Building A Dream – III

We’re now onto the back area of the garden and paving in all other areas so the end is in sight.   It’s REALLY coming together and excitement is palpable.  The build team at Breathe now have several teams working on different parts of the garden and big changes are happening now on a daily basis.  Large parts of the garden are nearing completion.   It feels like so much is going on and so quickly, its difficult to know what to describe.

The more taxing moments…

• Work takes a lot longer in the mud, especially mud on this scale.
• Getting the bridge in place given the site conditions.  After much deliberation about gigantic cranes and various options, it was done quietly one icy morning with a tele handler.
• The planting plan has been a bit of a monster!  Research, checking suitability, associations planting density, double and triple checking, drawing, re-drawing, preparing for planting, sourcing…thanks especially go to Chris at Orchard Dene, Nick and his team at Instant Hedges and Britta at Bruns for working closely with us in sourcing and advising.
• Setting out and planting several thousand plants
• Fruit trees – it took some time to find the right trees here.  The ideal was to find 8 different fruiting trees that were not only edible but delicious.  I also wanted the fruit to be largely within hands reach and not take years to grow into anything worthwhile.  Sounds easy but mature fruit trees are difficult to find, then they had to be the right form and have fertilisation partners…suffice is to say…it took a while to sort out.
• The front drive has a new entrance and the planning conditions have meant quite a lot of two-ing and fro-ing with Northants Highways to make sure our application is successful.
• Time marching on as the deadline approaches.  A feeling of sadness this wonderful project is going to come to an end one day 🙁
• I’ve learnt a ton about heating natural pools and solar fields – air source heat pumps, gas boilers, solar fields, ground source heat pumps…makes your head spin but its good to get to grips with it all.

And some favourite emerging views as the garden has developed…

• The lines lining up!  The view from the kitchen fruit orchard up to the Willow by the swimming pond.

• The building of the treehouse www.treehouselife.co.uk

• The hidden log pathway and willow teepee

• The glasshouse – thank you to www.carpenteroak.com and www.windowglass.co.uk

• The bridge www.carpenteroak.com and swimming pond www.gartenart.com.  Also, check out their great blog and video of the bridge being put together from Carpenter Oak

• The golf studio www.edengardenrooms.co.uk with its wildflower turf roof www.wildflowerturf.co.uk
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• The sculptural fire circle and stone seating area

• The front garden getting it’s makeover.