Even though we've made huge progress with our garden this year, we've still some jobs to finish. It's almost as if we've taken our foot off the pedal following the party, and have been enjoying ourselves at weekends instead. So this list is as much for me, and to show that a gardener's work is never done.
Slate and circles
The circles are all done, and we're really pleased with the effect they've had on the garden, but we ran out of slate for the left hand side of the garden as you look at the picture below. We need to buy another one of those tonne bags and lay that on the weed membrane to finish it off.
WE NEED TO ADD SLATE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE
Growing some grass
Some of our circles are still a bit bald at the edges, so we'll need to sow some grass seed to finish those off. By the time the squirrel is finishing burying his treasure I'm sure we'll have some more spots to fill in as well.
AND SOW GRASS SEEDS TO FILL IN THE BALD EDGES
The final gabion basket
We've a final gabion basket to position, get level, line, fill with soil and plant up. It won't take long but of course is the most tricky to get to, which is why we've probably left it. It'll be in the second row on the left in the photo below.
Finishing the front of the pizza oven area
The pizza oven structure follows the arc of our stone circle, but is at a different level so we need to work out what to do there. My plan is to put in a step using some of the metal edging we have left and laying a couple of paving slabs right where you stand when using the oven. Exactly how we'll do that I'm not sure yet, but once we get going and I've explained my vision to MOH I'm sure we'll manage it.
Repair our gazebo
With the heavy rain back in June or July our new gazebo suffered a mishap. We learnt it wasn't strong enough to hold pooling water and after a particularly heavy rainfall were out in the garden early one morning dismantling it. And we've done nothing more with it since then really.
It's mendable - or at least repurposeable (yes I know that's not a word) but it'll give us a good winter project won't it?
DISMANTLED AND JUST A LITTLE BIT REJECTED (DESPITE THE SUN)
Putting the garden to bed
I'm hoping that the frosts are a little way off, but we're approaching that time of year when pots need to be put in frost-free places and the garden furrniture covered with a tarpaulin. This year we'll also need to cover the pizza oven, and I've an old Ikea fleece that I plan to use, along with a yet to be bought tarpaulin.
A winter spot for the hibiscus
Our hibiscus has flowered for many months now with plenty of blooms at a time. I'm still in two minds with what to do with it over winter and may move it soon as a precaution, mainly because I'm keen to keep this prolific flowerer for next year. I mean, you would wouldn't you?
There's also plenty to do on the plot, but that's a whole other post on its own.
I suspect I've missed something important, but if I have then I'm sure it'll come to me (and usually pretty soon after I've hit publish!)