Form and function

©2019 Barry Smith - Guard dog at the end of the boardwalk

Does the making of a boardwalk count as creativity? I think it might if it is linked to the development of the sculpture terraces; can double as a viewing platform; and act as walkway to service the hedge and the agapanthus that will border the sculpture garden.

Anyway - today my time was spent finishing the long (9.5m) narrow (.48m) ironstone coloured boardwalk. As you can see from the photo below the supports for the boardwalk are light but strong steel and are solidly cemented into the slope.

©2019 Barry Smith - One section of the boardwalk bolted into place and the supports for the second section  are  lined up ready for the timbers

Because the supports are light the boardwalk tends to give the impression that it is floating a little above the ground. The end section is cantilevered and seems to be heading off to no-where.

©2019 Barry Smith - The supports will disappear when the agapanthus get growing

©2019 Barry Smith - Looking along the boardwalk 

I placed the Mambo style cement dog at the end of the boardwalk so that we remembered where it ended - a temporary measure until we decide on an alternative - for now we have a smiling funky guard dog.

©2019 Barry Smith - Boardwalk with guard dog

©2019 Barry Smith - Boardwalk with guard dog

©2019 Barry Smith - Guard dog looking towards the west

It was grand to get this task finished - it was meant to rain heavily today so I was not sure I would get it done. Now we will start the process of planting out agaves at the top and agapanthus along the bottom edge. We have put a jute blanket  and coir logs down to stop the soil running onto the gravel terraces and also to suppress the weeds when we plant the agapanthus.