All change at La Fontaine

Gosh I feel tired just reading this!!!. He,s a really good lad you,ve found such a helpfor you well done!

Good work, Karen ..
Please may I borrow him ? ;o)

Like Pam, I feel tired just thinking about it all, but hey isnt that going to look good when all your hard work is done. 'More power to your elbow' as they say. Well done on what you have done so far.

wow Karen, what a transformation ~ you must be really good at imagining what will look good

i love what you are doing with the pond and its surrounds, looks so good already

i also really like the new lawn shape and rose arch will be fabulous.

I bet you feel a whole lot better about your garden now though Karen, it must have been really upsetting when you first got back but its coming on in leaps and bounds already, in a few weeks you'll be relaxing and admiring once again...
Hang on to your strapping young helper, lol....

I'm two months behind...and that's not including the fact that I left before the growing season was over...twitch, twitch!!

and, and, and... multiple twitches!! lol!

And...of course you can, TT...well, maybe not him...but, I'm sure he has an English cousin... ;))

I also feel tired thinking of all the hard work you've done, plus your helper, well done you.

Wow, you have been busy! What a difference you've made already... and I love your linked circular lawns. They remind me of crop circles! Well done....go and put your feet up and have a nice glass of something 'reviving' ready for tomorrow! :))

Oh, Sticki and Lincs, thank you for your encouragement! :))

I'd love it to be 'stuffed with plants' but, I'm just moving things around now, because OH has put me on a budget!!!

I really, really, hated not being able to look after my baby...!

blimey you've worked hard there, it absolutely excellent Karen. such a big difference...

Thank you, Clarice :))

but, we all do it......just not as often, perhaps! lol!

great blog karen and so much done to, love the pond area very much, its hard to decide what to use for shade isnt it, also love the shape of the lawn and that will be great with an arch there, well done, looking great :o))

Help ma boab!!

Cannae keep up!!!!

Feet already up, Karen...enough...until tomorrow! lol!
-you know what I mean ;)

SL...I can honestly say that I will never manage it ever again!! I'm cream crackered!!

Let's hope I got it (nearly) right this time..... ;)))

Thanks San!

The pond was there since last year...but...so bare!!!

I have a plan for the arch...but, it's still under wraps! :)))

Its all looking great. I love the way lots of Goyers are reducing lawn size & increasing planting space.

Thanks SL - it has not been without pain!!!! lol! :))

...but I'm not happy with slowly, J!!
And I do realise that I have a problem...!!!!!

...btw - it was Lion Bars... ;)

Ooooh! How come, J??

Hi Willinilli! This could only have been laughingly called a 'lawn' anyway...

...long story...pallets of blocks...bindweed...etc. etc..lol!!

Oh dear, I'm exhausted just reading about it lol ;o))
But it will all come together one day, and you'll be glad you did it ...

Coming along nicely Karen - it is a killer of a job!!!!

I was? ????
Great job hen! Is that yer toyboy? ;)

Well hun you are most probably asleep by now but that all looks amazing! Love the new lawn shape and the boy/ help/gardener Lol!!

Oh Wow...what a difference! Like the shape you have made with the lawn. The pond will look less bare as the months go on. Lifting turf is not an easy job - at least you were able to get a wee hand!
We won't tell your OH about the arch yet!!!!

I was waiting for someone to comment on the 'young man'..thought it might be you Pixi ! Lol...looks fit though,doesn't he ? :o))

Lol!! Thanks Annie - and you were right...I fell asleep on the sofa and had to drag myself upstairs at about 2am...!

Pixi and Bloomer - he's a lovely boy (emphasis on boy)!!!!! LOL! He's my friend's son...he looked like a wee cherub when he was younger. ;)))

Thanks Hywel - it's the 'one day' bit that I'm not good at waiting for...lol! ;)))

Thanks, Paul...you're so right...my forearms don't feel like they belong to me this morning!! ;)))

Thanks Scottish...I really don't think that I would have managed it at all without help! I'm having something made for the top of the source at the moment...and OH doesn't know about that yet...so it's a case of 'softly softly' at the moment! lol!

And, if I ever EVER come on here, saying that I'm thinking of changing it again...PLEASE STOP ME!!! LOL!

I'm sure i commented on this yesterday but I must have forgotten to click on add comment. Senior moments taking over again. You have done a huge amount in a short space of time and it looks very promising. With the shrubs in place at the neck your lawn looks like a scotch thistle. I'm looking forward to seeing it develop. Does OH have to stay in Nigeria for the five year contract or will he want to come back when he sees the transformation taking place at home.

I've done a bit more today because the weather is not to be good this week...lots of plants moved and some sitting in bags waiting for inspiration about where to put them...
...plus OH is in Scotland on business and will manage a few days here next week (I don't think he'll ever break his contract though, Sg)...and his son and friend are arriving next weekend to spend a week with me.

So, I have to get it finished in the next couple of days.

I'm running out of steam and ideas, though.

I've got some big spaces to fill before I can start putting back the smaller stuff.

Take one space at a time and put up a question to get suggestions Karen. You might get some suggestions that you would never have thought of.

Very imaginative, especially the round lawns - they will look fantastic joined with a rose arch. Gosh you have worked so hard no wonder you are tired! Give yourself a treat now, you deserve it.

Thanks Sg...you have! I'm going to see what I can find today at the market.

Thank you, Steragram! It was a very long, very boring but very major part of the garden...

Now, what should my treat be, I wonder?? The roses perhaps?!! ;)

bet he's not so angelic now! lol

You have a wicked mind, Pixi! lol! ;)))

Pixi...behave yourself...time for a cold shower!:-) Karen it's going to look wonderful when it all settles down and I love your round lawns:-)

Thank you, Ba...my problem is, I'm too impatient to wait for it to settle in.

I will be out there at it again tomorrow - weather permitting! lol! :)

Yes,naughty Pixi..I would edit your last sentence if I were you ! Lol..

She needs telling Bloomer, now you're her adopted mum....I blame the parents:-)

I had the same problem 2010 Karen after my makeover I couldn't wait either:-)

You are right ,Ba..I'm not being firm enough with her...right,young lady,no going out to the Youth club this week,..are you listening to me Pixi?...come back,I haven't finished ! .....Is that strict enough,Ba ? somehow I don't think so...kids,eh ? now in my day......

Karen , hon , lots of good work there ! Tranquillo !
I was waiting for the comment on the "young man ".
Those girls , they need to get out into the garden to expend their energy a bit !
How is the battle of the knott-weed going ? Progress report please .

It's a terrible responsibility you've taken on there, Bloomer...do you know what you've taken on?? lol!

And, it's a terrible affliction having to see everything finished and perfect all at once, is it not, Ba? lol :/

Thanks Driad! :))
The neighbour came to see me...he's going to have professionals in at some time over the growing period. So, I'm going to dig up the shoots which are approaching me. I should really have done that before I started everything else, really...but, I keep thinking, 'Just another day or two and I'll be finished all this'!!!

Oh Karen...I didn't know you had the dreaded knotweed:-( Do you have to report it in France too? :-)

Hi Ba!
Although some departments are beginning to wake up to the problem, they haven't gone nearly as far down the road to eradication as the UK...probably just more space here, so it hasn't caused enough damage, yet. :(

I wish you luck, it is quite an attractive plant it was growing on a filled in railway behind my old house, what a rate it grew at! I believe it is possible to erradicate though:-)

It is very nice to look at, Ba - especially when it's in flower. My neighbour bought and planted it a number of years ago...and now regrets it as it's marching up towards his house too.

I have faith that he'll do whatever's possible! :)

apparently it was brought here as an ornamental...now everyone regrets it lol:-)

I know...my neighbour bought it from a shop!! \O/

Well what a difference a boy can make.....it has come on in leaps and bounds, love all the new shapes, look forward to the next update....

Thank you very much, Dd2. :)
Strapping young lad was a godsend. If not for him, I would probably still be at it...and wishing that I hadn't started!

Homebird !
He's still lurking there somewhere .

Lol, Driad...does that go for all of them...? ;))

Thank you Hb! Archway now in and roses planted...just waiting for OH to cut what I laughingly refer to as the 'lawn'...I reckon that's his definitely his job!!... ;))

I suspect as much , Karen !
Hope all goes well with the visit , give them all a garden task to do .

Already on to that Driad! ;)))