We started by clearing the site of weeds and grass by spraying with a weed killer (herbicide) 10 days prior to cultivation. This is a translocated herbicide which is absorbed through the leaf of any plant it comes into contact with ; once it has entered the plants system it works in reverse - against the flow of the sap, the faster the plant grows, the quicker the herbicide travels to and through the root system; ultimately killing the plant. The product is neutralised when it comes in contact with the soil, therefore any liquid falling onto the soil becomes harmless, likewise any herbicide that remains the plants root system as it rots away is also neutralised on contact with the soil. Whilst it is safe to dig in the dead materials with no effect on new plantings we decided to strim off the dead material and remove it to simplify the process. Any of the old root system remaining will continue to decompose in the new beds. We then removed any unwanted debris, lifted the existing path and identified the metal fixing for the washing line (standard issue on the Churchill Estate). Norrie then came in with the rotivator and cultivated the area to a depth of around 12 inches. Breaking up any subsoil structure will open up the soil and improve drainage throughout the area. This could of course be done by hand but we used the rotivator to save time and energy! We used 'course' or 'sharp' sand to lay the slabs onto - 'tramping it down to increase the stability of the path. You should avoid using 'building sands' for this purpose as they absorb water and can result in unstable slabs. Having positioned and firmed in the path we mixed concrete and back filled the gaps between each of the slabs. We then prepared the oval shape for the new lawn - again by 'tramping' the cultivated ground in order to firm up the area, this is so as to avoid settlement in later weeks which could result in an uneven lawn. Just before laying the turf we raked over the area. When rolling out the turf we were particularly careful with the ends of each roll, as it is lifted by mechanical means at the farm site the ends are tightly rolled and need to be spread out correctly as you work. If you leave these they will dry up quicker than the rest of the lawn and curl up. Layout slightly more turf than you need and then use a sharp tool to cut the edge and shape of lawn you require. Then you should keep the grass regularly watered and pay particular attention to the joins - this way you'll obtain an excellent knitted together finish.
If you would like to contact me about the garden you can email me at: nina@somewhere.org.uk More about the MUSTER project More about SOMEWHERE HOME