2023: Year in Review - Part 2
Hi, me again, with the second part of our update on 2023
As we moved through the summer, we were not only busy in our clients’ gardens, we were enjoying our own garden too. Dave was growing tomatoes in abundance, peppers, courgettes, cucumbers, potatoes, and lots more besides! We also enjoyed fresh raspberries every morning, and rhubarb, which gently stewed with a little sugar, was a lovely accompaniment to Greek yogurt. And of course, the mulberries, but I’ve already told you about my obsession with them!
In August, a new client approached us and asked us to refelt their shed roof, which we did one baking hot summer day, using green polyester mineral felt from Fleet Timber Supplies.
Shed Roof and Shingling
Whilst we were there our clients spoke to us about the top of their garden where they wanted something a little different. They had sectioned off an area, laid membrane, and had up-cycled lorry tyres to become planters. They asked us to source and lay shingle around the planters for them. Here are a few during and after pictures. Our client was very pleased that we had achieved the look they wanted, and last week we visited their other property in Hunstanton, where they’ve asked us to remove the front paving and lawn, and lay artificial grass. That will be a nice job for this spring.
Monster Hedge
A regular client of ours, whose large lawns we maintain with our John Deere lawn tractor, asked us to reclaim her privet hedge which hadn’t been touched for a number of years. It was VERY overgrown and had completely engulfed the telegraph pole on the outside!
Before we started cutting…
…and after we’d finished
We tackled this hedge one mid-September day, after the birds had finished nesting. We are not joking when we describe this hedge as a ‘monster’! It was very large, and very disheveled! Dave worked like a machine with our long-reach hedge cutters and bit by bit, the hedge was tamed. He reduced the height by approximately 8ft and took around 4ft from both sides. Our 4.5m extra-long reach, telescopic hedge cutter was put through its paces, but the hedge was so wide that the top had to be done in two stages. It was a scorching hot day, with no shelter from the sun, but we had plenty of water with us and our lovely client kept us supplied with tea. The result of our labours was a nice, neat, reclaimed privet hedge and a very happy client!
During cutting
Almost halfway through…
…the last little bit.
All in all, 2023 was a very good year, we took on great new clients, and this two-part blog has been just a brief overview of some of our work. Other work included refelting several shed roofs, lots of fencing, rotating a shed for a client in Hunstanton, pruning fruit trees, jet washing decks and patios, and of course, lots of general garden maintenance.
The 2024 season is just starting and our mowing commences next month. Spring is around the corner, and because it has been so mild, cherry blossom is already appearing, and daffodils are making cheerful displays with their bold splashes of sunshine yellow in our gardens and along the roadsides. We are girding our loins for another busy year and looking forward to getting back into our clients’ gardens, as well as meeting new clients.
So, that’s it, for this blog. I’ll be back soon to show you the raised beds for veggies that Dave has made in our garden.