Ta da!
Got it sorted at last! Not placed the plants yet as it got too late then I got rained off.
The compost either side the path was made by my own fair hand. Sieved and spread out once i had dug out the flaming tree roots! I had to saw, chop, hack the darned things before I could get the soil chopped up, raked and the compost spread out. I was really knackered as it was really hot! Sheesh I mentioned the roots to my husband who had laid the foundations and the path. Strange he didn't encounter any. Hmmmmm
Anyway it's up now, plants are in and I can faff about on the finesse jobs now