Hi Cherie,

Oh - I heard he'd been missing me :laugh:

:laugh: If we got together Marsh, we'd get no work done mate :laugh:

Welcome back Kirk :love:

This is such a brilliant thread and could easily turn into one of my favourites. I hate gardening with a passion though, but even so I so want to pitch in and help you with yours :D

It took me weeks and weeks and about six really heavy full to the brim brown bins consisting of two old tree trunks, I dug out and nearly fell down the holes they made a few times, to do the over grown bit of at the end of my garden then I had to level it, and I had so many stings, scratches, cuts and bruises, but I persevered and the end result was well worth it :D Only down side was all the flowers seeds I planted for the bees to pollenate, I think the birds got most of them :rant: all my hard work :bawling:

Loving that you are back, am going to visit this thread regularly :)

Preparing The Way For Livia
 

Here I have used a broken 3' x 2' paving slab for creating a rock 'slab' to overhang the pond as a base for a life-size female statue water feature who I have named 'Livia' :hehe:

[IMG]http://i60.tinypic.com/2af6ns.png[/IMG]

Putting Livia in her place (Lol - that'll be the day :laugh:):

[IMG]http://i58.tinypic.com/w7zq4l.jpg[/IMG]


More To Come (For Those Not Already Asleep:joker:)

:joker: Thanks Suze - If you had waited I could have saved you all of that hard work with my 'cheats' (The Lazy Tibber's Way To Gardening Success :laugh:) As you will clearly see by the time this thread is finished. :joker:

looking more like it:

[IMG]http://i62.tinypic.com/intp5i.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i59.tinypic.com/zxmf07.jpg[/IMG]

Working on the 'Spillway' and 'Waterfall':

[IMG]http://i61.tinypic.com/2isgkqo.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i58.tinypic.com/a2ik6.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i57.tinypic.com/auf9mh.jpg[/IMG]

And one of Livia's bum for LT :joker:

[IMG]http://i59.tinypic.com/x1c36t.jpg[/IMG]

More To Come.

Spillway and Waterfall almost finished:

[IMG]http://i60.tinypic.com/2gvvhgj.jpg[/IMG]

Placing pond hose from lower pond to Holding Pond and working on the retaining rocks and stones for slope:

http://i60.tinypic.com/t6e6us.jpg

Great Work Kirk

Wow! That is amazing. Loving Livia :D

We'd be smashed by lunchtime. :fan:

Looking great kirk :love:

I'de love that water feature in my garden Kirk,(flutters eyelashes)

Placing the clinker block and gobboing:

[IMG]http://i60.tinypic.com/1zg6seg.jpg[/IMG]

http://i61.tinypic.com/10efqch.jpg

And the next three are 'Before'Shaping and Colouring and 'After':

http://i62.tinypic.com/11jlrww.jpg

http://i61.tinypic.com/2q1b11g.jpg

[IMG]http://i57.tinypic.com/11rxjyp.jpg[/IMG]

At least Livia is clean shaven but i did not know she was brother

:think:

Thank you Arista, Marsh, Anniek and Kaz. I swear that by the time that this thread is finished and I have explained the techniques - ANY of you will be able to do this.

I am oh so looking forward to some of you 'having a go' on at least small projects to start with and I will be here to help and advise if needed. You really will be amazed at even your first attempts.

My way is truly all about saving money and using junk and second hand materials, so see what you think as the thread progresses.

I will show you how to make lightweight 'faux' rocks and boulders from paper mache, old cardboard boxes and plastic buckets, and almost any type of junk. Obviously, whereas faux rock made from clinker block and bricks etc is durable and can be stood upon and walked on, lightweight rocks cannot, but they are very handy for placing in a rockery (permanently) for effect.

I will also shock you by the lazy man's way of landscaping which does NOT involve the hard 'donkey' (sorry Suze my love :laugh:) of weeding and digging out even the most long established of thistle, nettle, docks or even brambles.

I'm glad that some of you find this thread interesting - Thank You.

:laugh:

You have killed me (as usual) LT while i have been off but still reading the threads. I really believe that some on here just do not 'get' your brilliant wit.

Thank God (sorry LT :hehe:) that I do.

Cheap second hand decking laid and looking good after first coat of deck stain:

[IMG]http://i57.tinypic.com/2mnkf92.jpg[/IMG]

Creating Top Holding Pond:

[IMG]http://i62.tinypic.com/103vq7d.jpg[/IMG]

Top Holding Pond almost complete with overhanging slab made from broken paver:

[IMG]http://i57.tinypic.com/ictxdk.jpg[/IMG]

Old broken W/C used as a base for faux rock:

[IMG]http://i62.tinypic.com/2ajp2lw.jpg[/IMG]

Close Up Detail:

[IMG]http://i59.tinypic.com/eskgp5.jpg[/IMG]

welcome back Kirk :love:

Its like Minecraft for grown-ups

Hmmm, you didn't grow up watching loads of Blue Peter, did you Kirk :think: I expect to see a Tracy Island somewhere in that lot now.

Seriously though, such a brilliant thread, can't wait for all the tips, loving seeing the transformation emerging with each photo :)

:laugh:

Thank you Niamh. It's good to be back.

:laugh: (But; "Grown Ups"? On Tibb? :hehe:)

Wow... that's amazing! Loving the statue, she looks just like me, don't you think?

wow... the transformation is incredible! Well done :love: