Over the past 5 weeks, we have had the landscapers in to create a new garden frontage to our guest house. The work is now mostly complete and we have new walls, a redesigned front entrance, new plantings, and a new parking space, the latter of which was the object of the build. There are just a few details to tidy up, like welding a decorative curved end to the railings and putting some finishing touches to some of the the stonework.
The landscapers have worked really hard through wind, rain and hot sunshine – yes, the latter is attainable even on an early March Lakeland Spring day! In fact, the sun was shining so warmly down one day that one of the landscapers worked with his shirt off! Hubby and I must commend the men for their hard work. They survived on pots of hot tea and biscuits provided by us and lunches which they consumed in their vehicles.
We have, of course, been open as usual except for one week during this landscaping work. During the five days we were shut, we also had the roofers in to remove a chimney stack that had let in rain water into one of our bedrooms from a number of horrendous February downpours. Then, Hubby redecorated the room once the roof repairs had been completed, and now our guests may enjoy staying in the room again.
As you will see from the picture below, the plants are still very young and small. I am looking forward to seeing them mature and creating a riot of colour in the new beds. The tarmac is less than a week old and still looks newly laid, but I think that it will blend into the general colour of the car park soon enough. We did not choose the plants: the team building the new frontage comes from a garden centre and their boss chose plants which he felt would best thrive in our Lakeland location.
One of the things we did was to incorporate into the build reclaimed local Lakeland stone. We did not want the new walls and steps to look out of place in front of our grand old lady of a Victorian building. I am particularly proud of the salvaged stone steps that have been incorporated into the build as these are no longer made and cannot be bought from stores.
Another new feature are the flat surfaces we have had created on the low walls. The height of the walls was carefully calculated by the garden designer to ensure comfortable seating for guests who might like to sit outside on a nice sunny day. The smooth stone surfaces were likewise planned and and the slabs cut to a specific size so that one can sit on them without feeling like one is perching precariously on a seat that is too small or narrow.
Thus, all in all, Hubby and I are very pleased with our newly created house frontage. We wanted the new addition to blend in and hopefully enhance rather than detract from the graceful build of our 1868 guest house. The newly landscaped area looks like it has always been where it is now, and we think that is an achievement indeed. Why not come and see for yourselves and enjoy a break with us? We have late availability deals and you will be made most welcome!
Blenheim Lodge . . . panoramic Lake views, peace and tranquillity, nestled against acres of beautiful fields and woodlands, in the heart of the English Lake District National Park.’
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