One man went to mow - Update # 27

17 June 2015

In a message from neighbour Laurie, she mentioned that our grass was at an all-time height, weeds were sprouting from between the stones of the little stone terrace, and our lovingly-planted and mulched plants were in danger of being overwhelmed. It's been a warm Spring, with daytime temperature reaching the early 30s, and there's also been a fair amount of rain - perfect for all things green. Being a model neighbour, Laurie offered to do some gardening for us and (despite our protestations) spent a good few hours there weeding one hot day in May.

Funny how, when the barn was a barn, the land around it looked fine as unkempt paddock/meadow, but now that it's a home, the same untended effect has the potential to look sad and bedraggled. G and I don't want to become slaves to the manicured lawn, clipped hedge and formal flower bed suburban cliché, or anything, but we don't want the place to look neglected either. We had in mind to keep the property perimeter close-cropped, as well as either side of the grape vine, around the trees in the orchard and around the edges of the terraces; the rest, we are happy to dedicate to wild meadow, for the benefit of bees, wild flowers and untrammelled Nature.

Probably a bit difficult to convey to any local, but there you go.

We have always had the good fortune of J-M's sporadic efforts at keeping the grass down, on his death-trap ride-on mower, but we are uncomfortable about relying on his goodwill and energy, when he has a fair amount of land to tend himself - next door and over the road. So we decided to get in some help. Enter John R, Stage left. Another ex-pat Brit. and recommended by Brian the electrician.

He spent a few hours clearing and whipper-snipping the place, knocking it into shape, and went back again yesterday for another go.

BEFORE - Oh dear, perhaps that's just too 'au naturel' 

AFTER - it does look better... I guess. But where's the natural meadow we wanted?

The weed mat is working, up to a point, but if only we'd had time last August to put down lime between the stones...

BEFORE - I rather like this snaggly look in the orchard...

AFTER - ...but I can see this looks more tended

The before and after photos show that it is once more looking tended, but we are a little bemused - or is that amused? - by the Nature 'meadow' we have been left with. It looks as if John simply forgot to do one sweep with his mower, and any wee sleeket, coward, timorous beastie found there would feel a little stranded and conspicuous, I would imagine :)

See what I mean?

It doesn't look intentional!

The border plantings look happy!

Especially these ones :)

Never mind, we will be back in the Correze in August, and we can discuss the finer details with John then.

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.

The old building continues to assert itself

17 March 2014

The shutters are going up, but not without hassle, because, in the nature of stone walls, nothing is flat or straight.

The digger has been and gone and the site is more or less cleared, ready for the driveway and terrace membrane and gravel.

The downstairs pointing will go ahead this week, I think, and Tom will organise stove flue/vent perforations later on down the track, once the stove has been delivered. This means that the messy pointing work can be done before the self-levelling floor compound is applied, and also before the stairs go in. Also, the pointing will help support the fragile stonework while they knock through the holes, and of course, doing things in this order means that they can achieve the exact positioning of the penetrations. Makes perfect sense.

Tom is heading off to the Lot Department this afternoon to collect the floorboards for the upstairs floor.

Charles has been in touch and estimates that he needs about three working weeks to complete his side of things. Apart from the hot water tank, which could go in any time now, he has to wait until first the upstairs flooring is down and then the screed is painted before he can hoist all his sails and get moving.

G and I are heading over to see the progress 17 April - 3 May... It's a pity that we can't stay in the barn, but we will stay nearby and make sure that we get under everyone's feet.

Next batch of photos expected today or tomorrow.

Floor paint, shutters, schedules

13 March 2014

Since the weekend, and the latest round of photos, we have plunged into a world of schedules and 'if this, then that...' etc. and lots of emails back and forth as we try and get our heads around the myriad last things that must be done, in logical order, and without compromising the workmanship or sanity on site.

This week, the men are busy pointing the gable end wall upstairs; downstairs can only be done once the stove flue penetration is done. (Cue Charles. Charles? Can you read me? Charles!)

Gregg has completed the shutters and has been painting them on site with a thinned-down layer of our dove-grey colour as a base coat. G and I will have the job of applying the topcoats in the summer. By the end of this week, the men should have begun hanging the shutters.

Shutters under construction

The digger was due to come this week also, to clear the site around the barn to make way for the driveway and terrace. That should be done by the end of this week too, and by the end of next week, weather permitting, the geotextile membrane and gravel should be down...If it rains, then the downstairs pointing will be done (That means you again, Charles.)

Phil is on track with his stairs, and says they should be installed (complete with forge-blackened steel rods from the blacksmith) by the end of March. He is also almost ready to hang the bathroom door (the only internal door in the barn).

Next up after the stairs will be the upstairs floor boarding,  and once we have agreed on widths and prices etc., Tom will order the boards and get them into the barn to allow them to acclimatise. Apparently the engineered boards need only about 2 weeks to acclimatise, whereas the solid boards need 4 weeks, so we are gaining some time there. The plan is to lay the upstairs boards mid to end of April, once Charles has brought the bath and sink pipework up from the floor void. (I'm not saying anything.)

While he is upstairs doing the floor, Tom will also finish off the cupboard/storage areas.

The last thing on Tom's list is painting the concrete floor downstairs. The screed is drying 'lovely', to quote him, but is not particularly smooth underfoot, so we've asked him to apply a 2mm self-levelling layer which will be very smooth. This means that we won't have to rely on the paint to give us the desirable smooth texture. Talking of paint. The manufacturer (Farrow & Ball), suggests a 3-month delay before painting new concrete, no matter its thickness, which means that we will only be able to paint it on or about the 2 May. It will require a primer and at least two coats...

Once the floor is ready to walk on (after 24 hours), it will only be the plumbing in of the sanitaryware to do, and the commissioning of the stove and heating system. Only.

In the meantime, all G and I have to do is choose and order online a paint colour, using only the printed catalogue, a wing and a prayer.

Oh, and try and plan a trip over for handover, snag list assessment and final payment, preferably when all the workmen have left, there's running water, electricity, a flushable toilet and a shower. It has to be sometime in May...but not the third week (G has to go to the Philippines on business) and it can't be the end of May (year-end)...

Too hard basket.