2021-09 Preparation for Winter
Winter was approaching so I worked hard to finish the gravel path/French drain around the garage.
Garage Path
People say sand is good for drainage but it seems to hold damp for a long time. The garage foundation was sat on a large sand base. Vegetation was growing right up to the garage wooden facade, which was causing faster rot around the bottom of the walls. The side I was working on also would receive a lot of meltwater from the nearby field in Spring. The plan was to improve drainage around the garage, and then later to divert incoming water away from the garage. I dug a trench and sloped the sand away from the garage foundation.
I added ground control fabric, with gravel (makadam 8-16mm) on top. I ordered the wood for the edge of the path, but when it arrived I realised I’d ordered a much thicker wood than I had intended. This actually worked out really well as it was much stronger. It didn’t look especially pretty at this point but in later months it would be the edge of a raised bed with a gravel path around the garage.
Finishing the Garden Access Path.
We backfilled the wooden edging to the new path in the back garden. The path would let us walk mud-free from the house to the bridge and so access the village nearby. The deep gravel path would also act as an accidental emergency french drain were there ever to be massive rainfall. It took a massive number of wheelbarrow loads of gravel to fill it.
Building the path created a lot of spare earth. I sieved it and put the soil we liked into the raised beds. I got about a third of the soil heaps removed this way.
Forest Exploring
We also went exploring in the forest – it was good to be doing something that wasn’t a project. It was especially fun hunting for potentially photogenic mushrooms.
Solar Switched On
There was a minor snag with warning signs for the solar installation, but it was resolved fast. As a result, the solar panel installation was approved by the electrical company and could start to make electricity. It was late in the year and not great weather but we were making about 7.5kWh most days. As the property was once a farm, it felt also felt great to be producing something from the property for Sweden. Even if it was just electric and tax contributions we were at least making something now.
