The last two weeks of October gave a window of opportunity for completing some more of the hard landscaping, as my builder buddy had arrived to literally engineer things!. And first on the to-do list was the completion of the greenhouse with roof and door glass (recycled) and fitted just before the rains came down.
My greenhouse is part potting shed, whilst unheated can also be classed as a cold frame! It fits all my requirements and I don’t even have to duck my head going in.
Next on the plans was a set of wood framed steps on the North side of the ‘rockery’. The ground here inclines abruptly away but before we could even put in the framework, I was back with my mattock digging out an assortment of bricks and large rocks embedded in the slope.
At the end of this slope and on the edge of the bottom path, the ground banks precipitously down to a boundary fence. This ‘hole’ is far too big to fill and so with more construction, a platform was built. Sounds like the magic transformations of Mr Benn (a children’s character) but it was far from a simple task for my builder buddy, battening into concrete and standing on a slippery slope.
Even more challenging was the plan to build a set of slabbed steps on the south side of the ‘rockery’. Descending straight down from the greenhouse platform meant having steep 8″ risers which I did not want (with my not very long legs) and so a quick re-think gave a much better design and outcome…
We literally side-stepped the issue by extending the greenhouse platform into a set of paved steps at right angles to the slope, thus reducing the amount of straight drop!
Unfortunately there was no time left to complete the south side steps but everything is measured with top and bottom slabs in situ, ready for the next build in Spring.
For now at least I have a sheltered greenhouse to plant up seeds and to potter in, as well as one set of steps which makes access to the lower end of the garden so much easier and far safer too. The wormery has a sheltered, sturdy, flat plane on which to reside and so it would be true to say that despite the weather, everything in the garden is rosy!
**wormery moved to woodland and exchanged for succulent potagerie as this was too hot a spot
A scrolling view of the back garden design work in October:
Let the serious work begin 
cuprinoled lengths of timber for north steps 
digging out the north steps foundations 
some of the bricks that were buried there 
two of the large stones buried there too 
step 1 -anchoring to the wall 
complete north steps – decorative stone topping when all the dirty work is done – 
pallet platform covering a precipitous incline 
a place for the wormery 
slope and south side steps under construction 
‘found’ bricks and mortared slabs for side steps 
side steps down from the greenhouse platform 
slab under block – 6″ riser and solid design for south steps 
ready for next time – the south slope 
小打も積もれば大木を倒す – Shōda mo tsumoreba taiboku-wo taosu – With many little strokes a large tree is felled.
My Japanesque Garden 
Always good to have a friend like that!
indeed – we make a good team, a mix of patience and time managegment, skill and skivvy
Goodness, some really heavy labour been accomplished here. Well done that chum.
chum-with-skills so invaluable as my efforts would be Heath Robinson