Just moved back into our house after 18 months away and have found that the tennants were not particularly interested in gardening. The only things left are the passionfruit, a lemon tree and the indestructable mint.

Looks like I get to start all over again. Kinda wish the garden beds were still here but am looking forward to shaping the blank slate. I know where all the tricky places are and can avoid some of the mistakes I made the first time around.

Got the basics in already, like corn, watermellon, tomatoes and pumpkin. Also some banana corms, lavendar, citronella grass and an elder berry that was all brought back with me. Lucky for us we got 54mls of rain the other night so all the weeds are easy to pull up.

It is so nice to be home and goat free.

shell bell said:

Just moved back into our house after 18 months away and have found that the tennants were not particularly interested in gardening. The only things left are the passionfruit, a lemon tree and the indestructable mint.

hehe – mint was one of the first things to die when we moved into our place :D

bon008 said:

shell bell said:

Just moved back into our house after 18 months away and have found that the tennants were not particularly interested in gardening. The only things left are the passionfruit, a lemon tree and the indestructable mint.

hehe – mint was one of the first things to die when we moved into our place :D

We palnted a small and sickly looking seedling a few years ago and have been trying to get rid of it ever since.

shell bell said:

bon008 said:

shell bell said:

Just moved back into our house after 18 months away and have found that the tennants were not particularly interested in gardening. The only things left are the passionfruit, a lemon tree and the indestructable mint.

hehe – mint was one of the first things to die when we moved into our place :D

We palnted a small and sickly looking seedling a few years ago and have been trying to get rid of it ever since.

Always gives me the giggles when people talk about how mint takes over – obviously a whole different set of rules apply to our garden! :D

That’s such a pity about your tennants leaving your house less clean than you left it for them :( Last thing you want when you’re getting ready for a bub!

bon008 said:

shell bell said:

bon008 said:

hehe – mint was one of the first things to die when we moved into our place :D

We palnted a small and sickly looking seedling a few years ago and have been trying to get rid of it ever since.

Always gives me the giggles when people talk about how mint takes over – obviously a whole different set of rules apply to our garden! :D

That’s such a pity about your tennants leaving your house less clean than you left it for them :( Last thing you want when you’re getting ready for a bub!

They moved in the day we moved out and we didnt have time to give the palce a good scrub out for them, we did give them 2 weeks free rent for the trouble. Looks like they forgot that, never rent your house to friends.

Lets see if I can remember how to do this.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/ShellBellphoto/starting%20again/Oldvegiepatch.jpg
You would never know this was a vegie patch once, but I have had a dig around and the soil looks good.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/ShellBellphoto/starting%20again/beforecoffees.jpg
This is the south side of the house and it gets alot of dappled shade, have to convince Miss B that her coffee trees really want to move here (they keep getting hammered by the goats out of the property.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/ShellBellphoto/starting%20again/bromeliadgarden.jpg
This was a bromeliad garden, couple hundred dollars wasted.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/ShellBellphoto/starting%20again/oldflowerbed.jpg
The cannas seem to have eaten the flower bed, fair bit of rubbish in here too. Someone has stacked some windows in here, so there is a silver lining.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/ShellBellphoto/starting%20again/oldherbgarden.jpg
A good pruning and some heavy duty de-scaling should bring this area back.

Looks like I have forgotten how to put up pictures, help anyone?

shell bell said:

You would never know this was a vegie patch once, but I have had a dig around and the soil looks good.

This is the south side of the house and it gets alot of dappled shade, have to convince Miss B that her coffee trees really want to move here (they keep getting hammered by the goats out of the property.

This was a bromeliad garden, couple hundred dollars wasted.

The cannas seem to have eaten the flower bed, fair bit of rubbish in here too. Someone has stacked some windows in here, so there is a silver lining.

A good pruning and some heavy duty de-scaling should bring this area back.

you used the wrong codes. You need the codes that start with “a href” not “IMG”. Alternatively you can just use the URL with an exclamation mark at each end.

Hint: Since you were last here we now have a Preview button next to the Submit button, so you can have a look at your post before committing to it.

Where are you Shell Bell?

AnneS said:

Where are you Shell Bell?

85km from brissy.
those corn etc you planted will get off to a good start with 50mm of rain.
the place does need care – but looked at one way – that does give you scope to imagine.

Thanks BG, it’s all comming back to me.

Nice to meet you Anne. Pepe is right 85km west of Brissy by road but only 50km as the crow flies, just happens to be a mountain range and a whopping big dam between here and there.

pepe said:

AnneS said:

Where are you Shell Bell?

85km from brissy.
those corn etc you planted will get off to a good start with 50mm of rain.
the place does need care – but looked at one way – that does give you scope to imagine.

It’s kind of daunting and exciting all at the same time. We have a $200 voucher from the local nursery, have been saving up our 10% discount for the past 2 years and feel like cashing it in.

shell bell said:

Thanks BG, it’s all comming back to me.

Nice to meet you Anne. Pepe is right 85km west of Brissy by road but only 50km as the crow flies, just happens to be a mountain range and a whopping big dam between here and there.

Cool.

shell bell said:

pepe said:

AnneS said:

Where are you Shell Bell?

85km from brissy.
those corn etc you planted will get off to a good start with 50mm of rain.
the place does need care – but looked at one way – that does give you scope to imagine.

It’s kind of daunting and exciting all at the same time. We have a $200 voucher from the local nursery, have been saving up our 10% discount for the past 2 years and feel like cashing it in.

that should get you off to a nice start :)

Waves to Shell Bell.. Hi!
Good to see you in here again.

Good to see you back Shell Bell, it will be an interesting story to see your garden re-construction. Those coffee trees will appreciate the shade.

shell bell said:

bon008 said:

shell bell said:

We palnted a small and sickly looking seedling a few years ago and have been trying to get rid of it ever since.

Always gives me the giggles when people talk about how mint takes over – obviously a whole different set of rules apply to our garden! :D

That’s such a pity about your tennants leaving your house less clean than you left it for them :( Last thing you want when you’re getting ready for a bub!

They moved in the day we moved out and we didnt have time to give the palce a good scrub out for them, we did give them 2 weeks free rent for the trouble. Looks like they forgot that, never rent your house to friends.

I’d go so far to say, never rent your house period. Our first tennants were really bad. Got rid of them. The second lot were much better and the house was reasonably clean but………………the big but.

We have weeds I had never seen here before. Overgrown gardens covered with mulch to hide the worst. A totally wrecked rideon mower. Many, many lost forever plants. Not a blade of grass to be seen. Lots more but it was too depressing. Neither of these tennants were friends but the results were much the same as yours.

shell bell said:

Lets see if I can remember how to do this.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/ShellBellphoto/starting%20again/Oldvegiepatch.jpg
You would never know this was a vegie patch once, but I have had a dig around and the soil looks good.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/ShellBellphoto/starting%20again/beforecoffees.jpg
This is the south side of the house and it gets alot of dappled shade, have to convince Miss B that her coffee trees really want to move here (they keep getting hammered by the goats out of the property.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/ShellBellphoto/starting%20again/bromeliadgarden.jpg
This was a bromeliad garden, couple hundred dollars wasted.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/ShellBellphoto/starting%20again/oldflowerbed.jpg
The cannas seem to have eaten the flower bed, fair bit of rubbish in here too. Someone has stacked some windows in here, so there is a silver lining.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/ShellBellphoto/starting%20again/oldherbgarden.jpg
A good pruning and some heavy duty de-scaling should bring this area back.

Upsetting isn’t it? I understand how it makes you feel Maybe we both learnt a lesson.

Happy Potter said:

Waves to Shell Bell.. Hi!
Good to see you in here again.

HI HP, good to be back. Electricity is such a novelty.

pain master said:

Good to see you back Shell Bell, it will be an interesting story to see your garden re-construction. Those coffee trees will appreciate the shade.

Hi PM, clean slate should help with the permaculture course homework.
Going to have fun convincing Miss B that they really want to relocate, might have to hold back food until she agrees :)

shell bell said:

pain master said:

Good to see you back Shell Bell, it will be an interesting story to see your garden re-construction. Those coffee trees will appreciate the shade.

Hi PM, clean slate should help with the permaculture course homework.
Going to have fun convincing Miss B that they really want to relocate, might have to hold back food until she agrees :)

Hi Shell Bell. Good to have you back on. We will be waiting to hear about your gardening achievements over the next few weeks.

pomolo said:

shell bell said:

pain master said:

Good to see you back Shell Bell, it will be an interesting story to see your garden re-construction. Those coffee trees will appreciate the shade.

Hi PM, clean slate should help with the permaculture course homework.
Going to have fun convincing Miss B that they really want to relocate, might have to hold back food until she agrees :)

Hi Shell Bell. Good to have you back on. We will be waiting to hear about your gardening achievements over the next few weeks.

Hi Pom, Ive been off line too long. Got a lot of pent up forum-missing-anxiety to purge, you will probably hear alot from me over the next few weeks :)
Being 7 months pregnant in the lead up to an expected hot summer will keep me indoors infront of the aircon too! A girl has to keep occupied ;)

pain master said:

Those coffee trees will appreciate the shade.

7 out of 16 coffees transplanted, still may be a few more alive but I dont have high hopes. Poor things are just sticks with maybe a leaf or two. Going to make a nice screening hedge for the front fence.

A mulberry, a couple of paw paws and a cherry tree have gone in. Todays mission is to plant out the potatoes and set up the seed potting table, also have alot of rubbish to take to the tip.

shell bell said:

A mulberry, a couple of paw paws and a cherry tree have gone in. Todays mission is to plant out the potatoes and set up the seed potting table, also have alot of rubbish to take to the tip.

well done shell bell – in anticipation.
and may it rain on your garden.

pepe said:

shell bell said:

A mulberry, a couple of paw paws and a cherry tree have gone in. Todays mission is to plant out the potatoes and set up the seed potting table, also have alot of rubbish to take to the tip.

well done shell bell – in anticipation.
and may it rain on your garden.

Thanks Pepe, got a good slow soaking 18ml last night. Came over a couple of hours so didnt just run straight off.

Last plants that need to be transplanted from the property are the olives. I will give them a few days after all this rain a see if they are still alive, no idea were they are going to go yet?

Been busy, busy, busy. Well thats not entirley true, mostly sitting in front of aircon waiting for Ms. B to get a day off so I can dictate what I want done in the garden. I did weed the old herb garden, all 6 square metres of it and it only took three weeks.

We have gone tomato mad here and planted 32 seedlings with another 16 yet to go. We will need that many as soon as the king parrots find out we are back ;)

Have planted florence fennel, amaranth, celery, tonnes of lettuce, capsicums, yarrow, orgeano, globe artichokes, eggplant and silver beet seedlings. Seeds sown are more tomatos, Ms. B is obsessed, lettuce, sorrel, spinach, white eggplant, taragon, celery, carrots, marjoram and asparagus.

Next on the list will be the direct sown seeds, potatoes, radishes, turnips and beans. Just have to wait for the weekend.

Talk about a garden of plenty…but who’s going to look after it all when it gets going?

Have planted florence fennel, amaranth, celery, tonnes of lettuce, capsicums, yarrow, orgeano, globe artichokes, eggplant and silver beet seedlings. Seeds sown are more tomatos, Ms. B is obsessed, lettuce, sorrel, spinach, white eggplant, taragon, celery, carrots, marjoram and asparagus.
-
you’re both obsessed LOL.
that a pretty extensive list there. are you getting rain?

Dinetta said:

Talk about a garden of plenty…but who’s going to look after it all when it gets going?

That would be me, only a few more weeks untill the baby arrives and then I will be needing the extra exercise. Only real problem we have is the new kitten likes to roll in the dirt, preferably on top of newly planted seedlings.

pepe said:

Have planted florence fennel, amaranth, celery, tonnes of lettuce, capsicums, yarrow, orgeano, globe artichokes, eggplant and silver beet seedlings. Seeds sown are more tomatos, Ms. B is obsessed, lettuce, sorrel, spinach, white eggplant, taragon, celery, carrots, marjoram and asparagus.
-
you’re both obsessed LOL.
that a pretty extensive list there. are you getting rain?

Nope, but we do have a 36,000ltr tank that is full. It did rain all day yesterday and I think we got a good 4mm, our soil retains moisture well so that will be enough for the rest of the week. Only the delicates, like lettuce, will need a spray each day.

shell bell said:

Only real problem we have is the new kitten likes to roll in the dirt, preferably on top of newly planted seedlings.

plant the cat its own special garden bed with cat grass and catnip etc. planted in it.

Looks like this year is the year for tomatoes, havn’t lost a single one of the seedlings put in or the ones still in punnets awaiting a new home. Of all the seeds I planted the only ones up so far are the toms. So far so good.

Lost the florence fennel to the kitten and some celery to the heat, everything else has had a rough time but is hanging in there. Watered this morning and it looks like I havn’t had the hose on for a week, I can cope with the lack of rain but a let up with the heat would be nice.

shell bell said:

Looks like this year is the year for tomatoes, havn’t lost a single one of the seedlings put in or the ones still in punnets awaiting a new home. Of all the seeds I planted the only ones up so far are the toms. So far so good.

Lost the florence fennel to the kitten and some celery to the heat, everything else has had a rough time but is hanging in there. Watered this morning and it looks like I havn’t had the hose on for a week, I can cope with the lack of rain but a let up with the heat would be nice.

I agree shell bell. I’m near the coast but you’d think I well inland the soil is so dry, even though well mulched and not hydrophobic. It’s just the wind and heat dry it out so quickly.

shell bell said:

Looks like this year is the year for tomatoes, havn’t lost a single one of the seedlings put in or the ones still in punnets awaiting a new home. Of all the seeds I planted the only ones up so far are the toms. So far so good.

Lost the florence fennel to the kitten and some celery to the heat, everything else has had a rough time but is hanging in there. Watered this morning and it looks like I havn’t had the hose on for a week, I can cope with the lack of rain but a let up with the heat would be nice.

I can second all that you are saying SB. A bucket of water just goes nowhere.

Excitement plus, the basil seeds came up over night. Not bad considering that all our seed supplies are over two years old, gave up on the gardening while living with the critters.

Heres hoping we get more :)

We have had a bit of rain lately, over 50mm so far this year. I have some serious work to do in the garden.

This is the vegie patch, there are zuc’s, squash, watermellons and a comppost heap in there somewhere.

In here we have the rockmelloms and some tomatoes.

Serves me right for having a holiday at the hospital.

well at least it is nice and green

We have had a bit of rain lately, over 50mm so far this year. I have some serious work to do in the garden.
——————-
yep – have rain will weed.
the best thing about summer is the weeds only grow where you irrigate and if you pull a weed out in the morning it is shrivelled by evening

Hey Shell Bell this would be great to get back into condition after having bubs ? Kill 2 birds with 1 stone as they say lmao

shell bell said:

We have had a bit of rain lately, over 50mm so far this year. I have some serious work to do in the garden.

This is the vegie patch, there are zuc’s, squash, watermellons and a comppost heap in there somewhere.

In here we have the rockmelloms and some tomatoes.

Serves me right for having a holiday at the hospital.

Parts of our place look the same. It is amazing how real rain sends plants into a turbo growth spurt. I can’t get out to weed brush the biggens because we are still having showers every now and then. They have to go before they set seed though.

Your time is going to be very limited now as well.

pepe said:

yep – have rain will weed.
the best thing about summer is the weeds only grow where you irrigate and if you pull a weed out in the morning it is shrivelled by evening

I don’t irrigate in the summer…. but sheesh, I now have weeds!

The Estate said:

Hey Shell Bell this would be great to get back into condition after having bubs ? Kill 2 birds with 1 stone as they say lmao

Hmmm, might see if the GF will pedal that around our new block?

pain master said:

The Estate said:

Hey Shell Bell this would be great to get back into condition after having bubs ? Kill 2 birds with 1 stone as they say lmao

Hmmm, might see if the GF will pedal that around our new block?

OMG you are a brave man lmao

pain master said:

pepe said:

yep – have rain will weed.
the best thing about summer is the weeds only grow where you irrigate and if you pull a weed out in the morning it is shrivelled by evening

I don’t irrigate in the summer…. but sheesh, I now have weeds!

i was referring to southern climes.
so have youse two planned a composting system in your new paradise?

The Estate said:

pain master said:

The Estate said:

Hey Shell Bell this would be great to get back into condition after having bubs ? Kill 2 birds with 1 stone as they say lmao

Hmmm, might see if the GF will pedal that around our new block?

OMG you are a brave man lmao

GF says she would prefer a “Ride-on” and I said that that’s what it is??? It has a seat!

The Estate said:

Hey Shell Bell this would be great to get back into condition after having bubs ? Kill 2 birds with 1 stone as they say lmao

Not quite ready to be sitting down on something that small yet, lol.

pepe said:

pain master said:

pepe said:

yep – have rain will weed.
the best thing about summer is the weeds only grow where you irrigate and if you pull a weed out in the morning it is shrivelled by evening

I don’t irrigate in the summer…. but sheesh, I now have weeds!

i was referring to southern climes.
so have youse two planned a composting system in your new paradise?

I have a truck tyre with a side wall cut out in there somewhere, you can see it in an earlier post in this thread. We dont get alot of compost material between the worms, pigs and chickens. I will be making some hot compost mounds, with manure from the stock, as soon as I’m allowed to use the shovel again.

I have a truck tyre with a side wall cut out in there somewhere, you can see it in an earlier post in this thread. We dont get alot of compost material between the worms, pigs and chickens. I will be making some hot compost mounds, with manure from the stock, as soon as I’m allowed to use the shovel again.
————————————————
you’re actually the one who taught me how to hot compost. thanks a lot – back breaking work LOL.
cold composting is fine as long as everything is cut up small. it might take a year to decompose but hey – who’s worried – it does at least keep the yard tidy.

PM tell the GF is is environmentally friendly :)

shell bell said:

Not quite ready to be sitting down on something that small yet, lol.

ROFL!! Oh dear…