Days and days of decking...

Our cat litter tray...

 Oh what a palaver we've had the past week!

Those of you that follow me on twitter will know we've been very sick of having a large cat litter tray as a garden. I can't deny that I've talked about it for months and months, trying to think of every solution known to man to solve this problem, cheaply and efficiently!

Firstly we thought we'd get paving. Alas, we'd have to move all the stinky gravel somewhere, put sand down, even it out AND then get the (turned out would be quite expensive) paving. (Neither of us drive too, so this seemed like such a silly idea in the end).


Then we figured out and asked about and decking popped up! And we thought, brilliant! What a good idea. Don't need to move the gravel, can take it with us when we move, will be easier than having to move all of the gravel, etc etc etc!

Bah, large butt that follows me around seems to get everywhere it can!

So...finally one day we ordered the decking. A decking kit! Apparently it came with everything you need to do it. The frame for underneath, the top slabs (yeah, oh so technical me), all the screws and instructions! We got a phone call last week to say it'd all be here by last Friday. So we were very excited.

Ah! All weeded. Except the one that planted itself in this pot...

Friday came and quite early on, all the wood arrived. No screws, spaces, instructions! Not any of it. So, bit peed off about that we headed off in search of saws and tape measures (yes... we're not so very much a DIY family, although we're all really creative). Got back and rang the company for them to say it would be delivered between that Friday and the Saturday, up until 6pm on the Saturday.

Another thing to go after the decking is the landlord's horrible curtains..

 So, we basically ended up not having a nice Saturday as we waited in all day long for nothing to arrive and it was oh so sunny outside. Not impressed. So by now we were getting oh so very pissed off. Then Sunday happened to be rainy and windy and horrible. So ended up staying in again.

So by Monday, feeling very annoyed we rang them back. They apologised and said they'd send out another pack with a free weed sheet thingy. (I do normally write better than this! Honest!! I'm just starrrrving!)

Later that day (Monday still) a small box arrived full of screws, but myself and Mr Phizmiz were a little tied up with worky things and kids and house mess, so decided today would be the best day to properly get on with it.

So we did.

Removed remains of cat turd, completely weeded the garden and just as the Mr started putting the frame work together, we suddenly realised that it's going to be pretty much impossible without an electric screwdriver. Ring round our ever so nice friends and at last we found someone with one, who was even very nicely willing to come over and help out!

I had to head out to some work related stuff and came back to this...




 (Blogger's still being very annoying and not letting me put images where I want!)

Being a lady, I of course stuck everything around the edges so the cats wouldn't poop in the remaining gravel and the gentlemen had done enough work.

I'm not quite used to it yet and think it looks a tad... odd... for some reason. It's like a decking island with junk all around. The plan is to have loads of beautiful flowers and all of my veg growing around the edges and poss paint the horrible peachy walls too!

It's going to be great though! Actually have a garden we can use now. Hurrah!



However... I think something went a little wrong here... They must have sent us some planks that were too long as they're all matched up and straight on the other side.

So there you have it. A slightly odd botched job of decking that we will love and enjoy!!

Happy porridge eating kids on the decking.