the drive....

Before Christmas I spent a happy week as an unofficial and unpaid groundworker. Our task was to lay an improved drive surface from the entrance gate to Waxwings. Once the permeable Terram sheeting had been laid, I used the big dumper to move crushed stone and brick onto the drive and then used the heavy roller to level and flatten.

We also created the first of our parking bays. Terram was placed at right angles to the drive and once again, crushed brick and stone was laid and and then rolled. We wanted a gentle curve rather than a sharp right angle and so cut a triangular piece of terram.

I asked whether a triangle would itself be too straight when we wanted to create a gentle arc. I was told that a triangular piece would achieve this effect - and it did. I guess my suggestion was considered 'arc for arcs sake'...

Now that this part of the drive is complete (there will be a top dressing of stone at some point in the distant future) we should consider driveway planting.

So, as a first step, its back to my cardboard collection hobby... Collect as much cardboard as possible, lay it as thickly as possible and then cover with organic matter such as chippings. Ideally layer the cardboard a bit like a lasagne with layers of cardboard and straw. (We don't get many dinner guests ...) The thick cardboard layer should suppress and kill perennial weed growth enabling us to plant through the cardboard and chippings.

All cardboard gratefully accepted....