Annual summer border [1]

It looks as if it's going to be a nicely straight and wide drive. A border along it will make it less boring :o)

I agree with Hywel, it will make the driveway look much brighter and interesting.

Keep us posted! Look forward to seeing how it develops & the blooms next year. You could try some heathers for winter colour, mine are just coming out, that's if they will grow well for you?

Good luck with it all - nice to have extra planting space. Was that a 'sweetener' to get you to agree to the widened drive? ;-)

I think mondays weather forecast is looking good SG. We are doing the opposite to you, im emptying a long border in the front garden and going to turf it over! :))) You dont realise how much work there is do you, looking forward to seeing your new project develop..

all looks good :-)))) look forward to seeing its development like Feverfew said....

spritz you know him so well. He went and brought home all the sand and gravel today so he could get on today.
We started putting in the kerbs today. Then boy did it rain. Just 1m left to do too but too wet to mix any more concrete. I've barrowed 3/4 ton of sand and gravel today and now I ache.
Yes Hywel straight just as OH likes things; it had a nice sweeping curve before but I'll soften the edges with plants.
John the other side has a cottage style bed so the drive always went on to grass on this side. Feverfew I have heathers and they are out in all there glory. I really fancy annuals so I can play around with colours.
Oh will have to work without me on Monday as I am at work. He has 2 tonnes of hard core being delivered then.
I am so glad I'll be at work as I don't fancy shovelling that lot.

I hope you have a cement mixer Sbg. Your OH sounds like mine. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing properly. I am looking forward to seeing your colour schemes next year. I found a tin of mixed annuals which can be planted now to flower next year so I'm hoping for some nice weather too so I can get them sown.

yes we have had one since 1996, SG a God send. Though I have mixed mortar/concrete/cement on a hardboard sheet in the 15 yrs prior to us buying a cement mixer. It has earned it's keep and owes us nothing now. I get to clean it out after every use and apart from chipped paint still looks very good. Better than me anyway :o)

So far so good SBG - hope you aren't too achy after all the lugging about. It's nice to get a little bit more of soil to play around with isn't it :)
I had my new driveway done at the beginning of this year and will be making a start on rejigging my front garden in spring time.
Will be looking forward to part 2 and seeing your border come to life next year.

Thanks for posting the photos - it's always interesting to see before, during and after! I hope you have indulged yourself with a long, hot bath ;-)

I hope you stow it away safely Sbg. I bought a second hand petrol one for OH. When it eventually died I got him another. When that became difficult to start I got him an electric one on a stand. It did great service for seven years during which time it was left out as the work was on going. We were shocked to discover it had been lifted off the stand and taken away. It looked like new because it had been cleaned up after every use. The insurance company replaced it but the new one is never left outside overnight. Each in its turn has made life so much easier for us. I did ask if I could use it for mixing the compost for the raised bed I made last year but that met with such blank incredulity I just mixed by hand.

I will definitely be posting work as it progresses.
yes it is cleaned and locked away every time its used.
mixing compost now that's an idea
no hubby wouldnt go for that either!

Your OH is a grand chap Seaburn, mine only does jobs like that when we are both about and I am both the whipping boy if it doesn't go right and also the general dogsbody, always been that way but after being married nearly 50yrs I know what to expect and him changing isn't on the cards, lol.
Hope the weather is good for him so as he can continue all the good work....

sounds familiar Lincslass, also the tea maker during the various labours.
We have always worked together on jobs that are home improvement ones. washing and ironing is stereotypically my role though!

Sounds like we are all fully time served labourers ladies. I do like the designing in which I am allowed to have the lead role and it is nice to be able to work together. My OH worked continental shifts which meant we had more time together and with the children before they were school age.