We have a big garden and it can be hard to keep it all under control. We try to at least have somewhere nice to sit out. For the last 20+ years that has been on a big deck that I built. That was starting to rot and my other half wanted a change. By the deck we had a gravel area that was pretty overgrown. She got a lady in to do us a design for something new and we are in the process of implementing that. We are doing a lot of it ourselves to keep the cost down as you can easily spend £thousands.

![Deck](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/steevc/23xefateu57amCEbSYRzLCwbj3HmCod2fitg9nbC4o41S3TGXuMTB3prhKv38uBFWzxoN.jpg)

This how it looked a few years back. I think I had just re-stained it then. The slide is long gone as the kids have grown up.

![Dry river](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/steevc/EoiVkpyUFNXyLeDFPaHdpF2mt7D2zd7Mo4iyPa99HgcYzrQ2f7evRWXCnyvf4TCcAXn.jpg)

The major features of the new layout were new paving and a 'dry river bed'. We had someone in to do the paving as it needs to be done properly. The same guy has also done some fencing. We needed new panels down the right side as the old ones had rotted. Those could just be slotted in, but we needed new posts at the far end which had become a bit of a jungle. You can just see our corkscrew hazel on the left that has been trimmed back and was pretty bushy in the first photo. We have filled the hole around it with big stones. There is a plan to have some running water at the far end of the 'river' and we had pipes laid that we can feed power cables into.

![Beach pond](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/steevc/EoGyQ3qTmRDvA3aAbcYLTWJSj1aLYduRKfgu9mo88osbv9k9B5qCDYdZWi1Cy6tzkac.jpg)

We have made a bit of a beach type area with some old wooden beams inlaid. We had the old tin bath that has been sunk into it. That has a solar-powered fountain. We are gradually adding some plants and there will be more in and around the river bed. We also used some logs we had along the edge. The area on the right will have our old stone/concrete bench.

![Raised beds](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/steevc/23x18x4UmpEaqvDTJa39KnVxatCS6wKzBFyfLKFMGtsrNBk7aVV1EXZVsSREbc9BsLz2a.jpg)

We also want to grow some vegetables. I built these beds from some wood we bought. We had to buy more soil to fill them. The gravel is from the old garden, but it needed a lot of washing as it was full of soil and weeds. Beyond this will be a potting shed.

![Tub](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/steevc/EoChaFdNA5VMc1LuiaRDxe6Bb4ozXVcr32WPzu4mjcPDXpwfMNiSPtC3VQLeihcEKpB.jpg)

We had these crates that the paving slabs came in and the bags for the pebbles and soil. We are using those to make some big tubs for potatoes and strawberries.

There is still a lot to do. I have bought a pre-formed pond that needs to be installed. I made an attempt at that, but it needs doing again. That is intended to be fairly natural to attracts frogs, newts and other wildlife. Also in that area will be a 'bug hotel' made from stacked pallets filled with places for them to hide away. Under that will be some sanctuary for frogs and toads. 

People have been buying us garden items and vouchers for Christmas and birthdays as we do not really need other things. The project will continue through the year, but we are already enjoying it. We have a table and couch out on the paved area that we will use more as the weather warms up. It should actually get pretty warm next week, so I expect to be out there.

There is a whole other area where we will put up our pool when it is warm enough. We have a summer house there and plan to build a new deck with parts of the old one. I will post about that when there is some progress.