Belleisle park Ayr Rock garden

[ichristie]

Hello all have decided to post a few pictures from Belleisle park which was purchased by the Ayr council in 1927 now it is South Ayrshire council. the area is surrounded by a 10 foot high wall so all stone soil and compost was lifted over the wall by a 10 ton crane called Merlot I have pictures of how it looed when I first visited and from this week, cheers Ian the Christie kind

[ichristie]

Next, Ian

[ichristie]

Next

[ichristie]

Selecting the rock at quarry, Ian

[Maggi Young]

This is terrific, Ian - we are nver sure where you are going to pop up next!

I am waiting to hear from Fiona Ross, the Environment Strategy Officer of the South Ayrshire Council ,  if she minds us reposting  here the photos from the Friends of Belleisle Facebook page.

The Friends of Belleisle Park have been active since 2010,taking part in key discussions about park events and activities as well as the overall plan for the restoration project. This link will tell folks more about the whole Belleisle Park renovation scheme, which has received Lottery Funding .... 
https://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/belleisleestate/documents/consultation%20-%208.getting%20involved.pdf

 

[David Nicholson]

Great project Ian. I'd happily give my right arm for half a dozen chunks of that stone

[Peter Maguire]

They're big chunks David, would you be able to lift them with just your left arm? 

[ichristie]

Hello Dave all, I will let you know when the next load of stone arrives so you can come and pick with your left arm what we can strap to your bike, more pictures this morning as it is pouring rain I am stuck inside all the other jobs I need to finish will have to wait, cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[ichristie]

Hello all here is more info about the rock garden all the trees some 30ft high bushes and ivy shrubs were removed the original stone was left in place it looks like washed limestone, I had to try and build round this to make it look natural the new stone is well new I think it looks o/k. The big crane can lift to 28ft high and at the end of the boom is a winch so stone was strapped up then lifted over the 10ft high wall and lowered down for me to place I had some help with the big stones which were around 1 ton. I had 4 council  men the first day 8 the second and 6 the third it may look like they are standing doing nothing in the pictures but when you see an big stone coming over the wall you stand clear, you will also see we had no hard hats few with yellow jackets everyone had a real good common sense it was a real pleasure to work with people who knew exactly what I wanted and worked very well with me. Fiona Ross the high head yin from the council was brilliant if I asked to do something "just go for it" Fiona did a power of work as well she planted the first plant which was  Dryas octopetala SRGC emblem what else could we use more later,  cheers Ian the Christie kind

[ichristie]

Next lot, I decided to create a feature with the rocks I planned a narrow crevice from the top to the bottom to make it look like a little stream which we will plant with small saxes and semps the top dress with  stone chippings to match the big stones

[ichristie]

Next.

[ichristie]

We arrived on site Wed morning to find that some parentless persons had smashed the crane windows also destroyed some of the radio control mast should have said earlier that the crane driver just had a little box with levers to tell the crane what to do pure magic any way the man was wild to quote Taggert if he caught the people who did the damage "there  has been a murder" police were called and it took till lunch to get going again my team and I went back to basics with wheelbarrows. Ian

[ichristie]

Next. this is as far as I can go for now we had rain on the first day so got wet second day fine third day warm almost got sunburn since I came how has been monsoon. I am to go back to Belleisle in mid to end of Jan, to finish rock work then plant up as anyone who would like to come and help with planting and top dressing the garden to get in touch via this forum it would be special if a few Scottish Rockers could be involved, cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[David Nicholson]

They're big chunks David, would you be able to lift them with just your left arm? 

Well, I think I would borrow some of Anne Wright's minions, that would see me OK

[David Nicholson]

Hello Dave all, I will let you know when the next load of stone arrives so you can come and pick with your left arm what we can strap to your bike,.......................................

Bike, me! I'd struggle to get to the top of our road never mind a 1000 mile round trip

I don't know how you manage to fit everything in Ian? I struggle to keep up with one garden and a greenhouse?