Previously, on the riverbank..
Stumps were called with four posts in the ground. Both of us were bearing the scars.. the horse flies are horrendous down there. Add to that the one of us who stopped the sledgehammer with her foot.
.
I suggested that perhaps I should hold the poles for a bit, and he wield the hammer. But then my wellies sprung a leak..
There’s been a lot of rain. Is it just me or is the river level starting to rise?
Mike spent the best part of a week collecting stones, further and further up and down stream. A dry stone wall in the making. Well, dry for now.
And finally, yesterday, it was done.
Yours truly returned, with a few ferns, to make it feel at home. Let’s see the water shift that.
Woo! That turned out very nice. The ferns top it off nicely. I love the bird nest ferns. Well that’s what they call them here. Unfortunately they are grown in greenhouses only and are not hardy for me.
Thanks Suzanne. I think it’s harts tongue fern, Asplenium (or Phyllitis) scolopendrium. It is everywhere here, so I’m assuming native. But I’m new to woodland plants and guessing, so could well be wrong.
Looks great – the stones are a really pretty colour. I hope it sorts out the erosion problem for you.
Thanks Jenny. I hope so too. The stones were all brought here by the river, which is just as well because carrying them down the hill would not have been funny!
Hoping all your hard work pays off and the erosion is stopped.
It was hard work too!
That looks really good and ready to divert any water that comes rushing at it ! I like the way you have finished it off with ferns, I’m sure more plants will move in by themselves and soon it will look as if it has always been there, job well done!
It’s quite a jungle down there, so I’m sure the plants will move in, and the posts will weather down.
Wow! It looks really lovely, especially with the ferns on the top. I love the stones as well, it looks so natural, and is now also a feature.xxxx
Eventually that whole area will become a bog garden, but maybe not this year!
Excellent job – I reckon that will do the trick – let’s hope you’re not out for a ‘duck’ – get it!
Nice one Elaine! (Holds head in hands..)
Dealing with the bank sounded hard work and a bit of an ordeal at times, but the final result looks great. It does blend in well with the woodland surroundings.
We will maybe do a bit more stone packing around the sides, build the bank up behind it with more earth, and do some more planting. I’ve got some ivy trailing down too but it’s a bit weedy at the moment!
That looks sturdy and attractive and I’m sure it will do the job. I don’t suppose it will do anything to deter the horse flies though . . .
I’m not sure what deters those. Little b*ggers they are.
It looks great, especially with the ferns softening the top of it. I’ve never actually grown ferns, though I have plenty of places in my garden where I suspect they’d grow well.
They seem to be quite easy. I’m frequently shifting them around the place and they seem to take, provided they have plenty of water whilst they are establishing.
Well done both, not only practical but beautiful. What are you going to injure yourself doing next?!
Thanks Jill. I haven’t found the right moment to open negotiations yet. Perhaps when a few days have passed and once some wine has been consumed!
That’s a great job! Now don’t tempt fate Jessica!!!
I thought about that after writing it..
What a fantastic job you’ve made of it. With the ferns and a bit of weathering on the wood it will be like it’s always been there. I am so impressed how well you both work together and get the job done to such a good standard. Julie x
Thanks Julie. It took a bit of time so I hope it does the job.
Nicely done! Hope the scars heal soon. And the horse fly bites stop itching!!
Still scratching..
Wow that looks great and I’m sure will do the job very well. We’ve got plenty of horse flies here too! I served as a lovely ‘aperatif’ when exiting a friend’s swimming pool recently 🙁
They seem to love me too. Them and every midge and mossie for miles around. Thanks Antoinette.
It looks fantastic; very Grand Designs! I look forward to the next time it rains REALLY hard to see if it does the job but I’m sure it will.
Maybe over time the water will erode the weaker bank around it. The gabion could become an island!
It will be interesting to see what happens. If it works we can always extend it, especially if the river provides more stone!
Proper job! Malcolm was most impressed – it’s just a pity that you are too far away for him to helped!
Thanks Anne. Plenty of scones in Devon… 🙂
Oooh, that looks like hard work! Looking great, I hope your bites are easing off, I am so allergic to horseflies, I feel for you!
Their bites really swell up on me too. And oh so itchy.
It’s beautiful! You’ve done a great job, you should be proud of yourselves. It such a lovely spot, how fantastic to have your own bit of river.
Thanks CJ. The river is pretty much hidden in the jungle at the moment and the path to it treacherous. But when it’s opened up in the future it could be lovely. An awful lot of work though!
The finished article looks beautiful as well as useful. All the mishaps along the way must have been worth it! Let’s hope it doesn’t get fully tested for a long time to come. Thank you for your lovely comment.
Sarah x
The river does come to the top of the bank in winter, which is why we made the gabion slightly higher.
Take care, Jx
Job well done, it looks strong and sturdy enough to withstand the water and the ferns make it look as it it has always been there. I know from experiience that horsefly bites are very uncomfortable – my husband got bitten by midges on our walk yesterday but for some reason they didn’t bite me, I wonder why?:)
You must be immune Rosie, and I’d love to know your secret. They drive me mad when I’m working under the trees – they seem to go for my scalp and face.
Oh, well done you….. just wait till it rains.!….we had a stream like that once….say no more. (paddles quietly up the bank wet through!)
I think I’m looking forward to the rain…. oo-er.
That’s a fabulous job. Well done. The ferns look settled already.
Thanks Penny. Glad it’s done!
Very impressive, functional and pretty too 🙂
Another thing off the list, it never ends does it? Thanks Shaz.
gosh, you guys do amazing work. That is beautiful!!!! Of course, love the ferns on top…..but I’ve never seen a stonewall assembled like that—–it’s really lovely!!!
Thanks Steph. Hopefully the wire will keep the stones in place against the raging torrent!
A job well done. I’m sure you were forever looking at the weather forecast or the sky to see if there would be any more heavy rain. The ferns look good too!
I feared the water would rise a lot more than it did, we’ve had so much rain! But then the summer has been so dry I think the earth has absorbed most of it.
Oh well done, and so artistically finished off! That wall looks good and strong, and pretty!
If we did it again I’d use metal supports rather than wood, but it sort of morphed out of a Plan A that didn’t come off! Thanks Vera.
It is looking good 🙂
I’m hoping the ferns will grow a bit more, and the ivy. Then it will pretty well disappear I think.
I have to remember this post. We have a creek, that when it rains, erodes a great deal of the bank.
Hi Janie and welcome to rusty duck!
It’s a bit of an experiment on our part, with an element of make it up as you go along! We’ll be watching with interest over the winter to see if it works. We may well do some more of it next year if it does.
You are intrepid and ambitious workers, you two. It’s looking great.
Or mad. Thanks Mise!
Thought of you today… my pink and orange combo on the bank is just coming into flower.
It looks so professional – well done to both of you. The ferns are the crowning glory – I am just thinking of all the wonderful plants you could grow down there – skunk cabbage if you want to keep it au naturel, and the simply gorgeous Candelabra Primula which come in such wonderful shades if it is an extension to the garden – lucky you.
Definitely the primula, I love them too. I was at a place today where they had several gunnera in the bog garden, looking very stately. Another must have, if only because they will cover a lot of earth!
Full marks !
The wall is most impressive, I hope it holds back the river.
We had floods again in the city of Nashville, just last week, have you ever seen a house floating down a river, the power of water, never to be underestimated.
~Jo
That’s awful Jo. Water has awesome power, as we seem to be discovering more and more these days. A little bank erosion is insignificant in the scheme of things.
Breathtaking gardens and your photos are gorgeous. Thanks so much for sharing them.
One day I hope so, thanks Willow!
Beautiful! You have such interesting inspiration…the end result (almost) worth the bruises?!?
Almost!