ANOTHER STATUE FOR THE GARDEN

 

So Paul wanted a statue but like everything, a place needed to be found along with making sure we were not over crowding the garden. 

We decided it could go amongst these shrubs.

However like everything, placement and then standing back and checking saves having to move things again!

Wanting it to have some of the shrubs behind it, we forgot that we had thought that it should be further to the left in order not to land up behind the sundial ! As you can see , we forgot that by the time it arrived.

The statue is quite heavy, so it was left for a day before Paul moved it over to the left. Which is a much better place for it in relation to the sundial and the folly .

One of the reason for wanting shrubs behind it, is that we are near the top of a hill and therefore it can be very windy at times. So it's now in a slightly more open space but there is a shrub slowly growing up behind this new place and we can add another if needed.

Here later in the morning as the sun is moving round, the statue is now in shadow.

which gives it another feel.

The statue is by Marcus who sell as Tudor Gate , he lives in Cornwall who has been creating his own designs of garden and architectural ornaments for 37 years and all pieces are hand made by him in St Ives where he lives.

The statue is called Sanctuary

Here is this statue's story. 

Claus Sluter , of Haarlem, Holland, influenced this functional sculpture which took Marcus, two and a half years to carve and perfect the original. Sluter was the foremost sculptor of the period around 1400.

His chief works were done for the court of Burgundy.

The Latin inscription that runs the circumference of the monk base in lead reads " Solitarius Locus Sanctus " this transcribes to " Holy Lonely Place "

Marcus strove for both utility in purpose and beauty in design, for the Sanctuary has a secret, it can house a family of Blue Tits in it's chest. Entrance and exit through the cowl.

So the monk stands ready to home a family of Blue Tits in the future, the statue has been placed so the entrance via the cowl is facing the right way for bird use.  It will be interesting to see if any take up residence. Meanwhile he stands in solitude near both the folly and the stream in the quiet .

THE WORK CONTINUES ON THOSE LONG AWAITED JOBS

 When we added the gazebo to the patio, a pond that was near to the house and at the edge of the patio had to be removed so the big eight seater patio table could fit.

But this left us able to see the place where a small wall was removed when we moved in. After a chat we decided to carry on the grey blocks that were already in place on the step up into the part of the garden.

So finally the row of grey blocks are in place and just awaiting drying out before the gaps filled. This also enabled us to use these pretty border edge tiles. 

Next Paul started on a longed for, by me, paved area from the main path over to the studio door. When we bought the cabin , we had to add around another three/for feet to the existing base that was there. However we never got round to adding the missing step down to the existing path edge. 

The Magnolia bed on the left has been shortened, in order to take the new paved /brick area across level with the double doors. 

The ground is quite compacted and soil needs to be removed, to get down to a level to take the base and bricks level with the existing path.

So space will have to be found in parts of the garden for the extra soil.

We will be using up some leftover bricks from when we built the folly, Some can be seen above on the right with a lifted old paving slab standing against this end of them, plus a couple of piles over on the other side of the existing path. So once this is done, it will be a great path over to the studio and also have removed several piles of bricks that have been sitting around for a few years waiting for a home.

Area where step needs to be lengthened in order to make leaving the studio safer.

Longer step made up and drying off before sand is swept off.

So slowly moving on. 

Placement of the bricks are starting to take place.

There was of course elf n safety , working along with the builder, checking to make sure no small insects could get buried.

Full inspection was being made.

First afternoon's work. Run out of sand, so more needed to be bought tomorrow, in order to carry on. 

if it looks down hill that's my bad camera work, I always seem to take some photos as if I have one leg shorter than the other ! 

View from patio area.

Next day more sand obtained and all the brick are laid for this section.

looking nice in the sun.

We did run out of the thicker bricks, so more sand had to be used so the slimmer bricks could be used for the last sets of three bricks.

Next up, filling the gaps with dry sand and cement, then dampening to allow it to set.

 Spaces filled and just waiting for it to dry off before any excess can be swept away .

We decided to square up the grass by removing the grass from this awkward corner ,made now the new paving has been up in.

clearing the grass

Using up a spare paving slab, along with some grey blocks and some left over cobbles for the awkward corner.

Makes a nice tidy up for this section.

Looking good.

This area now finished.

We have moved two small trough's from the front garden, that have been getting overshadowed by plants in the flowerbeds and that now need to be emptied and re planted.

Also a large pot holding a Peony is now on the odd shaped area and knowing himself, will some have some other pots around it.

So another job done , a large pile of bricks no longer being moved from place to place in the garden, while waiting to be used. Two trough now where they can receive more attention and a nice area to walk across to my studio. 

Not quite left with nothing to do, doors like the studio's need painting, along with the covered bench , another small area of path needs relaying, etc and so we continue . . . .