When we first moved to our house nearly five years ago the thing that we really loved was the garden. We only live in a little terraced house but the garden was remarkably generous for a property of its size. The only problem was that the whole thing was covered in horrible concrete tiles that needed to be moved - quite a job I can tell you! What we didn't know was that the concrete was hiding a real surprise... When we moved it we discovered that it had been laid on top of loads of lovely old York Stone tiles! What good luck?
As soon as we saw the stone we knew that it would be perfect to make the paths that we wanted to make in our new garden, so we stacked it all up ready to be laid down when we needed it. The only problem with York Stone is that it is very, very heavy - we actually worked out that one of the really big stones must weigh close to a quarter of a ton! The other problem that we had was that the stone has often got in the way as we made our garden so we have had to move it several times in the process of creation. That's why today was such a special day because we finally got to lay the stones in their final resting place and (hopefully...) that means we should never have to move them again.
Now, looking out on our lovely garden it's hard to imagine that it was ever covered in concrete and that it hasn't always been the haven for plants and wildlife that it is now. I'll post a picture as soon as we've made the finishing touches next week. But in the meantime, here's a picture of Jo laying the very last stone, in its very last resting place. Phew! It's been a long time getting here but now that the garden looks so lovely it all feels worth it. And I can still hardly believe our luck that the last residents in our house were lazy enough to leave behind all the stone that is now such a feature in our garden instead of moving. It just goes to show that it's amazing what unexpected delights you can come across digging around in your garden.
Recently acquired 150 bricks! Not as durable as stone, I know, but full of character and very much valued.
Posted by: Mal | April 04, 2010 at 07:59 PM
Thanks everyone! I'll get a picture up on here as soon as it's ready!
Posted by: Liz | April 03, 2010 at 05:06 PM
We have also found lots of York stone that we are saving to lay in a final path and it's true you can't imagine how heavy they are until you try to move them!
Can't wait to see the finished garden.
Posted by: Catherine | April 03, 2010 at 12:07 AM
Treasure indeed
Posted by: Ian | March 30, 2010 at 09:58 PM
What a find. I'm looking forward to seeing your finished garden.
Posted by: Jo | March 29, 2010 at 10:41 AM
Looking forward to seeing a picture of the finished article!
Posted by: Rachael | March 29, 2010 at 10:19 AM