DumbStick

Great photo! I was thinking more ones that we can keep to 2m max. He was mentioning less than 5000 yen for the tree itself, but 'maybe' a man per tree for planting it. Now I still know next to nothing but that seems mad to me. I'm sure I can learn and get that bit done myself. The guy seems to be getting the message that while I want a nice garden and perhaps willing to pay for it, I'm not interested in any silly business and want to crunch the costs as much as possible. Hopefully his costings will reflect that.

Love for 'formation dancing' in that video. Do real people do that? On the floor, not the ceiling.

Choose one of the others!

Is it difficult to plant trees - for example a 1.5m conifer? I'm just a bit depressed today at hearing costs mount up - lots of them not for the tree but the cost of planting which seemed well out of order to me.

He's coming to have a look over our place tomorrow and once he has done that will give us a detailed quote. I think we have pretty much decided on using this company, but I won't tell him that of course yet. Really appreciate how much time he is prepared to give us though without needing any kind of commitment.

Thanks pie-eater!

Was just looking, something like this

Looking at bricks. Lots of different ones. The one the guy had in initial idea was called 'bake brick' - basically they are made of concrete I think. He said because of cost, as it's less expensive that other bricks. Can't help feeling it looks a bit... false, theme-park-y....somehow, and liking more traditional looking majime bricks more, even though they add to the cost (of course!) What you reckon, or am I just being silly?

Flooding is scary indeed. Hope it eases off.

OK been spending time today looking at that lot. Interesting. Oh so many things you can do. In the meantime, I got a quote from the third guy yesterday. I thought he'd come up with something simple and cheap. While it wasn't very complicated, it came with the price tag coming in at over 5 million. Er, no, I don't think so! We're down to the one company I think, they are still being very responsive while I ask questions. I realise numbers will rise from the original one due to my requests, but I just hope we can keep the costs in control.

Got it. I think I need to learn more about that particular way of doing things.

Sorry it seems I neglected to delete when I realised it was in the wrong place. ippy, not sure. I'll try to find out!

A French media firestorm has been circulating claims that Barack Obama and Beyonce are dangerously in love. It came as Francois Hollande, France’s head of state and a well-known love cheat, arrived in America on an official state visit without his now-ex partner, Valérie Trierweiler. Rumours of an affair between the American president and the superstar singer- both of whom are married- were first made on Europe 1 radio station this morning.

A French media firestorm has been circulating claims that Barack Obama and Beyonce are dangerously in love. It came as Francois Hollande, France’s head of state and a well-known love cheat, arrived in America on an official state visit without his now-ex partner, Valérie Trierweiler. Rumours of an affair between the American president and the superstar singer- both of whom are married- were first made on Europe 1 radio station this morning.

silly question maybe but....what special considerations are needed for tatami one, mr wiggles?

Almost word for word what my Dad said.

You must. And take more lovely photos please.

Problem is, if you (as in me too!) don't have grass, what do you do? Have it all paved? Doesn't seem particularly exciting and there's already enough concrete paving here. I like the idea of a path round the outside flowerbeds and a higgledypiggledy stepping stone like path over the grass to a bench in one corner. Original plans had just a bit too much grass I think.

The cool guy did not actually give us pricing on trees and flowers yet. Which was fine. By rendered do you mean something like ガーデン　ジョリパット This kind of thing I believe that is blocks but covered in all sorts of colours etc. Yes, not seeing the 'blocks' is definitely an option!

White World?

I'm getting more used to the idea that if we want something to a certain quality, it'll cost around that. Coming up with the money and deciding to do it is a different matter! Both companies showed me the breakdown, and I can see how it all adds up both in terms of materials and people's time. One thing I know for sure, I do not want 'blocks' in my garden - fence or otherwise. Nice bricks ('baked bricks'?) please, not horrid cheapo 'blocks'. Yuck.

It seems Japanese grass actually hibernates in winter and prospers in the heat of summer. If properly maintained.