Stone


The recent 'knock through' the back of La Grande Maison has left me with a good sized pile of stone. It's quite amazing how much comes from creating a relatively small opening, but in fairness, considering that the depth of the walls are some sixty centimetres, perhaps I shouldn't be that suprised.






This is the good stuff. The very material used to build the house now put to use in making the garden. You see  I'm in the process of losing much of the lawn in the courtyard, instead creating raised beds. I need more of the view pictured below, the dry garden, but it's a labour of love. In an ideal world I would simply dig over the lawn and plant, et voila, but lurking a few inches below the topsoil from which the grass grows are layers of castine (gravel) and general spoil from when the place was built, so the hard 'graft' solution remains my only option.

Once I finish building the low walls, I'll need to import some seven or so cubic metres of topsoil before I can start to plant up.  As for a planting list, now there's a question. Whoever the potential incumbents, they'll need to take it droughty.

To be continued...

Comments

  1. What a great idea, and what great stone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Hermes, Thanks, the stone is beautiful, luckily it's shaped nicely so quite easy to place each piece in the wall without to many rejects.

      Delete
  2. Beautiful colors. So warm. Our rock is cold grey. So this is your winter? No ice? No hard frozen soil?

    The planting sounds exciting. What are you thinking about, what kind of look?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. James winter has been very mild here so far. It's gentle zone 8 but we do get a lot of frost in a 'normal' year.

      What to plant. Now you're asking. If I'd have got my arse into gear I'd have sown some verbascum bombyciferum (biennial) last year ready to place this year. I really don't know. Panicum 'squaw' is a definite as is Aster frikartii, other than that, I'm totally un- decided.

      Delete
  3. Nice stones.... I love that single light coloured stone at the bottom. Very eye catching indeed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thankyou, that stone was un intentional, but as you point it out.....

      Delete
  4. Rob it looks like you have been doing a lot of work! Can't wait to see the final result!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sweetbay, I hope to get it finished end of Feb.It should look OK this year, but'll need a year more to establish.

      Delete
  5. Replies
    1. Marie it's all go I tell yah!

      The busy bit will be shifting 7 cubic metres of topsoil with a wheel barrow.

      Delete
  6. Perfect idea, raised beds. I was trying to dig over one of our beds today. If it wasn't stone under the fork, it was roots from a long gone fir tree. Trouble is top soil is not that cheap! Diane

    ReplyDelete
  7. Diane topsoil ain't cheap and you've got to check what exactly it is you're getting.

    ReplyDelete
  8. C'est magnifique!

    Are there cow barns or horse farms that will give you free composted manure for your garden? As long as it is aged and dried instead of fresh and hot, it's good stuff to make the topsoil go farther. You may get some corn or oats coming up, depending upon what the animals eat.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Freda I'll certainly enrich it a bit before planting. There are a couple of places I can get manure, I'd have to let it rot down myself though as it would be too fresh.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow, what a stunning wall. And such a fab place. I'm thoroughly green with envy.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This looks DELICIOUS. I love it.

    Thanks!

    Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment