Beware of the Garden Growing.

[Lordraglan274]

When I planned and laid out my tracks I over-engineered wherever possible and thought about any issues that may arise over time. For some reason I did not think of the size some of the bushes would grow to achieve.
This was the scene a few years ago when the track had just been laid and the young bushes were planted


Fast forward a few years and I was having great difficulty getting behind them.
They were often trimmed but as they established became harder to just push out if the way!


So it was decided to have a 'deviation' and re route the line along the front of the bushes instead



So a couple of days have been spent digging out the bases, trimming back to clear the new route and track laying.
The tracks are now down and to be honest I really like the look of the new section....at least you can see the trains!!






So if anyone is thinking of putting tracks in the garden....make sure you plant small plants!!
I do actually like what has grown to be honest, it does look great, I just wish I had thought of putting the tracks in front to start with!
I have just taken a very short video clip of the first service train over the new section this afternoon

 

[beachdonkey]

Fully agree with that,also beware of innocent looking plants that take over.I put in a small white flowered plant last year then this year dug it out (well I thought I did)as it was spreading too far but now small versions are cropping up everywhere.I can't remember what it was called but it's a real survivor,try and pull it up and the stems just break off leaving the roots to re-grow....Grrrrr

 

[Henri]

Just get yourself a couple of rabbits...

 

[The Devonian]

Living in an area which sees few frosts or below zero temperatures and even less snow much in the garden grows quite well. Small conifers can be pruned (not slashed!) and other bushes treated in a similar manner. In twelve years of railroading at ground level I have not had to remove any growing bushes or trees so far.
One thing I do have to do, on a very regular basis, is remove seedlings which have germinated in the ballast. Ballast seems to be an ideal place for germination and less messy that compost. At least having to kneel - and get up again - is therapeutic keeping the joints, muscles etc. in working order.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Well, you can always prune shrubs, cut them back, pick 'em up and replant them.

You can't do that with the track bed quite so easily