When I had the dingo I had Tony dig up the front porch garden as well. It was congested with roots from the tree and I couldn't dig in it by hand.
Annuals I had put in there never made it, I guess they couldn't compete with the roots.
Today I planted my aspelnum (birds nest fern) in there, as well as divided up some of the existing gerberas and planted the extras along the front.
I know it's not really the time of year to be moving plants/putting plants in, but I have to do things when I feel motivated to. If they don't survive it's just tough.
I'm sure the asplenum will do ok there, it's the only one I really wouldn't want to lose.
Still have more room in that garden, haven't decided what else to put in there yet. Mostly cos I can't afford to go buy more plants.
Have been thinking of maybe putting the gardenias that I renovated in there, not 100% sure how they would go in there though, it may be too shady for them (gets late afternoon sun).
Also today planted the wedding bush (riconocarpis tubulata) in the side garden. Hopefully it will grow enough to keep getting some sun when winter comes and that garden bed is in total shade.
It's a hard area to plant - total shade in winter and full sun in summer.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Friday, January 21, 2005
Plants Settling In
The plants haven't done too badly. We had a 40 degree day on Monday.
The gardenias have all dropped leaves, which I expected as I hadn't been looking after them particularly well since the dingo day.
The azaleas seem quite happy.
Oh, I forgot something else I planted on Sunday - put in my clivia, one between the gardenias and the camelia, and the baby it had made near the tree trunk.
The dietes, phormiums and cordylines are doing well, haven't looked back. The camelia, clivias and hydrangeas also seem pretty happy where they are.
The ferns I transplanted to behind the tree haven't looked back either, not even one dead frond!
Have been very tempted to buy an el-cheapo bench seat from WA Salvage (think I saw them there for $50.00), but I really can't go spending money I don't have at the moment, so have been very strong and resisted the urge.
Other thing that stops me from buying an el cheapo bench is that it will continually get wet (from the sprinkler at the moment) and I'm sure it will disintegrate very quickly in those conditions. So it will look tatty and yuk in no time, so I'd rather not waste the money.
Maybe one day I'll be able to afford a nice teak one that can take the conditions.
The gardenias have all dropped leaves, which I expected as I hadn't been looking after them particularly well since the dingo day.
The azaleas seem quite happy.
Oh, I forgot something else I planted on Sunday - put in my clivia, one between the gardenias and the camelia, and the baby it had made near the tree trunk.
The dietes, phormiums and cordylines are doing well, haven't looked back. The camelia, clivias and hydrangeas also seem pretty happy where they are.
The ferns I transplanted to behind the tree haven't looked back either, not even one dead frond!
Have been very tempted to buy an el-cheapo bench seat from WA Salvage (think I saw them there for $50.00), but I really can't go spending money I don't have at the moment, so have been very strong and resisted the urge.
Other thing that stops me from buying an el cheapo bench is that it will continually get wet (from the sprinkler at the moment) and I'm sure it will disintegrate very quickly in those conditions. So it will look tatty and yuk in no time, so I'd rather not waste the money.
Maybe one day I'll be able to afford a nice teak one that can take the conditions.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Phew! More Plants, Retic and the Seating Area
On Friday night the kids and Pas came over and thought I'd done well. Pas and I discussed the seating area a bit.
I decided to put the stones down anyway. It looks great! Put them around the jarrah rounds and up at the sitting area, and a little way into where I had moved the ferns to (behind the tree).
It looks so good, I'm glad I bit the bullet and did it. Didn't compact the ground at all - just layed the stones (about 3") over the top.
Then decided I really needed to get other plants still in pots into the ground so I planted:
I also put in some retic, as the sprinkler wont reach all the extra plants I put in.
Also mulched the newly planted areas.
Wow! This has made a big difference. It looks pretty good.
Haven't planted or mulched right to the edge of the paving for two reasons:
I can now happily return to work tomorrow feeling that progress has been made. It's been over a year since the paving was done, and I was getting tired of looking at that dirty old Perth grey sand from the kitchen.
It looks *much* better now, even though still incomplete:
I decided to put the stones down anyway. It looks great! Put them around the jarrah rounds and up at the sitting area, and a little way into where I had moved the ferns to (behind the tree).
It looks so good, I'm glad I bit the bullet and did it. Didn't compact the ground at all - just layed the stones (about 3") over the top.
Then decided I really needed to get other plants still in pots into the ground so I planted:
- More gardenias (between the bore pump and the driveway)
- Fish bone ferns behind them - under the leaves of the monsteras)
- More dietes in front of the gardenias
- Phormiums (phormia?) and cordylines along the fence (towards the tap from the gardenias planted the other day)
- Dietes in front of the phormiums and cordylines
I also put in some retic, as the sprinkler wont reach all the extra plants I put in.
Also mulched the newly planted areas.
Wow! This has made a big difference. It looks pretty good.
Haven't planted or mulched right to the edge of the paving for two reasons:
- I don't have the plants yet (liriope muscari)
- Think I need to redo the concrete at the edge of the paving as the dingo made it break and some pavers have moved.
I can now happily return to work tomorrow feeling that progress has been made. It's been over a year since the paving was done, and I was getting tired of looking at that dirty old Perth grey sand from the kitchen.
It looks *much* better now, even though still incomplete:
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Progress - Plants!
I bit the bullet after being so disheartened yesterday and decided to go ahead and put some plants in.
Partly because I will be back at work as of Monday, and the plants (in pots) aren't doing well where they are at the moment. I forget to water them every now and then, and that will only increase once I return to work.
Also because I didn't want the holidays to be gone and not much having happened over there.
I ripped out the edging I'd put in, and decided I'd leave that decision and what to do with the seat area later.
Then I raised the jarrah 'rounds' as I realised having them level with the ground is not a good idea no matter what the path is made of (mulch, stones whatever).
I planted:
Am feeling very content with what I've done. I've feel I have had some productive time in the holidays (as well as enjoyed some very slothful time - see main blog).
It looked a whole lot better than it had done at the beginning of the day.
Partly because I will be back at work as of Monday, and the plants (in pots) aren't doing well where they are at the moment. I forget to water them every now and then, and that will only increase once I return to work.
Also because I didn't want the holidays to be gone and not much having happened over there.
I ripped out the edging I'd put in, and decided I'd leave that decision and what to do with the seat area later.
Then I raised the jarrah 'rounds' as I realised having them level with the ground is not a good idea no matter what the path is made of (mulch, stones whatever).
I planted:
- Camelia - in the back corner
- Azaleas - along from the camelia
- Gardenias - along the fence
- Azaleas - in front of the gardenias
- Dietes - in front of the azaleas
- Fish bone ferns - little baby ones, next to the tree trunk
- Hydrangeas - same section as the fish bone ferns, near the tree trunk
Am feeling very content with what I've done. I've feel I have had some productive time in the holidays (as well as enjoyed some very slothful time - see main blog).
It looked a whole lot better than it had done at the beginning of the day.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Slow Progress
I feel as though I spent a long time out there yesterday, but the amount of progress belies that fact.
Grrr to tree stumps, grrrr to hidden underground remains of long gone and unknown fences.
I got about 3/4 of the edging in and managed to place the 4 jarrah stepping stones - though they're not placed as I'd really like them thanks to the above.
The section for the swing chair looks dreadful, even after the dingo day it looks way too uneven (on a slope) to work more on. Don't know whether to just go ahead and do it anyway or what :( arrgghhh. I don't want to do retaining, which is what I would have to do if I had the energy to level it by hand. I'll probably come across tree roots that would stop me from being able to do that anyway.
As a result of yesterday I'm feeling very disheartened about it. Not happy with the edging, not happy/unusable seat area. Can't put the plants in until that is sorted though, so I have to think of something.
Maybe use the old roof tiles for retaining? Across the front of the seat area, and not worry about edging it (though I've already put it in, but not happy with it).
Grrr to tree stumps, grrrr to hidden underground remains of long gone and unknown fences.
I got about 3/4 of the edging in and managed to place the 4 jarrah stepping stones - though they're not placed as I'd really like them thanks to the above.
The section for the swing chair looks dreadful, even after the dingo day it looks way too uneven (on a slope) to work more on. Don't know whether to just go ahead and do it anyway or what :( arrgghhh. I don't want to do retaining, which is what I would have to do if I had the energy to level it by hand. I'll probably come across tree roots that would stop me from being able to do that anyway.
As a result of yesterday I'm feeling very disheartened about it. Not happy with the edging, not happy/unusable seat area. Can't put the plants in until that is sorted though, so I have to think of something.
Maybe use the old roof tiles for retaining? Across the front of the seat area, and not worry about edging it (though I've already put it in, but not happy with it).
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Entertaining Area Progress Report
Dingo day has been and gone and proclaimed a sucess.
The area is a lot flatter, including where the path and bench seat are to go. They are next on the hit list as I figure it is best to do hard structures first.
Today I layed out the hose in the approximation of what I want:
Purchased half a trailer load of quartz stone (white-ish colour), half a trailer load of cheap mulch. Unloading by myself was hard work. Was mamazed how well I backed the trailer up the drive. Also bought garden edging (for around the edge of the path)
Have decided to use the jarrah 'rounds' up under the clothesline as stepping 'stones' for the path.
Enquired about a hand compactor but they don't have them and the motorised ones are too big for what I need. The Hire guy suggested tying two bricks to a pole and using that. I have two pavers so I think I'll use them. Good Friend suggested water for compaction also.
Took some 'before' photos. After shovelling the quartz off the trailer today, and having done arm exercises with weights the night before I'm wondering whether I'll have sufficient energy to actually do anything tomorrow.
But I need to get this done, this is the last week of my leave and I would really like to get those plants int he ground before I go back to work.
Oh sugar, need to buy another small length of PVC pipe to lay under the path for the later-to-be-installed retic. Bugga. Hmm maybe since I'm not doing the road-base thing anymore I wont need to.
The area is a lot flatter, including where the path and bench seat are to go. They are next on the hit list as I figure it is best to do hard structures first.
Today I layed out the hose in the approximation of what I want:
Purchased half a trailer load of quartz stone (white-ish colour), half a trailer load of cheap mulch. Unloading by myself was hard work. Was mamazed how well I backed the trailer up the drive. Also bought garden edging (for around the edge of the path)
Have decided to use the jarrah 'rounds' up under the clothesline as stepping 'stones' for the path.
Enquired about a hand compactor but they don't have them and the motorised ones are too big for what I need. The Hire guy suggested tying two bricks to a pole and using that. I have two pavers so I think I'll use them. Good Friend suggested water for compaction also.
Took some 'before' photos. After shovelling the quartz off the trailer today, and having done arm exercises with weights the night before I'm wondering whether I'll have sufficient energy to actually do anything tomorrow.
But I need to get this done, this is the last week of my leave and I would really like to get those plants int he ground before I go back to work.
Oh sugar, need to buy another small length of PVC pipe to lay under the path for the later-to-be-installed retic. Bugga. Hmm maybe since I'm not doing the road-base thing anymore I wont need to.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Tomorrow is the First Day
Tomorrow is Dingo Day.
I've hired a dingo so I can make the area more level, then I can finally start putting plants in the ground, think about doing the path myself and putting in some retic. I'm rather excited.
Moved the fish bone ferns today. Put them over behind the monsteras. I don't see any point putting camelias back there cos no one will ever see them, so I filled it up with the displaced fish bone ferns instead.
Where they were (they'd grown pretty well):
Where they were moved to:
Half way point:
Ferns all gone (to make way for shady seat area):
And finally - in their new home:
Having put the lawn clippings on/in the ground where the ferns were initially planted actually seems to have improved the soil .. this is one year later though!
Have an adult coming tomorrow to supervise, just in case there is a nasty accident with the Dingo, since I've never used one before.
Hope to also level the area where the pond/planter will go, and if I have time (it's booked for 4 hours) I'll also use it to dig the front porch garden bed, which I can't dig in thanks to too many tree roots.
A week ago Thunderbolt and I did the cementing around the paving - cos the paving guy never came back to do it. Considering neither of us had worked with cement/concrete before I think we did fairly well:
I've hired a dingo so I can make the area more level, then I can finally start putting plants in the ground, think about doing the path myself and putting in some retic. I'm rather excited.
Moved the fish bone ferns today. Put them over behind the monsteras. I don't see any point putting camelias back there cos no one will ever see them, so I filled it up with the displaced fish bone ferns instead.
Where they were (they'd grown pretty well):
Where they were moved to:
Half way point:
Ferns all gone (to make way for shady seat area):
And finally - in their new home:
Having put the lawn clippings on/in the ground where the ferns were initially planted actually seems to have improved the soil .. this is one year later though!
Have an adult coming tomorrow to supervise, just in case there is a nasty accident with the Dingo, since I've never used one before.
Hope to also level the area where the pond/planter will go, and if I have time (it's booked for 4 hours) I'll also use it to dig the front porch garden bed, which I can't dig in thanks to too many tree roots.
A week ago Thunderbolt and I did the cementing around the paving - cos the paving guy never came back to do it. Considering neither of us had worked with cement/concrete before I think we did fairly well:
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