spandit

Worth bearing in mind, thought 15 tonnes was big enough!

I am the customer! I'd be leaving the drums elsewhere on the property, on a hard standing, so I could drive the digger to them. It's creating a new lake so no marine wildlife to damage, although you're right in as much that I don't want loads of diesel spread over the ground

Ah, that's an idea. Thanks.

Some local petrol stations sell it

Following on from my exploits with a small digger, at some stage I'll be hiring a 15-tonne machine to dig out some proper lakes. The little Kubota had a 33l tank and I can pick up 30l containers of red to pour in, it used one a day. Now, the big machines have a much bigger tank and thirst - is it just a case of getting more 30l containers or do folks hire in fuel bowsers to keep them running? I've been told I'll need it for about 9 days

Paid the landscaper today. He said that he wouldn't have left me alone with the digger if I hadn't been proficient in using it and says that for digging my big lakes I'll be fine with a big digger - saves me quite a bit of dosh! He can be around for the fiddly bits if I need him but definitely going to hire a digger to finish digging the ditches and possibly deepen the pond a bit...

The spring outlet is putting out about 100litres an hour. I reckon the other spring I bisected has a similar output so should be getting 200l an hour into the ditch once the pond fills up and overflows into the pipe. The ditch will then be dammed (or be damned!) and the overflow will go into two larger ponds/lakes that will be dug in the future where it's very wet already (more springs). These should contain a lot of the water that is making the field below boggy and be a nice feature

After I'd dug it by hand. The foam is DOC Since then, I'd put some plants in, from another pond that we've now filled in. Unfortunately, I don't seem to have any pictures but here is what it was like just after I drained the water out (I'd installed a drain point and it's up on a hill) Set to work with the digger The contractor puddled the dam As of this morning, it was about 10" deep, as my furry depth gauges illustrate: The spring outlet is now above the water line so it won't back up like before. The plastic pipe in the picture above leads to a ditch 60m away. I intersected another spring and it's already flowing Wide angle shot: The old, hand dug, pond had banks around it where I'd piled the spoil up. The rebuilt one is flush to the landscape as the spoil has been spread around. It was so wet that difficult to do much with but once it dries out we'll probably be able to get a machine up there to smooth it a bit. Need to scatter some grass seed, I think, to get things going but will probably plant some more trees. Had to destroy a willow that was growing there but it will probably resprout from what's left of the roots and I'm sure many more will naturally reseed there. Will be interesting to see how the trees that were downhill of it will adapt to lower water levels. Hopefully they've been in long enough to have reasonable root systems and I'm sure it will still be pretty damp up there

Had a pond that I'd dug by hand but it wasn't lined and was leaking (didn't actually have a proper outlet and it was spring fed) so finally got a local contractor in to rebuild it. He was happy for me to use the brand new Kubota U27-4 digger and gave me some pointers on how to use it effectively. After two days I was getting reasonably proficient with it - it went home yesterday and I'm gutted as have so much more I want to do! Made a hell of a mess, mind, but once the gloop we pulled out of the pond dries up & the vegetation grows again, it should make for a much more pleasant environment - can see the improvements already downhill - one of the new trees that was in standing water now isn't

Be careful when you move the logs as mould can be quite hazardous if you breath it in. I think with better airflow the logs will dry out enough to stop mould growing

Email sent

I soak a piece of scrumpled up newspaper in water & dip in the ash. Takes some elbow grease but does a great job

Summer solstice isn't far off - you could burn it then

I'd try to weave new growth in to strengthen and trim hard in the winter, keeping the trimmings to plant elsewhere. I doubt it will hurt it if you trim in the summer

Thanks, I'll have a root around to see if there are any stumps. It's in a fairly sheltered position, being next to a woodland, so not unduly worried it's going to get blown over. I've planted 25 more around the place so in a hundred years or so it should have some company!

My area used to have large plantations of Scots pine but now there aren't that many left. We have one in the garden but I noticed the other day that the bark seems to be damaged in places: There are also quite a few dead branches. It's not in a dangerous position but I'd be sad to lose a mature tree. Is this just a normal state for a mature pine or should I be worried? It's not very symmetrical either

By the way, the osier rods I planted last year and cut down earlier this year are already up to 3 foot high in places:

No, I had got confused and was writing from memory early in the morning! As you say, I've planted the common osier for harvesting. I do have a salix caprea that I planted because it was given to me and the wildlife will like it.

You are quite correct, salix viminalis it is or common osier

Mick, I didn't realise you were in Sussex - might be able to help you with willow this Winter - too late now as they're not dormant any more. Bear in mind that once it's in and growing, getting rid of it is not an easy undertaking. I used to trim one that belonged to next door (in my previous house), because it hung over my drive. One year I got a bit fed up of cutting each branch so I chainsawed it down to a stump. A year later, it was back up at 14' (that's feet!) and is still going strong. She works with the scouts so likes cutting the material for them but I'm sure she'd let me take a bit. I've also got some that I've propagated here in my current house. You'll probably find a local supplier anyway that would save you the drive

1. Are these beyond the ability of an average gardener No, pretty easy to do. Osier viminalis (common sallow) would be best. It's pretty foolproof to grow, especially with rabbit protection and weed mulching 2. Would I be able to get willow that is big enough to create this straight off or is it a long term project If you plant rods about 25cm long, like I did, in 8 months they went up about 12 feet... I cut the rods off to build an arch and already they've got up quite a bit, plus should get multiple shoots from each one this year and more as each year progresses 3. What sort of money if I can buy them big enough is it going to be. The arch in the picture had 24 trees by my count. I'd probably be looking at 12-16 I think. Unless you can find someone who will let you have some for free, if you were near me then I'm sure I could sort something out, a rod is going to cost about 30p, that's a short bit you plant. The problem with planting long bits straight off is that without careful watering the tops may die back anyway and you'd be back to square one.

+1 - must be a local society that would want it for their bonfire

Have a c. 3000l sump that collects off the barn roof. It's normally overflowing but I've just installed a hand pump so we can use it for watering. I've bought another pump for the well which is right next to the house & has a few thousand gallons in it. We have a spring that puts out 3,000 gallons a day and that's way above the house so will be piping that down soon. We've also got a few waterbutts but frankly the hand pump is quicker I reckon

My oaks have only just started & ash is slightly behind. Beech still dormant but some of the robinia doing well. Almond has pretty pink blossom & osier has grown about a foot so far

It makes great evergreen screening, has useful canes and makes a lovely noise in the wind - I wish there were more bamboo than leylandii!