Spring has sprung

The vertical garden prototype was reproduced (times 3), painted, mounted on fence, filled with potting mix and plants. Unfortunately the local possums decided that sushi train had come to town, and ate the tops of most things. We had no time to address the damage as we were about to head off on our camping trip.

But since we came back we've erected possum deterrent and an automatic watering system and everything is coming on nicely, both in the vertical and horizontal gardens.

On left, two lengths of vertical garden, below, all three.

Horizontal garden - still room for some more plants, but looking pretty.

Geranium slips, recovering from possum depradation.

Despite being eaten down to bare stems, they are growing. Possum deterrent (gutter guard tacked to the fence) seems to be working.

Vertical gardens - step 1

Despite horrid weather, the garden slowly expands - probably a dozen more plants than in the last photo and bluebells have been popping up all over the place, even though I thought I'd dug them all up when preparing the garden for replanting.
We have started on the Vertical Garden Project - constructing same from PVC drain pipes. Photos right and below show the prototype. Now to construct four in total, paint and plant. Watch this space.

And some time back we put this planter (right), received as a present eons ago, up outside the living room window on our nice rendered wall. It looks even better now as it has plants in it. To be shown in next photo shoot.

Garden update

On Queen's Birthday Monday we head out to Midway soil & gravel to see what they can offer. We choose the gravel. They ask us when we want it. We say, when can they deliver. They say, "Now?" Having already ascertained that there was a non-trivial delivery fee, I ask if they could deliver soil at the same time. No problems.
So we bolt back to Albert Park, scoff lunch and lay tarps in the lane outside the garage in time to receive half a cubic metre of gravel, same of soil. The piles look dauntingly large, and there isn't that much daylight in an afternoon these days. But despite Peter's anxieties, we manage to get it all barrowed into the garden or stored in containers before dark.
In the next week or so we progressively distribute it, buy plants and plant them. Now the garden looks like this (note the rose - the first rose of winter?):

The sun shines, garden progresses

More free time lately and better weather, so more trips to Bunnings and more work. Sleepers now fitted in place, more pavers purchased and laid, although we are still levelling. We discover that the pavers are more fragile than they look, one has chipped and one has broken in two during the levelling process. Back to Bunnings. We need another half a sleeper anyway, not to mention bags of good soil to go in the newly edged bed. Also still need to source some gravel to put round the pavers, something Bunnings doesn't have.

And now for the garden

After another visit to Tasmania, we return at the beginning of May and continue work on the garden. The climbing rose which blew down over summer is re-growing rapidly, but urgently needs tying up before it blows over again. Bit by bit we dig up what was left of the brick paved patio and brick path to the garage. Bricks are packed into the trailer and carted off to become part of a friend's barbecue.
We make yet another trip to Bunnings to buy sleepers to edge the deck and pavers for a new path.
Now we need to level the area where we plan to lay the pavers - in the process we discover there are still a lot of roots left from the calistemon we removed last year, and these need to go if we are going to get the path level. Much work with mattock, spade and axe and we have a barrowload of firewood to give away.
The holes resulting from our root excavation mean that more work is required to get the path area level, but this week rain has stopped play. When the weather improves we will fix the sleepers in place, do some more levelling, then start laying sand, gravel and pavers to complete the path.

Back, and busy again

After spending the summer in Tasmania, we return to the house at the end of March. In our absence the deck has been built, and beautifully stained by our house-sitters.
We spend a very busy week getting the garden into some kind of shape, buying deck furniture, which includes a flat-pack storage bench which, after erection, not only provides a very comfortable seat but also a place to keep the Weber and gas bottle which we cooked on all through the renos last year.
Here's Peter sitting on it, with coffee and newspaper.

Rain stopped play

A showery week prevented us from putting another coat on the fence. But we did get the garage tidy enough to put the car safely off the street before heading to Tas. Scheduled on our return: fitting of blinds, rendering of the wall, and building of a new deck.