Builders killed my lawn...
Pinal
5 years ago
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Jonathan
5 years agoPinal
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Any idea what this plant is that has sprouted all over my lawn?
Comments (11)This thread is worth bumping. There was a big fad in the (I believe) 1980s for Rhus typhinia, common name Stag's Horn Sumac. It is a sub-species of the Sumac genre. The leaf shown between the teeth in the photo almost certainly is one. "The weed of the prairies" as it is known in North America. As trees go, this one is short-lived and as they begin to die they do indeed throw off runners which will pop up as saplings in seemingly random spots at some distance from the, by now sick, parent plant. Usually it is not so much a matter of lack of cooperation but lack of understanding and a failure to grasp how this method of propagation works in plant life. Hence the unwelcome proliferation of bamboo, Japanese knotweed and some other invasive species well beyond the boundaries of their initially proud owners. Their common theme is that they all propagate in this manner. Buyers knew they would need space enough for a tree when they bought Rhus so there are hopefully not so many to cause as much trouble. Having said that, in two of my own clients' gardens I have one still looking healthy and one that is all but dead and sprouting nascent offspring. So beware. If your or your neighbour's tree's leaves are that shape, they turned various rather beautiful shades of red, yellow and brown last autumn, the branches are evocative of stags' horns and the tree has reached its maximum height of around 5 metres, it may be worth inspecting the area below ground immediately around its roots. Try and cut them out before they really get going....See MoreHelp design my kitchen layout before my builder and husband kill me!
Comments (15)OK, I normally do gardens, but here's my take..... You kitchen is very similar to ours, which we've lived with for a few years now. Based on our experience, I'd move the sink to be opposite the cooker, with dishwasher adjacent and a ready-use plate rack over/adjacent (most people use dishwashers these days, so having the food preparation area by the window is more meaningful). You might also want to think about swapping the sink and cooker sides, since the route for dirty plates is from the dining table to the peninsula, to the dishwasher/sink. The peninsula is too narrow - this is where everything gets "dumped", so more surface area, creeping round the corner, will be much more useful: also, instead of a rounded end, a square end with cutlery drawers etc. would fit with the route of flow from kitchen to table. Agree with Ash that moving the door to the utility would work better - clear route of flow from dining area to the door without going into the more confined kitchen space. If you have an american style fridge-freezer along the bottom wall, say, you might want a second, under-unit fridge near the food prep area, for things you use all the time (thus preserving the traditional "work triangle"). Oh, and make sure you have a little spice cupboard right next to the cooker!...See MoreMy raised terrace or balcony dilemma. Connecting house to the garden
Comments (42)Hi original poster! I know it’s 7 years since you asked this but would love to know what you did. We are not in a similar position with a similar looking house at the back but even steeper. I know that a full extension and lowering the internal floors would be ideal but we can’t afford that and need a 5-7 year fix. Please let us know what you decided and why ☺️...See MoreSpent a year designing my garden - am i on the right track?
Comments (18)@ angm47 - Nice garden! It's the opposite to yours. Mine slopes upwards towards the far end, so I've added steps on the drawing, see the two horizontal double lines. So there would be 4 changes in level in total inc the last one behind the gabion retaining wall. I'm expecting a fair amount of ground excavation regardless of final design. PS I'm really into grids and straight lines so not opting for anything circular. @campo73 - nice isn't it! Yeah it's the same, 9x5 grid of 600m@ slabs, making the shorter side 3m wide, plus I've added another slab width path to two sides, making it even wider for chairs to be pulled out. I noticed the smaller table too. Thanks for the tip on the stone choice. @rachelmidlands - thanks for your additional feedback! @JBS Ltd - I agree that a light coloured slab would look more contemporary, which is what I'm after, but I'm reluctant to if they will go green all the time :-S You read my mind on the planting, I already have some miscanthus I'm potting up ready for action. As for the perennials, I'm going to go for strong stemmed ones with winter seed interest, rudbeckia goldsturm for example. I quite like the idea of a late season garden, like Joanne Bernstein's (bloody gorgeous garden and a BIG inspiration that one - see pic link http://farm1.static.flickr.com/343/19951288828_3accea0675_b.jpg. @Jen P - Yeah I thought it'd fit too - the size is 3.0x5.4m - it's hardly small! Whilst I like angm47's garden I am opting for straight lines, grids, no curves. Plus, crucially, (if anyone's noticed) I've brought ALL the planting areas away from the yew hedge boundary consciously, from a practical point of view. I'm trying to design it with manageability in mind as well as aesthetics. Plus I quite like the idea of bringing the focus inwards rather than putting it on the borders around the edges. Plus, I'm not so bothered if the garden is long and rectangular, because its easy to change when the kids grow up :) @colourhappy - totally agree - if you see everything at once you give the game away. So I've put in screening features with line of sight from the living room in mind. Re 45 degree angles, oh god that means a complete re-design :-) I've been told to 'work with what you've got' in the past, so taking that on board, my design grew from the existing raised brick border on the right that's parallel with the boundary. I'm not sure I could/want to change it all and and keep that there at the same time. @fran11home - thanks for the tip I'll check it out!...See MoreEmily
5 years agoEmily
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PinalOriginal Author