Changing prevailing use patterns

if I'm to protect my new wall from being knocked over before its even bedded in, I have to stop people and dogs from using it as a short cut to get down to the lawned area (aka the couch grass patch at the bottom of the garden).



I also want some shade on the deck so with a mixture of pots and my gabion basket screens, I've pretty well blocked off that route across the deck, at least to anyone with two feet. It does make it feel a bit smaller, but also more enclosed.

The next job is going to have to be extending the pond.



(photo to follow when the boys and their tent are off the deck.)

Rebuilt wall.

The stone seat/ retaining wall in my garden needed repaired. a combination of the dog, the boy, the weather and the previaling use patterns had all lead to a couple of sections of this wall being damaged and not very stable.

It was all planted with mentha, which has been doing really well there for years, but not a bit of remains this spring. I've lost a few things to the unusually cold weather this year, so it may have been that, though its a high maintenance plant, being so tiny and easily smothered.

Since I'm going to have replant anyway I demolished some bits chasing couch grass roots too, so I reshaped a bit too.

I think I might lift the pavement bit and spread the slabs out so that I have slightly bigger planting pockets.

Reviewing--

I've been working hard on my garden.
Reviewing things that have worked and things that haven't.

My barrier mulch against the couch was a loser and hence the whole garden is having an edit as I try to dig it out by hand. I have traced roots as much as a meter long. I have moved, changed and rebuilt raised beds and retaining walls. The plan this time is that after removing every trace I can find, I will use strategic planting of some rampant sedums that appear to be beating it in their sections of the garden, though that might be temporary. The year before last I would have sworn that my long term mulching was winning the war.
I will continue to use sheet mulches, the removal of the roots is much easier where they have been in place.