More water storage

9 - 11 February 2020

Just as the house is starting to look lovely from below the pond - clear blue skies, reflections in the water and all that - our order of six more huge black water storage tanks arrives, and spoils the view completely!

 From this ...

... to this.  Even the weather went monochrome!

 The ultimate plan is for these to be largely invisible.  The first stage of which is to plant twelve red wine vines along the front.  Cleverly, just before Dave started the plumbing.  These will take the overflow from the monster tanks behind the house and from the little water butt at the Solarium.

 The next stage is to paint them with a coat of the off-white we've used all over the house.  It won't stay on particularly well, but it is worth doing to protect from sun exposure as well as blending better with their surroundings.  One of those jobs that need rock music and a can of beer to get through before dusk!

 A little less oppressive after painting.

 Meanwhile, some of the soil spoil heap is relocated into the 'wiggly' bed.

 The Solarium gets a little mock stem wall to match the house (and the water butt breeze-blocks are camouflaged)

 Lime plaster on the barbeque structure helps it settle into the landscape.  Still needs metal trays and a sink top.

 While Dave and I discover that 'pond-gazing' is a thing; and we tend to do it a lot, especially at the end of a busy day.