Tackling A New Skill

The best thing for me about being a garden designer is not only the drawing side of the job which I thoroughly enjoy (but which can be quite lonely at times), but the 'doing' part of the work.I have always been a 'hands on' designer. I love to do every aspect of the build from laying paving,driving diggers,building a dry stone wall to catching rabbits the cat has brought into my daughter's bedroom! All of course cannot be done without the expert help of my work colleague Michael who is a great teacher and thankfully has the patience of a saint.Being a creative sort ,I like to change my mind a lot.Some will propbably say it's because I'm a woman! But I put it down to being on the job - well , I think so anyway.I have learnt so much.I want to tackle plumbing next and electrics.God help the world!I have done a fair bit of plumbing when building ponds and lakes.There doesn't seem to be too many women designers who do 'water'. Now that Charlie Dimmock is not gracing our small screens water in gardens is not so important,yet most gardens have a water feature of some sort.I realise there is much to be learnt and everyday something new crops up which I have to have a go at. 'Doing it' to me is the only way to learn.It is all very well thinking something looks good on paper but until you try to build it yourself you never know if it will work.Just ask Michael.I have driven him mad the last few weeks changing my mind about a brick path he has been laying.On second thoughts,better not ask him! We have come to the final stages now of the build and .....I won!I will post pictures of the path soon to show before and after and in between!

"Julian. We used magnetics some years ago, eventually they blistered the paintwork and would blow off when travelling in high winds. And yes they advertise that your vehicle holds items worth stealing. Never had any leads from when we used them ,…"

"Throttle screws and move the governor spring across a hole.Takes less than five minutes. Can't say I have had any complaints about noise but then again I have customers I have worked for for years and never even met!"

Hi AllWhat are member's experiences of magnetic signage gor vans. I appreciate that the name and nature of the business will be free advertising but the flip side of this is advertising a cache of gardening tools available to plunder. Will this…

Comments

claudia de yong April 1, 2009 at 10:59am

Yes , over the flu thank you.And yes I was up an an ungodly hour but I never sleep!

I had a crested newt in my hall last night!! Had yours escaped?!

Water will feature more and more in gardens - not least because of flooding issues. I have had to re-do many a garden that has been flooded.But putting lakes and ponds in to people gardens is so rewarding.The amount of animal life it generates is wonderful.

Happy pond dipping!