STADDLE UP FOR STONE DECORATION
The unseasonably mild weather over Christmas meant I could have a daily fix in the garden, cracking on with new projects. I have a bit of an addiction to creating spaces and this is the perfect time of year to indulge my habit.
One current project is the space surrounding my new circular bench in the yard. I have just made a simple pattern of Breedon gravel paths around it and am shortly going to install the metal edging to keep the gravel edge crisp.
I inherited four staddle stones from my late mother, all of which had their tops stolen many years ago. With a lot of puffing and a sack barrow, we installed them around the bench. Getting new tops would be expensive, so after trying various sized cardboard balls on top, I decided on 23cm diameter balls at £25.90 each from Grosvenor Stone (grosvenorstone.co.uk).
These are reconstituted stone but can be coloured to any stone shade you want. To speed weathering, you can rub moss, leaves and soil over them, which is more instant than yoghurt. I then planted up rows of lavender ‘Hidcote’ around the bench. Using just one type of plant makes maintenance far easier and keeps the look clean and simple.
A bit of rain in no way deters me from working outside: the waterproof gardening trousers I’m wearing in these pictures are by Genus ( genus.gs). They have padded knees, loads of pockets and thermal insulation to keep me warm and allow me to move freely. I slip them on over leggings so they can be removed outside without shocking anyone – and thereby avoid dropping soil and twigs around the house.