a doggie paradise when you have finshed. i never likes slabs much before we moved here, but now our whole garden is slabbed. i think i'll go this way again. it's so easy to clean up and once washed down and Jeye'd it looks great. i'm sure your gang will love having a special area they are only allowed in during fine weather it will make it all the more fun to run about in if they can't always get there.

Thanks Kitty it feels like I'm always doing something around here, but then the little blighters undo what I have done so off I go again I had slabs intheir compound at the other place and it was brilliant, so much easier to keep clean and I scattered pallets around and they would spend hours outside sunbathing on them, I really would like to do something similar for them here, the nice part is that they've also got the trees to shade under. I think you're right about restricting them too, all those lovely new smells just waiting to be sniffed at

Hey Bradders, you're absolutely right you know. Now mum can't blame me for digging, do you know what she does? She blames me for eating her plants - I really don't know where she gets this idea from! She keeps showing me this "photograph" as evidence......



...personally, I think it's a fake...

Maybe I should come and visit you for a while.... I hear you've got loads of mud, birds and pizza - heaven!
Love and woofs
Lennon xox

Sheree - join your local freecycle group ( google the name and you will find it). It is basically a site where people advertise and give away - no selling or resale of items allowed - items that they no longer need.

It is one of the best ways of recycling things that you no longer want but someone else might be desperate for You can place wanted posts as well - the only stipulation there is that you give something away before you take something.

It is brilliant - we have passed on lots of things that we no longer need and have also gained some great items too.

On my local group there are always people offering paving slabs so is definitely worth doing. It's free to join and, if I remember rightly, is a Yahoo group.

I can practically guarantee that your quest for slabs will be sorted on there - and at no cost to you either. Very green as well due to keeping things out of landfill sites.

Thanks so much for the info, Louise13 has also given me some good pointers too, she also mentioned freecycle. I'll get on it straight away, I've got some surpless bits and pieces that I never use but have held onto as they're too good to throw away.

Thanks again.