Hi Folks, I have been hanging around at the back of the bar, chipping in a
little for a few weeks now and decided its time to say a bit more. I am
supposed to be working at home today but sat at the PC looking out of the
window at all the leaves blowing around I decided earning a crust can wait
till its dark or raining. So out came the Billy Goat and 10 full bags later
most of the leaves have gone. Now being able to see the grass on the lawns
it was apparent they needed cutting. Last cut this year do you think?

My home is in Leyburn N Yorkshire, and is a 1930s house built on a acre of
garden that once was quite grand being part of the grounds of an old hall.
It contains over 100 trees, including 18 massive yews and something I am
told is a "tulip tree" that stands taller than the house and has tulip like
flowers for a few weeks in the summer. So you understand now my leaf
problem. If only they would not build up in drifts around the kitchen door.
We moved here 26 months ago from Norfolk and converted a ground floor
extension into an annex for my mother who had always lived in rented
accommodation and was a keen gardener. Sadly she passed away in July leaving
us with her prized pot plants most of which I can't even name let alone know
how to look after. I keep finding little plants growing in pots tucked away
in corners, probably cuttings she nicked from somewhere.

Apart from the immediate area surrounding the house most of the gardens had
been left to go wild and had been taken over by ivy, including the dry stone
walls that surround the property by 80%. So my first task was to strip ivy
from everything, walls, trees, paths, and gates. next came the chainsaw
cutting up fallen trees, massive laurels (some had 12inch trunks), and any
growing trees under the size that being in a conservation area dictates I
don't need permission to cut down. Next job was install a woodburning stove
to make use of it all but that's another story. A mini digger was then hired
for a couple of days to remove masses of stumps, bury ancient builders
rubble, dig up ivy, level ready for turfing and generally have fun with. I
think that was the best thing I did at less than £60 including delivery and
fuel those two days made a massive difference opening up the garden and was
great fun.

The gardens rise gently from the entrance gate to the house, then step up 4
feet behind the house with a retaining wall, they then rise by another 4
feet over the next 30 feet of what is now lawn leading to another retaining
wall about 2 feet high. Behind that they rise again much steeper this time
to over the height of the house, and its a tall house. At the top is a flat
area about 40 ft wide leading to what we call the cliff, but is infact the
result of ancient quarrying. Our rear boundary wall is then on top of this
cliff. This steep rear garden is covered in trees and adjoins a public
garden still part of the now local authority owned hall. This causes problem
as the old folly up there is a meeting place for local teenagers, who used
to use our garden as a shortcut by hopping over the drystone wall and out
through our back gate into an area of privately owned unused wooded land.
The main problem was they always left the gate open, even lifting it off its
hinges and throwing it into the wood on one occasion, thus allowing our dogs
to escape. This I have overcome by bolting the gate closed, and I mean nuts
and bolts. but still occasionally I confront youngsters just roaming around
up there. We are considering some sort of camera linked to the PC but don't
know firstly if its legal and secondly if a wireless set up would work over
the distance and through the walls of the house. Any advise on deterring
teenagers welcome.

Time now to walk the dogs.

Mike (the new boy)