Stone terrace 101

6 September 2014

The stone terrace began as a pile of stone rubble that was left over from the renovation. We'd had the idea that it would be useful to build up the ground just outside the French doors, since there was quite  a drop down to the garden there and the land slopes away quite steeply.

While daughter-C and boyfriend-M tackled the French newspapers and investigated the back of their eyelids in the double hammock strung between the apple trees...











...son-C got stuck in with a pick axe and spade, and he and his cousin-F brought arm-loads of stones from another stockpile on the far side of the orchard.

But it was hot work and the beers were cold, so we didn't see a huge amount of progress, it has to be said.

Once the family had gone off in all their different directions after five happy days together, I felt as if I'd sat in the bath while the water had drained away; that unpleasant, slightly chilly, high-and-dry sensation. Perhaps that explains why I spent the next several days working like a mad woman on the stone terrace. G indulged me and brought countless wheelbarrow-loads of soil from next door, which I used to help build up the height.

I never really had A Master Plan for the terrace, being a novice, but made it up as I went along. I started out with the most massive stones right next to the French doors, thinking they would make reasonable steps. I even used the niveau Anglais on my smartphone to ensure that they were level. And then I  began to make it in a more organic way, trusting my eye for the level, and just having fun.

The weather continued to be unsettled, blistering heat alternating with cloudbursts, but I was largely oblivious, though dust in my eyes drove me indoors at one stage, where rain and mud did not. Only darkness was the complete kill-joy.

In the end, I decided to plant some rockery plants around the top edge, to provide some height (lavender, rosemary and gaura) or tumble down the slope (portulaca), but of course it remains to be seen whether they survive the neglect which we have in store for them in the coming months. The weed mat is ugly, I think we'd all agree, but will hopefully give the weeds second thoughts.

Neighbour-G suggested that a lime-sand mix spread between the stones would 'cake' and preserve the soil and possibly slow down the growth of les herbes mauvaises, but I ran out of time and had to leave it as-is.

The other thing we are leaving as-is is the meadow, below the terrace. There were so many bees and little beasties in the wildflowers that it seems madness to deprive them of their habitat, and of course, it means less maintenance for us.

Spot the real reason.