Gardening Magazine

Deck the Halls

By Chooksandroots @chooksandroots

In the week running up to Christmas, when most were decking the halls with boughs of holly… we were decking.

Deck the halls

Seating area

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Seating area

When I first moved to Chook cottage, my friend helped me build a seating area at the bottom of the garden, as this was a perfect place to soak up the very last rays of sun for the day. Last year, many an afternoon was spent out in the garden, lounging, listening to music, chilling out and enjoying the odd glass of something cold and crisp. It became apparent that although the seating area was lovely and quaint… it was just a tad too small – and they say that size doesn’t matter😉

So we decided to replace it with a more robust chill out area, which would be great for hosting barbecues and having friends over. So, last weekend we set to work dismantling the old seating area, and I have to say, we worked like troopers. I was chief gravel shoveller, and lovely man was chief gravel redistributor. Not one piece of the old area went to waste… the slabs will be relaid into a small entrance path, and the gravel smartened up the side entrance a treat.

Deck the halls

Garden cleared

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Garden cleared.

I’ve been busily digging up plants to save and replant in the spring – current count I have about 45!

Deck the halls

Base for decking laid

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Base for decking laid

This then left the area nice and free for our chap to come and work his magic. Just two days later, and what a transformation. Yes, the garden looks grotty at this time of year, but that’s par for the course.

Hang on in, and you watch how lovely this will look later in the year when everything comes back to life!

Deck the halls

The finished decking

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The finished decking

Happy with that🙂

So, another job out of the way, and it’s officially time to hang up my trusty trowel until the New Year. Have a fabulous Christmas, everyone🙂


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