The Mad Dash

We're at the polishing stage now with the house renovation so meaning lots of redecorating to do, yay! Very exciting phase for us as it's a very visual and aesthetically pleasing phase, it feels like we're finally regaining our house back from the builders, and everything seems to 'fall into place' after a summer of upheaval. A long phase on its own and sorting out finer details can take as much time as the building work did (it's back down to just the two of us to do all of the redecorating) but once it's all done, it's all done.

Plants...make way for the builders!

Both of us are currently so focused on doing as much redecorating as much as we could (it's exciting and at the moment we're doing the kitchen) that it's difficult to prize our attention away from the house and into the garden.

But winter is fast approaching and that's still at the back of our heads so whether we like it or not we really have to start preparing the garden this coming weekend.

So we're at the redecorating phase which means the builders have very little to do now in the house (just a collection of minor odds and ends left to do), which also means...

They can turn their attention now to the rebuilding of the Jungle Hut. And these builders, when they move they move quick and we have to keep up with them.

Goodbye old Jungle Hut! Sweet kisses to you x x x

The demolition of the Jungle Hut is scheduled for this coming Wednesday and we were only informed last Sunday evening. And to prepare for the demolition we have to clear out the jungle hut itself of anything that is not meant to be taken away for recycling.

Fortunately, we've cleared out most of the contents that are meant to be kept weeks ago but there are still a few items there remaining that has to be removed and stored for the time being. These items are mostly the decorations that graced the jungle hut to give it that 'look' but we're only keeping a select few, especially ones with sentimental value, and letting go of the rest. Clearing the remaining items shouldn't be a big chore and can be done in no time at all.

However, we also have to clear out the pathway that leads from the jungle hut all the way through the side passage of the house and into the street where the recycling skip will be. Now this is the tricky bit. We do have a lot of plants and heavy clutter to remove along that way.

That's it, move plants away from the pathway and jam them somewhere else...

The pathway is narrow enough as it is, might as well make it a bit easier for the builders. The white materials are extras for when they built the conservatory and they'll have to clear them out too tomorrow (along with the Jungle Hut).

We only have Monday and Tuesday to get everything ready and we both have work during the day on both days. Which means we only have the evenings after work to do all that shifting. And with autumn being autumn, it will be dark already by the time we get back home from work. Not to mention rainy and cold too.

But it had to be done so there it was, the mad two night dash to clear out as much as we could in conditions that are less than ideal. Two nights of post work lifting and shoving of plants, vases, and decor in the dark and in the rain.

Randomness and chaos, but most of the plants are looking good though!

It wasn't too bad in the end and it went quicker than I initially thought. We would have preferred to do all the shifting at a much slower pace but we have to adjust to the scheduling of the builders.

So the pathway to the skip is as clear as can be (or wide/good enough anyway). Now it's time to say goodbye to the old jungle hut. I think it deserves it's own dedicated post which will follow soon, sort of a mini tribute to our garden fixture that unexpectedly met a fiery end this year. 

Never mind! Out with the old, in with the new! But whilst the old one was fine, it was good fun!

Mark :-)

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