An insight to the daily life of a garden design and landscaping build up on a rear garden located in Cullompton, Exeter, Devon.

Day 12

View previous day here

Coffee.

Video footage applying the scratch coat

It's not until you watch yourself at work you realise your little habits, it would seem I like to tap the plastering spot board each time I fill the hawk, this is to ensure my steel trowel is clean for the next lay on.

Concreting the reflection pond

Concreting the reflection pond

Whilst I'm applying the scratch coat to the garden feature walls in the Marshall's kitchen area and the raised seating area the team mix the concrete for the base and footings to the reflection pond, 200mm depth of concrete in all will allow four courses of 225mm wide block work with 10mm joints, bringing the top of finish block work to 72mm below finished paving level.

Plastering the scratch coat

Plastering the scratch coat

I have completed the render scratch coat, all but one small area, now where's my Jewson lintel, I can only assume the missing lintel is walking the 5.7 miles from the Tiverton branch to my Cullompton landscaping project, perhaps I seek to much by means of an explanatory  phone call ??

Whilst I await I'll feed the last perimeter up-lighter cable through the electric ducting to the seven raised Marshall's black limestone planters.

Ducting draw cord connection

Ducting draw cord connection

I bend 200mm of the cable and clamp tight, I fasten the internal draw cord from the duct to the clamped loop of the electrical cable and wrap tight with duct tape.

At the furthest point of ducting from the draw cord connection I pull the cord slowly through the ducting, once the cable is fed through the ducting I include 500mm at each end for the electrician. Plastic is wrapped at both ends of the duct and the cable is wound up and secured.

Cable pulling

Cable pulling

This simple device of two road pins at the same height and a small bar or broom handle assists me when pulling the cable.

Still waiting

WAITING !!

Where's my Jewson lintel. 

Where's my Jewson lintel

Where be my lintel to I know where he be ?, actually I don't.

This kind of poor service would never occur from Phil Skeats at the Newton Abbot branch, what do I have to do to climb ranks in the Tiverton packing order?

Garden reflection pond footing and base

Garden reflection pond footing and base

With guidance from the rotating laser level at dig level I set the laser to 200mm above dig, this level is used through out the concrete pour, once all concrete has been mixed the levelled concrete is tamped and left to cure.

The lintel arrives !!

The lintel arrives !!

YAY 3.45 pm ........ I bed down the lintel and clean down the site.

I detest being in the hands of a sales rep, I call it a day for today.

Tomorrow were not relying on others.

Tomorrows blog:

Garden reflection pond and overflow system build.

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Open forum activity

Honey Badger replied to John F's discussion Cherry Blossom Tree
"If it's right by a boundary wall it sadly needs to come out. Cherries are one of the worst for causing subsidence. People Are such idiots when it comes to planting tree's."
16 hours ago
John F replied to John F's discussion Cherry Blossom Tree
"Yes it's not always easy to do the right thing for the tree unfortunately whoever planted it put the wrong tree in the wrong place right next to a boundary wall when it was just a small tree .
Once it's pruned I  can't see it adding any value as it…"
18 hours ago
Peter sellers replied to Ben Hattersley's discussion Pricing for School grounds maintenance
"Ben, seems that you are in a strong position as you are well thought of by the school as you aren't the obvious choice to quote for something which is not your main business. Are they asking other contractors who do this type of work to quote? If…"
21 hours ago
Ben Hattersley replied to Ben Hattersley's discussion Pricing for School grounds maintenance
"Yes it seems to be mine field! The school arent happy with the current contractors and to be honest i wouldn't be either. The main concerns of the school are that they are paying for the contract but very little gets done.
Because i try stay away…"
yesterday
Jim Mileman is now a member of Landscape Juice Network
yesterday
Honey Badger replied to John F's discussion Cherry Blossom Tree
"Can't say I've ever seen silver leaf in 22 yrs because I don't prune prunus in the winter. The only dease I've seen on cherry is a die back due to old age. With exception a fungal thing that was poor soil related and did recommend to customer not to…"
yesterday
Noel Dempsey replied to John F's discussion Cherry Blossom Tree
"It's not advised to prune cherry trees until the weather is warmer to prevent disease."
Tuesday
John F replied to John F's discussion Service Schedule Stihl Cordless Hedge Trimmer ?
"Many Thanks everyone . Sorted now , just removed the 4 torx screws and lifted gear box cover , original grease a bit dried out so cleaned it up removed debris and re greased gears .
Screwed cover back on and works as it should .
A nice…"
Monday
Billybop replied to John F's discussion Service Schedule Stihl Cordless Hedge Trimmer ?
"hi John yes its definitely a diy job to me, and i am not mechanically minded whatsoever. The higher end HSA trimmers have actual greasing points where you take the bolt out and put the grease in. The less expensive models you unscrew the plastic…"
Sunday
Greg is now a member of Landscape Juice Network
Sunday
Honey Badger replied to John F's discussion Service Schedule Stihl Cordless Hedge Trimmer ?
"I think ap range you just rub a bit of grease on the cogs every 16hrs. The combi heads I fill up with grease a few times a year, was recommended to me by a stihl engineer. In the winter I clean out all the old grease. I sharpen my hedge cutters with…"
Sunday
Graham Taylor replied to John F's discussion Service Schedule Stihl Cordless Hedge Trimmer ?
"I'm sure this is just a trick to extort money form customers.  As said, the gearbox will need greasing periodically and the blades sharpening with an angle grinder now and then .   They have these ridiculous checklists that say for example, "check…"
Sunday
Peter Davis replied to John F's discussion Service Schedule Stihl Cordless Hedge Trimmer ?
"I don't have the battery one but on both my stihl combi hedgecutter & another battery one, I remove the gearbox cover every few weeks & grease all the gears & bearings.
I don't trust the grease nipple system & removing the cover allows a general…"
Sunday
Intelligent Gardening replied to Ben Hattersley's discussion Pricing for School grounds maintenance
"and he can bid for other contracts once he has the set up."
Sunday
John F replied to John F's discussion Service Schedule Stihl Cordless Hedge Trimmer ?
"Hi Billy That's a good point greasing the gears , essential I should imagine , I wonder if it's a DIY job . ?  
Thanks never considered this ."
Saturday
Billybop replied to John F's discussion Service Schedule Stihl Cordless Hedge Trimmer ?
"hi John never had any stihl AK only the AP stuff, I can imagine greasing the gears but apart from sharpening blades as you say, what is there to service really, probably more of a checklist they tick off"
Saturday
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