An insight to the daily life of a garden design and landscaping build up on a rear garden located in Cullompton, Exeter, Devon.

Day 12

View previous day here

Coffee.

Video footage applying the scratch coat

It's not until you watch yourself at work you realise your little habits, it would seem I like to tap the plastering spot board each time I fill the hawk, this is to ensure my steel trowel is clean for the next lay on.

Concreting the reflection pond

Concreting the reflection pond

Whilst I'm applying the scratch coat to the garden feature walls in the Marshall's kitchen area and the raised seating area the team mix the concrete for the base and footings to the reflection pond, 200mm depth of concrete in all will allow four courses of 225mm wide block work with 10mm joints, bringing the top of finish block work to 72mm below finished paving level.

Plastering the scratch coat

Plastering the scratch coat

I have completed the render scratch coat, all but one small area, now where's my Jewson lintel, I can only assume the missing lintel is walking the 5.7 miles from the Tiverton branch to my Cullompton landscaping project, perhaps I seek to much by means of an explanatory  phone call ??

Whilst I await I'll feed the last perimeter up-lighter cable through the electric ducting to the seven raised Marshall's black limestone planters.

Ducting draw cord connection

Ducting draw cord connection

I bend 200mm of the cable and clamp tight, I fasten the internal draw cord from the duct to the clamped loop of the electrical cable and wrap tight with duct tape.

At the furthest point of ducting from the draw cord connection I pull the cord slowly through the ducting, once the cable is fed through the ducting I include 500mm at each end for the electrician. Plastic is wrapped at both ends of the duct and the cable is wound up and secured.

Cable pulling

Cable pulling

This simple device of two road pins at the same height and a small bar or broom handle assists me when pulling the cable.

Still waiting

WAITING !!

Where's my Jewson lintel. 

Where's my Jewson lintel

Where be my lintel to I know where he be ?, actually I don't.

This kind of poor service would never occur from Phil Skeats at the Newton Abbot branch, what do I have to do to climb ranks in the Tiverton packing order?

Garden reflection pond footing and base

Garden reflection pond footing and base

With guidance from the rotating laser level at dig level I set the laser to 200mm above dig, this level is used through out the concrete pour, once all concrete has been mixed the levelled concrete is tamped and left to cure.

The lintel arrives !!

The lintel arrives !!

YAY 3.45 pm ........ I bed down the lintel and clean down the site.

I detest being in the hands of a sales rep, I call it a day for today.

Tomorrow were not relying on others.

Tomorrows blog:

Garden reflection pond and overflow system build.

Votes: 0
E-mail me when people leave their comments –

You need to be a member of Landscape Juice Network to add comments!

Join Landscape Juice Network

Open forum activity

Jason Bibiloni replied to Dougie's discussion Looking for a new roller machine
"I use a mountfield roller now as the bigger mowers were killing my back .Last one I got was about £420 from bq ,I keep them for about 18 months to 2 years and then get another new one when on offer and then sell the old one for about £120 "
6 hours ago
Sam Bainbridge replied to Gerty's discussion Sloping kerb detail.
"You'll still.need planning for altering size of entrance to driveway also an approved contractor with correct paperwork is meant to be used but they charge 5k just for doing the public carriageway so I'd just do it and hope for the best, or you can…"
yesterday
Fusion Media posted a blog post
Replay Maintenance has continued to expand its natural turf operations with the appointment of experienced turf professional Ben Hodson as Business Development Support.Ben joins the company with almost a decade of experience in the sports turf…
Thursday
Fusion Media posted a blog post
At Airdrie Golf Club, Course Manager Jordan Cameron has taken a clear, back-to-basics approach to turf management, and with the support of Agrovista Amenity and growth regulator Attraxor®, the results are speaking for themselves.Jordan joined the…
Thursday
Fusion Media posted a blog post
GroundsFest Academy welcomed grounds professionals from across the industry for its latest CPD-accredited event, Preparing Surfaces for Sports, held at Plymouth Football Club’s Home Park Stadium. Delivered in partnership with leading industry…
Wednesday
Ian Harvey replied to Gerty's discussion Sloping kerb detail.
"Looking at the photo, the area nearest the camera shows the kerb almost level with the driveway. Could you not make access to the new parking from that end, leaving the raised kerb as it is further along? Regarding planning, if the driveway is…"
Tuesday
Peter sellers replied to Peter sellers's discussion Echo DHCA 2600 HD
"Have ordered the Echo DHCAS 2600 HD this is the slightly shorter version than the DHCA but a similar length to the Stihl HL92 CE comes in at 5.3kg with 2.5ah battery, had to buy blind as could not find one to try . Will report back as to what I…"
Tuesday
Peter sellers replied to Graham Mitchell's discussion Selling your business/Customer base
"Graham, yes I have more or less completed the sale of my primarily commercial grounds maintenance business albeit with a few domestic customers. Established for over 40 years. Not something I plamned at this time but ill health has forced my hand.…"
Tuesday
Sam Bainbridge replied to Gerty's discussion Sloping kerb detail.
"Easiest way is remove current kerb then concrete yourselves so you can form the new kerb in whatever manner you want then your sloped drive could be laid at the same time as the kerb but remember to get a firm mix or it will just run away down the…"
Monday
Graham Mitchell posted a discussion
We are contemplating selling our business and or Customer base and just wondering if anyone has had experience in doing so, what can and can't I sell, how it can be done. And what sort of price we might be able to ask for it. We have over 150…
Monday
Billybop replied to Andrew Coates's discussion Hadn’t prepared for this
"Definitely Graham..... domestic gardens I have a couple of lawns that are fixed price and 1 hedge job where the client wanted a quote (so they got a fairly high price quoted). All the other work the customers already know and trust me that I will be…"
Jul 3
Graham Taylor replied to Andrew Coates's discussion Hadn’t prepared for this
"I'm not so sure you're right saying  "Most guys in the trade charge by the job"  All the gardeners I know including myself charge by the hour for domestic gardens. Commercial stuff.... definitely charge by the job. "
Jul 3
Fusion Media posted a blog post
Redexim has strengthened its dealer network with the appointment of Jenkins Garden Machinery, bringing the company's renowned range of turf maintenance equipment to customers across South West Wales.Based in Carmarthenshire, Jenkins Garden Machinery…
Jul 3
carl pannett is now a member of Landscape Juice Network
Jul 2
Billybop replied to Andrew Coates's discussion Hadn’t prepared for this
"Charging by the hour is fine (solicitors etc do it) but it has to be a realistic amount. ie quite a lot.  If you are experienced and with high end equipment that enables you to do the job quickly to a high standard"
Jul 1
Peter sellers replied to Peter sellers's discussion Echo DHCA 2600 HD
"Prob is sold all my kit with the business and hedges are desperate now"
Jul 1
More…

Echo DHCA 2600 HD

Now in retirement mode and as previously.posted been looking for a cordless long reach and was going to buy something at the budget end,but as they all have the motor at the blade end making them very unbalanced along with slow blade speeds and very…

Read more…
6 Replies · Reply by Peter sellers on Tuesday
Views: 250

Cordless drill

Now in retirement mode so dug out my old cordless drill that was bought from Argos a long time sgo for £10 to start all those jobs that have been put off. Its dead but to be fair has been used extensively for fencing jobs.Just need something simple…

Read more…
5 Replies · Reply by Adam Woods Jun 24
Views: 117