Sprucing up gravelled garden

[Geoff Pearson]

Ten years ago, we made over my mother-in-law's front garden by laying
plastic cloth and covering it in 3 inches of stone chips - with some
evergreen plants poking trough. The usual kind of thing for some one who no
longer wishes to garden. Now, it looks fine but I've been removing some of
the older and overgrown cypress. The stone chips now harbour plant debris,
accumulated over the decade. How do I spruce this up - just rake over or
lit the chips into a sieve and hose? Or what?

Geoff

 

[The Medway Handyman]

Ten years ago, we made over my mother-in-law's front garden by laying
plastic cloth and covering it in 3 inches of stone chips - with some
evergreen plants poking trough. The usual kind of thing for some one who
no longer wishes to garden. Now, it looks fine but I've been removing
some of the older and overgrown cypress. The stone chips now harbour
plant debris, accumulated over the decade. How do I spruce this up -
just rake over or lit the chips into a sieve and hose? Or what?

Geoff

Leaf blower works a treat - held at exactly the right distance away from
the surface. On blow, not suck IYSWIM.

 

[Tim Lamb]

In message

I reckon you have to sieve and wash. In the past, I've shovelled gravel
into my plasterer's bath full of water and sieved it all out again. It
works, but it's tedious, heavy, filthy, wet work.

I've always wanted to make a sifting machine both for this task, and for
sifting compost. Someone on here linked in a pic of his -- a
cylindrical affair -- a couple of months ago, but I've lost the link.

So: Google for "homemade compost sieve" --- loads of ideas (many of
them, by the look of it, from sophisticated Americans, but no doubt
there are some down my end of the scale (pallets and 4" nails are my
usual base materials)).

I adapted my cement mixer using a tube of weldmesh wired to the
*paddles*.

Load up soil and stones with it slightly tilted back then tilt forward a
bit and run the stones into a wheelbarrow.

regards

 

[Geoff Pearson]

Leaf blower works a treat - held at exactly the right distance away from
the surface. On blow, not suck IYSWIM.

I've got a good leaf blower - so I will try that before wet hygiene. Thanks
for all the suggestions.

 

[The Natural Philosopher]

Ten years ago, we made over my mother-in-law's front garden by laying
plastic cloth and covering it in 3 inches of stone chips - with some
evergreen plants poking trough. The usual kind of thing for some one
who no longer wishes to garden. Now, it looks fine but I've been
removing some of the older and overgrown cypress. The stone chips now
harbour plant debris, accumulated over the decade. How do I spruce this
up - just rake over or lit the chips into a sieve and hose? Or what?

Geoff

add more gravel - or remove and re-lay.