AHA! The low hedge plant idea just woke me.. the hidcote lavender! 40 cm tall..easy to propagate..I have 4 plants.
This area is fully exposed sun/frosts, ect. It could take the mountains of gum leaves that fall off the tall ones out near the road too. The pigface didn’t like the gum leaves, they tended to get trapped and tangled.

I have the silver convolvulus and the star jasmine. I slept on that and I can use them in other areas.
There’s an area between two porch posts that I’d like to fill in and the star jasmine would be just the ticket and would be useful for keeping severe weather off the front door too. We get gale winds and horizontal rain here, and when someone goes out the front door internal doors slam shut.
I could trellis it to three mt. high :D

Thanks for the suggestions, I do appreciate it very much, they help give me these ‘light bulb’ moments :)

Hot horlicks for me ole bones and back to bed.

Happy Potter said:

AHA!
the star jasmine. I slept on that .

Hot horlicks for me ole bones and back to bed.

the jasmine might not be so good for the “ole bones” :)

trichome said:

Happy Potter said:

AHA!
the star jasmine. I slept on that .

Hot horlicks for me ole bones and back to bed.

the jasmine might not be so good for the “ole bones” :)

Haha, love the ‘word plays’ ;)

Happy Potter said:

AHA! The low hedge plant idea just woke me.. the hidcote lavender! 40 cm tall..easy to propagate..I have 4 plants.
This area is fully exposed sun/frosts, ect. It could take the mountains of gum leaves that fall off the tall ones out near the road too. The pigface didn’t like the gum leaves, they tended to get trapped and tangled.

I have the silver convolvulus and the star jasmine. I slept on that and I can use them in other areas.
There’s an area between two porch posts that I’d like to fill in and the star jasmine would be just the ticket and would be useful for keeping severe weather off the front door too. We get gale winds and horizontal rain here, and when someone goes out the front door internal doors slam shut.
I could trellis it to three mt. high :D

Thanks for the suggestions, I do appreciate it very much, they help give me these ‘light bulb’ moments :)

Hot horlicks for me ole bones and back to bed.

good lord potter – what hour is this?
inspiration strikes at odd times – lavendar eh?

probably easiest of all and better than the bloke’s stone wall.

Just did five hours out in the front garden again and I’m numb. I have a pile of prunings higher than I am tall sitting on the driveway.
Managed to get two small stumps out. JJ is home tomorrow, he can get the other stumps out. I removed another 2 conifers, 3 A.cognatas, and another golden diosma. And I chopped all the tall cordyline stricta’s to ground level.
I found out why one of my favourite A.Cognatas wasn’t looking so well, about 6 stalks of the cordyline had suckered underneath it robbing it of any moisture.

Whatever is left out there will be included in the new design. There were some plants that were ok but would be in the way of the new plan so they had to go too.
Did a couple funny dances when I saw a big fat black spider on my shoulder.

I have a new garden design all drawn up with the help of a landscaper and I really like it! Instead of separate garden areas and paths, there will be one big rockery garden. No fruit trees. There will be a stone retaining wall after all and I can still use my lavender as a hedge no worries :)
I have been scouring my gardens, back sides and front, for anything that I can re use in the way of new plants and to propagate from and I have quite a bit.
I always wanted a patch of those ‘re hot poker’ plants, so I may buy some things to add, and a dwarf form of lilly pilly would go nicely too.
There’s a huge flat rock that needn’t be moved, not that it can be.. but when it was originally placed there it broke in half and there’s a big crack down the middle of it, about an inch wide. I can grow some of my tinier flowering cactus in there and it would look as if they are groing straight out of the rock :D

Happy Potter said:

Just did five hours out in the front garden again and I’m numb. I have a pile of prunings higher than I am tall sitting on the driveway.
Managed to get two small stumps out. JJ is home tomorrow, he can get the other stumps out. I removed another 2 conifers, 3 A.cognatas, and another golden diosma. And I chopped all the tall cordyline stricta’s to ground level.
I found out why one of my favourite A.Cognatas wasn’t looking so well, about 6 stalks of the cordyline had suckered underneath it robbing it of any moisture.

Whatever is left out there will be included in the new design. There were some plants that were ok but would be in the way of the new plan so they had to go too.
Did a couple funny dances when I saw a big fat black spider on my shoulder.

I have a new garden design all drawn up with the help of a landscaper and I really like it! Instead of separate garden areas and paths, there will be one big rockery garden. No fruit trees. There will be a stone retaining wall after all and I can still use my lavender as a hedge no worries :)
I have been scouring my gardens, back sides and front, for anything that I can re use in the way of new plants and to propagate from and I have quite a bit.
I always wanted a patch of those ‘re hot poker’ plants, so I may buy some things to add, and a dwarf form of lilly pilly would go nicely too.
There’s a huge flat rock that needn’t be moved, not that it can be.. but when it was originally placed there it broke in half and there’s a big crack down the middle of it, about an inch wide. I can grow some of my tinier flowering cactus in there and it would look as if they are groing straight out of the rock :D

No fruit trees???????????????

No edibles at all????

Doesn’t compute, sorry :P

No fruit trees???????????????

No edibles at all????

Doesn’t compute, sorry :P
——————————————-

Nope, fruit trees will stay out the back :)

I use the lavendar for cooking..

Happy Potter said:

No fruit trees???????????????

No edibles at all????

Doesn’t compute, sorry :P
——————————————-

Nope, fruit trees will stay out the back :)

I use the lavendar for cooking..

I remember :)

I have a new garden design all drawn up with the help of a landscaper and I really like it! Instead of separate garden areas and paths, there will be one big rockery garden. No fruit trees. There will be a stone retaining wall after all and I can still use my lavender as a hedge no worries :)
-
how can you hire a landscaper and have plans drawn up in a day?
the ideas are sounding really good.

pepe said:

I have a new garden design all drawn up with the help of a landscaper and I really like it! Instead of separate garden areas and paths, there will be one big rockery garden. No fruit trees. There will be a stone retaining wall after all and I can still use my lavender as a hedge no worries :)
-
how can you hire a landscaper and have plans drawn up in a day?
the ideas are sounding really good.

The landscaper is the son in law of my bestie friend (he and his wife are newly arrived in Oz from Germany) who is doing garden design, and was happy to help. I talked to him a couple weeks ago about my front garden dying. He’s been drawing the plan for several days just on one look at it.
So far, I have not spent a cent.

5 years ago I spent $700 for a fellow with a bobcat to come in and raze what was there, put the big rocks and that included a ten ton tipper of local loam.
The soil is still good.

Happy Potter said:

pepe said:

I have a new garden design all drawn up with the help of a landscaper and I really like it! Instead of separate garden areas and paths, there will be one big rockery garden. No fruit trees. There will be a stone retaining wall after all and I can still use my lavender as a hedge no worries :)
-
how can you hire a landscaper and have plans drawn up in a day?
the ideas are sounding really good.

The landscaper is the son in law of my bestie friend (he and his wife are newly arrived in Oz from Germany) who is doing garden design, and was happy to help. I talked to him a couple weeks ago about my front garden dying. He’s been drawing the plan for several days just on one look at it.
So far, I have not spent a cent.

5 years ago I spent $700 for a fellow with a bobcat to come in and raze what was there, put the big rocks and that included a ten ton tipper of local loam.
The soil is still good.

i see – good.
front gardens are quite difficult to design because you’re trying to please passerbys as well as yourself.

pepe said:

front gardens are quite difficult to design because you’re trying to please passerbys as well as yourself.

that may well be a good thing, i’m not criticising, but, i reckon bugger the passerbyers, do the front to your own style, that way originality shines through your garden to the world :)

trichome said:

pepe said:

front gardens are quite difficult to design because you’re trying to please passerbys as well as yourself.

that may well be a good thing, i’m not criticising, but, i reckon bugger the passerbyers, do the front to your own style, that way originality shines through your garden to the world :)

theoretically you’re spot on – in practice your front garden has always been part of the broader streetscape.

pepe said:

trichome said:

pepe said:

front gardens are quite difficult to design because you’re trying to please passerbys as well as yourself.

that may well be a good thing, i’m not criticising, but, i reckon bugger the passerbyers, do the front to your own style, that way originality shines through your garden to the world :)

theoretically you’re spot on – in practice your front garden has always been part of the broader streetscape.

all the more reason to allow the gardeners originality to shine through, instead of the same old, same old :)

trichome said:

pepe said:

trichome said:

that may well be a good thing, i’m not criticising, but, i reckon bugger the passerbyers, do the front to your own style, that way originality shines through your garden to the world :)

theoretically you’re spot on – in practice your front garden has always been part of the broader streetscape.

all the more reason to allow the gardeners originality to shine through, instead of the same old, same old :)

otherwise known as suburbia…

Happy Potter said:

Nope, fruit trees will stay out the back :)

I use the lavendar for cooking..

Squeeze in some lemongrass?? I reckon it’d look nice in a rocky garden bed :)

pain master said:

trichome said:

pepe said:

theoretically you’re spot on – in practice your front garden has always been part of the broader streetscape.

all the more reason to allow the gardeners originality to shine through, instead of the same old, same old :)

otherwise known as suburbia…

I just want my front garden to say:

‘A gardner lives here’.

As opposed to ‘a slob lives here’ lol!

It’s a suburb, can’t escape that. It has to stay similar. I can’t do anything outlandish like a big arsed mosaic wall, because I love bright colours, or a creek bed water feature that would sit idle during drought..although my mind wants to. I’ve looked at front yards for years and there’s not a single one I like.
Front yards around me are mostly unkempt. One big tree and a dead weedy lawn. Mine will be neat and tidy.

My house was placed too far back on the block because of a slight gradient and as a result my front yard equals the back yard in size. We didna have the dough at the time to correct the slab for the slope, the price for that doubled.

I’ll work with it :)

Happy Potter said:

It’s a suburb, can’t escape that. It has to stay similar. I can’t do anything outlandish like a big arsed mosaic wall, because I love bright colours, or a creek bed water feature that would sit idle during drought..although my mind wants to.

a wise man once said “don’y let your head beat your heart” :)

trichome said:

Happy Potter said:

It’s a suburb, can’t escape that. It has to stay similar. I can’t do anything outlandish like a big arsed mosaic wall, because I love bright colours, or a creek bed water feature that would sit idle during drought..although my mind wants to.

a wise man once said “don’y let your head beat your heart” :)

The wise man probably lived on an acerage! I wish I had the room, and the moulah, to do as my heart wants to.

I’d love a water feature with a waterfall stemming from a bunch of basalt columns creating a little creek running into a small rockpool.. a palm or tree fern or two..stony, with tiny ferns. I think that’s the Qbilly in me talking.

I have seen such a scene created on the smallest patch of land, a tiny side verge, on a blog. I saved it. One day…

Happy Potter said:

trichome said:

Happy Potter said:

It’s a suburb, can’t escape that. It has to stay similar. I can’t do anything outlandish like a big arsed mosaic wall, because I love bright colours, or a creek bed water feature that would sit idle during drought..although my mind wants to.

a wise man once said “don’y let your head beat your heart” :)

The wise man probably lived on an acerage! I wish I had the room, and the moulah, to do as my heart wants to.

I’d love a water feature with a waterfall stemming from a bunch of basalt columns creating a little creek running into a small rockpool.. a palm or tree fern or two..stony, with tiny ferns. I think that’s the Qbilly in me talking.

I have seen such a scene created on the smallest patch of land, a tiny side verge, on a blog. I saved it. One day…

I wish I had your creativitiy and energy!

Happy Potter said:

I just want my front garden to say:

‘A gardner lives here’.

I have no doubt your front yard will stand out. It is in no danger of being typical suburbia IMO :)

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

I just want my front garden to say:

‘A gardner lives here’.

I have no doubt your front yard will stand out. It is in no danger of being typical suburbia IMO :)

Awww, thanks for the vote of confidence BG :D

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

I have no doubt your front yard will stand out. It is in no danger of being typical suburbia IMO :)

Awww, thanks for the vote of confidence BG :D

B*gger the vote of confidence. I, for one, expect it to stand out, lol! I mean, you set your own high standards, HP, and I assume you will not only achieve but exceed them.

Yeehah said:

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

I have no doubt your front yard will stand out. It is in no danger of being typical suburbia IMO :)

Awww, thanks for the vote of confidence BG :D

B*gger the vote of confidence. I, for one, expect it to stand out, lol! I mean, you set your own high standards, HP, and I assume you will not only achieve but exceed them.

Thanks Yeehah :D
I just want it to be _nice- to look at. Then I will make more of an effort to maintain it.

Happy Potter said:

pain master said:

trichome said:

all the more reason to allow the gardeners originality to shine through, instead of the same old, same old :)

otherwise known as suburbia…

I just want my front garden to say:

‘A gardner lives here’.

As opposed to ‘a slob lives here’ lol!

It’s a suburb, can’t escape that. It has to stay similar. I can’t do anything outlandish like a big arsed mosaic wall, because I love bright colours, or a creek bed water feature that would sit idle during drought..although my mind wants to. I’ve looked at front yards for years and there’s not a single one I like.
Front yards around me are mostly unkempt. One big tree and a dead weedy lawn. Mine will be neat and tidy.

My house was placed too far back on the block because of a slight gradient and as a result my front yard equals the back yard in size. We didna have the dough at the time to correct the slab for the slope, the price for that doubled.

I’ll work with it :)

Dry creek beds can look great. Intentional dry ones that is, made of rocks and gravel.

I have a new name for cordyline stricta, aka native palm lily… ‘Potters Curse’. I will rue the day I planted it forever.
Bluddy rotten mongrel stuff, it is impossible to get all the roots out. Apparently I wll need some poison that is far stronger than even blackberry killer and very expensive stuff.
Not likely.
I will continue to dig it out. I dug down 2 feet around one clump after cutting the tops to ground level, and managed to get out a few bits of roots. That took me a couple hours. There’s a dozen clumps all up. :(
I won’t be able to replant that area for a year I reckon as I’ll have to wait for any shoots to come up and tackle them immediately.
My shoestring garden club friend had an idea that made me laugh.. he suggests putting a cage of rabbits over it and let them dig it out! lol!

Happy Potter said:

I have a new name for cordyline stricta, aka native palm lily… ‘Potters Curse’. I will rue the day I planted it forever.
Bluddy rotten mongrel stuff, it is impossible to get all the roots out. Apparently I wll need some poison that is far stronger than even blackberry killer and very expensive stuff.
Not likely.
I will continue to dig it out. I dug down 2 feet around one clump after cutting the tops to ground level, and managed to get out a few bits of roots. That took me a couple hours. There’s a dozen clumps all up. :(
I won’t be able to replant that area for a year I reckon as I’ll have to wait for any shoots to come up and tackle them immediately.
My shoestring garden club friend had an idea that made me laugh.. he suggests putting a cage of rabbits over it and let them dig it out! lol!

note to self….don’t plant Potter’s Curse! LOL

Happy Potter said:

I have a new name for cordyline stricta, aka native palm lily… ‘Potters Curse’. I will rue the day I planted it forever.
Bluddy rotten mongrel stuff, it is impossible to get all the roots out. Apparently I wll need some poison that is far stronger than even blackberry killer and very expensive stuff.
Not likely.
I will continue to dig it out. I dug down 2 feet around one clump after cutting the tops to ground level, and managed to get out a few bits of roots. That took me a couple hours. There’s a dozen clumps all up. :(
I won’t be able to replant that area for a year I reckon as I’ll have to wait for any shoots to come up and tackle them immediately.
My shoestring garden club friend had an idea that made me laugh.. he suggests putting a cage of rabbits over it and let them dig it out! lol!

paint neat glyphosate on new shoots?

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

I have a new name for cordyline stricta, aka native palm lily… ‘Potters Curse’. I will rue the day I planted it forever.
Bluddy rotten mongrel stuff, it is impossible to get all the roots out. Apparently I wll need some poison that is far stronger than even blackberry killer and very expensive stuff.
Not likely.
I will continue to dig it out. I dug down 2 feet around one clump after cutting the tops to ground level, and managed to get out a few bits of roots. That took me a couple hours. There’s a dozen clumps all up. :(
I won’t be able to replant that area for a year I reckon as I’ll have to wait for any shoots to come up and tackle them immediately.
My shoestring garden club friend had an idea that made me laugh.. he suggests putting a cage of rabbits over it and let them dig it out! lol!

paint neat glyphosate on new shoots?

I’ve done that before and it makes ‘em crook for a week then they bounce back even better. The plant should have a warning on it’s label that it can be invasive and keep it in a pot!

I dug down and down past the houses’ foundation and the roots have invaded the foundations, O joy! then dug past the clay, and at that point the roots snap like carrots.
I’ll ring the nursery in the morning to ask about the poisoning them. Try an beat me will it. HA……… like hell it will.

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

I have a new name for cordyline stricta, aka native palm lily… ‘Potters Curse’. I will rue the day I planted it forever.
Bluddy rotten mongrel stuff, it is impossible to get all the roots out. Apparently I wll need some poison that is far stronger than even blackberry killer and very expensive stuff.
Not likely.
I will continue to dig it out. I dug down 2 feet around one clump after cutting the tops to ground level, and managed to get out a few bits of roots. That took me a couple hours. There’s a dozen clumps all up. :(
I won’t be able to replant that area for a year I reckon as I’ll have to wait for any shoots to come up and tackle them immediately.
My shoestring garden club friend had an idea that made me laugh.. he suggests putting a cage of rabbits over it and let them dig it out! lol!

paint neat glyphosate on new shoots?

I’ve done that before and it makes ‘em crook for a week then they bounce back even better. The plant should have a warning on it’s label that it can be invasive and keep it in a pot!

I dug down and down past the houses’ foundation and the roots have invaded the foundations, O joy! then dug past the clay, and at that point the roots snap like carrots.
I’ll ring the nursery in the morning to ask about the poisoning them. Try an beat me will it. HA……… like hell it will.

That cordyline should never have tried to test your gander. It’s dead already. LOL.

We’ve had a coffee fix, now to go back out the front and keep going on the garden reno.

The man and JJ have decided that my garden jobs will enhance their muscle bulk and they were busy comparing posing and admiring theirs in mirrors. Striking whilst the irons hot hehe, today they can take the rest of the stumps out.

Whist I’m waiting for the rotten cordyline to re grow so I can poison it, there’s plenty of other things to do.
Next big job for next week, lift the weed matting from under the paths and save the gravel on them for drainage. Nothing grows over the matting, except weeds on top of it, so it has to come out. The matting is only path width, but the type of local gravel I used set’s like concrete > ‘You Yang Gravel’.

Right, rolls up sleeves..

Happy Potter said:

We’ve had a coffee fix, now to go back out the front and keep going on the garden reno.

The man and JJ have decided that my garden jobs will enhance their muscle bulk and they were busy comparing posing and admiring theirs in mirrors. Striking whilst the irons hot hehe, today they can take the rest of the stumps out.

Whist I’m waiting for the rotten cordyline to re grow so I can poison it, there’s plenty of other things to do.
Next big job for next week, lift the weed matting from under the paths and save the gravel on them for drainage. Nothing grows over the matting, except weeds on top of it, so it has to come out. The matting is only path width, but the type of local gravel I used set’s like concrete > ‘You Yang Gravel’.

Right, rolls up sleeves..

Coffee. Now there’s an idea.

Dunno about rolling up my sleeves. Sitting in bed with the laptop, appropriately, on my lap, sorting photos and forwarding emails, seems a much more pleasant way to spend my lazy Sunday. (I’ll have to get into some jobs eventually though …)

Before pics.
Garden in 2007.
Then this year. Rust coloured conifers died dovernight.. Most of the shrubs are out now. Only one bookleaf conifer left , on the lower left of the pic.
The dark green conifer in the centre circle withstands everything the weather can throw at it and it’s healthy, but has a big question mark over it as it’s going to be in the way of the new design plan. No idea what it’s called. I traded a bag of oranges for it from a neighbour who had it in a pot in full shade. I’ve successfully struck conifers before so I have taken cuttings of it. Plus it’s our Xmas tree.

Weedy paths going.

No more pics ‘till the finish..

Yeehah said:

Happy Potter said:

We’ve had a coffee fix, now to go back out the front and keep going on the garden reno.

The man and JJ have decided that my garden jobs will enhance their muscle bulk and they were busy comparing posing and admiring theirs in mirrors. Striking whilst the irons hot hehe, today they can take the rest of the stumps out.

Whist I’m waiting for the rotten cordyline to re grow so I can poison it, there’s plenty of other things to do.
Next big job for next week, lift the weed matting from under the paths and save the gravel on them for drainage. Nothing grows over the matting, except weeds on top of it, so it has to come out. The matting is only path width, but the type of local gravel I used set’s like concrete > ‘You Yang Gravel’.

Right, rolls up sleeves..

Coffee. Now there’s an idea.

Dunno about rolling up my sleeves. Sitting in bed with the laptop, appropriately, on my lap, sorting photos and forwarding emails, seems a much more pleasant way to spend my lazy Sunday. (I’ll have to get into some jobs eventually though …)

I LIE on the bed with my knees bent and the lappy propped on them. lol

Yeehah said:

Coffee. Now there’s an idea.
Sitting in bed with the laptop, appropriately, on my lap,

hopefully it is not over heating there ? on a tray or a cooler of sorts hey ? :)
they do require air flow through from the bottom/sides for cooling, lappies tend to over heat, biggest reason they die so soon.

Whoooeee, we’re all stuffed this time, can hardly move. 10 stumps out and another small diosma. We’re red faced, sweat soaked t shirt-ed and dirt encrusted from wet and sunscreen.
Lime spider drinks to cool down then we line up for showers. I’m happy to go last shower and sit for a bit first.

I encountered a problem. If I build a retaining wall then my large flat rocks will be forever hidden behind it. Look’s like a block and tackle will be needed to raise them.

Happy Potter said:

The man and JJ have decided that my garden jobs will enhance their muscle bulk and they were busy comparing posing and admiring theirs in mirrors. Striking whilst the irons hot hehe, today they can take the rest of the stumps out.

Now why doesn’t that happen at my house?!

bubba louie said:

Yeehah said:

Dunno about rolling up my sleeves. Sitting in bed with the laptop, appropriately, on my lap, sorting photos and forwarding emails, seems a much more pleasant way to spend my lazy Sunday. (I’ll have to get into some jobs eventually though …)

I LIE on the bed with my knees bent and the lappy propped on them. lol

Radical. Must try that ;)

As long as my feet are up, doesn’t fuss me too much.

trichome said:

Yeehah said:

Coffee. Now there’s an idea.
Sitting in bed with the laptop, appropriately, on my lap,

hopefully it is not over heating there ? on a tray or a cooler of sorts hey ? :)
they do require air flow through from the bottom/sides for cooling, lappies tend to over heat, biggest reason they die so soon.

When it gets hot on my knees I go for a stroll ;)

I’ve started lifting the weed matting from the paths, and saving the gravel as I go.
My stars, what a job!!!
I rolled up the end of the matting and pulled it upwards and the gravel breaks up releasing the weed roots as I go. I separated the weeds as I went along and shoveled the gravel into bags..that no one can lift now! lol.
But I do want to recycle things as much as I can and I would have needed to get gravel anyway for drainage behind the retaining wall.
Coffee break for now..

Yeehah said:

bubba louie said:

Yeehah said:

Dunno about rolling up my sleeves. Sitting in bed with the laptop, appropriately, on my lap, sorting photos and forwarding emails, seems a much more pleasant way to spend my lazy Sunday. (I’ll have to get into some jobs eventually though …)

I LIE on the bed with my knees bent and the lappy propped on them. lol

Radical. Must try that ;)

As long as my feet are up, doesn’t fuss me too much.

Put a pillow under your feet too. You’d be surprised how sore your heels can get.

bubba louie said:

Yeehah said:

bubba louie said:

I LIE on the bed with my knees bent and the lappy propped on them. lol

Radical. Must try that ;)

As long as my feet are up, doesn’t fuss me too much.

Put a pillow under your feet too. You’d be surprised how sore your heels can get.

Heck you artful resters, I can’t even feel my legs at the moment let alone my heels! LOL

If I don’t come inside tonight 3 kilos lighter, I will want to know why! lol. Another 2 min break for a drink then back to shovelling gravel..

bubba louie said:

Yeehah said:

bubba louie said:

I LIE on the bed with my knees bent and the lappy propped on them. lol

Radical. Must try that ;)

As long as my feet are up, doesn’t fuss me too much.

Put a pillow under your feet too. You’d be surprised how sore your heels can get.

Oh? … bats eyelashes … fair dink?

Happy Potter said:

Heck you artful resters, I can’t even feel my legs at the moment let alone my heels! LOL

If I don’t come inside tonight 3 kilos lighter, I will want to know why! lol. Another 2 min break for a drink then back to shovelling gravel..

You cannot believe how jealous I am. I look out at the rental garden and think “now if it was mine I’d …” but of course I can’t dig up the lawn and put in raised vegie beds. Or rip out the godawful little shrubs that are in the wrong place. Or put in paved paths to reduce the mowing. Or put in garden edging so that the edges don’t need to be poisoned.

etc etc etc

Yeehah said:

You cannot believe how jealous I am. I look out at the rental garden and think “now if it was mine I’d …” but of course I can’t dig up the lawn and put in raised vegie beds. Or rip out the godawful little shrubs that are in the wrong place. Or put in paved paths to reduce the mowing. Or put in garden edging so that the edges don’t need to be poisoned.

etc etc etc

have you talked to the owner about this? the might be overjoyed and welcome someone to tend the garden :)

Yeehah said:

Happy Potter said:

Heck you artful resters, I can’t even feel my legs at the moment let alone my heels! LOL

If I don’t come inside tonight 3 kilos lighter, I will want to know why! lol. Another 2 min break for a drink then back to shovelling gravel..

You cannot believe how jealous I am. I look out at the rental garden and think “now if it was mine I’d …” but of course I can’t dig up the lawn and put in raised vegie beds. Or rip out the godawful little shrubs that are in the wrong place. Or put in paved paths to reduce the mowing. Or put in garden edging so that the edges don’t need to be poisoned.

etc etc etc

Yes I know and so frustrating.

If I had the moolah I’d pay for someone to do the bulk of this work and I’d do the smaller jobs. I do get some help though.

I will be helping out with the garden group for a display of natives for Aust day tomorrow at a community centre and a couple of the blokes said they will come over and help with my garden, but I said I have hubby and son here when they’re not working, plus the part I’m doing atm has to be done slowly and methodically. I will call them if needed :)

I will do more of the path today, well as much as I can before it rains. Rain is forcast for later and when that gravel gets wet it is too heavy.

trichome said:

Yeehah said:

You cannot believe how jealous I am. I look out at the rental garden and think “now if it was mine I’d …” but of course I can’t dig up the lawn and put in raised vegie beds. Or rip out the godawful little shrubs that are in the wrong place. Or put in paved paths to reduce the mowing. Or put in garden edging so that the edges don’t need to be poisoned.

etc etc etc

have you talked to the owner about this? the might be overjoyed and welcome someone to tend the garden :)

I just can’t get enthusiastic about somebody else’s investment I’m afraid. Would rather be on the phone or the internet or reading a book or watching a dvd. I take no pride in mowing someone else’s lawn or pruning their shrubs. I do what I have to.

Besides, I don’t know how long I’ll be living in this house. Once we get the house on the bush block on the market, one can only hope it sells quickly. Then I’ll buy a little house in town and THAT will get my enthusiasm pumping I’m sure!!!

Some pics of what I did yesterday, getting the weed matting out from under the path and saving the gravel.
The path areas will be filled and planted out so that matting needs to come out. Gravel bagged for recycling for drainage behind a planned retaining wall.

Yeehah said:

Happy Potter said:

Heck you artful resters, I can’t even feel my legs at the moment let alone my heels! LOL

If I don’t come inside tonight 3 kilos lighter, I will want to know why! lol. Another 2 min break for a drink then back to shovelling gravel..

You cannot believe how jealous I am. I look out at the rental garden and think “now if it was mine I’d …” but of course I can’t dig up the lawn and put in raised vegie beds. Or rip out the godawful little shrubs that are in the wrong place. Or put in paved paths to reduce the mowing. Or put in garden edging so that the edges don’t need to be poisoned.

etc etc etc

You need my landlord. He let’s us do what we want :)

AnneS said:

Yeehah said:

Happy Potter said:

Heck you artful resters, I can’t even feel my legs at the moment let alone my heels! LOL

If I don’t come inside tonight 3 kilos lighter, I will want to know why! lol. Another 2 min break for a drink then back to shovelling gravel..

You cannot believe how jealous I am. I look out at the rental garden and think “now if it was mine I’d …” but of course I can’t dig up the lawn and put in raised vegie beds. Or rip out the godawful little shrubs that are in the wrong place. Or put in paved paths to reduce the mowing. Or put in garden edging so that the edges don’t need to be poisoned.

etc etc etc

You need my landlord. He let’s us do what we want :)

Ah, but I don’t want ANY landlord, that’s the point!!!!!!!!!!

I want my OWN house and my OWN garden :P

Yeehah said:

Happy Potter said:

Heck you artful resters, I can’t even feel my legs at the moment let alone my heels! LOL

If I don’t come inside tonight 3 kilos lighter, I will want to know why! lol. Another 2 min break for a drink then back to shovelling gravel..

You cannot believe how jealous I am. I look out at the rental garden and think “now if it was mine I’d …” but of course I can’t dig up the lawn and put in raised vegie beds. Or rip out the godawful little shrubs that are in the wrong place. Or put in paved paths to reduce the mowing. Or put in garden edging so that the edges don’t need to be poisoned.

etc etc etc

as long as you get permission and ask the agent/owners and if it is going to enhance the property I cant see why not, all my rentals I was allowed to garden after asking for permission .

trichome said:

Yeehah said:

You cannot believe how jealous I am. I look out at the rental garden and think “now if it was mine I’d …” but of course I can’t dig up the lawn and put in raised vegie beds. Or rip out the godawful little shrubs that are in the wrong place. Or put in paved paths to reduce the mowing. Or put in garden edging so that the edges don’t need to be poisoned.

etc etc etc

have you talked to the owner about this? the might be overjoyed and welcome someone to tend the garden :)

we once converted a paddock and overgrown fruit trees into a productive garden but with the owners permission. The Agent loved it!

pain master said:

trichome said:

Yeehah said:

You cannot believe how jealous I am. I look out at the rental garden and think “now if it was mine I’d …” but of course I can’t dig up the lawn and put in raised vegie beds. Or rip out the godawful little shrubs that are in the wrong place. Or put in paved paths to reduce the mowing. Or put in garden edging so that the edges don’t need to be poisoned.

etc etc etc

have you talked to the owner about this? the might be overjoyed and welcome someone to tend the garden :)

we once converted a paddock and overgrown fruit trees into a productive garden but with the owners permission. The Agent loved it!

I’m renting Yeehah, and you should see what I’ve done, LOL! Will find pics soon.

hortfurball said:

pain master said:

trichome said:

have you talked to the owner about this? the might be overjoyed and welcome someone to tend the garden :)

we once converted a paddock and overgrown fruit trees into a productive garden but with the owners permission. The Agent loved it!

I’m renting Yeehah, and you should see what I’ve done, LOL! Will find pics soon.

I can just imagine!

It’s raining now so I wouldn’t be working on the front paths and gravel tomorrow, but gees I got a heck of a lot more of it done today. Some of the border rocks were placed on the edge of the weed matting and caught under them, so I was levering rocks out with a shovel and rolling them elsewhere.
It looks like a moonscape atm..

Happy Potter said:

so I was levering rocks out with a shovel and rolling them elsewhere.

I’m surprised you can walk and talk and type at all after the last two days…

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

so I was levering rocks out with a shovel and rolling them elsewhere.

I’m surprised you can walk and talk and type at all after the last two days…

lol, almost!
I came inside for a drink of water hourly. One time I flopped into my pc chair and waffled on to the man that I can’t make it all the way across the kitchen to the tap so could he bring me a drink of water.
He brought me a jug of water and I drank all of it. Five minutes later I was back at full steam.
He wasn’t helping today, he was folding clean laundry and manning the phone to Giant Son who was in the midst of the next crises.

hortfurball said:

pain master said:

trichome said:

have you talked to the owner about this? the might be overjoyed and welcome someone to tend the garden :)

we once converted a paddock and overgrown fruit trees into a productive garden but with the owners permission. The Agent loved it!

I’m renting Yeehah, and you should see what I’ve done, LOL! Will find pics soon.

If I was planning to stay in the house for any length of time I’d bother with the garden. I’d even negotiate about having a pet, which currently is forbidden.

Yeehah said:

hortfurball said:

pain master said:

we once converted a paddock and overgrown fruit trees into a productive garden but with the owners permission. The Agent loved it!

I’m renting Yeehah, and you should see what I’ve done, LOL! Will find pics soon.

If I was planning to stay in the house for any length of time I’d bother with the garden. I’d even negotiate about having a pet, which currently is forbidden.

Fair enough. :)
Don’t know if I could ever live without pets though. I haven’t been petless for 16 years…mind you, that’s the age of my old dog so I’m sort of cheating, but I’ve since just kept adding more – have two dogs, two cats (indoor only), a tank of tropical fish (which may even pre-date the dog), the worms and now the chooks (who are just adorable btw)

hortfurball said:

Yeehah said:

hortfurball said:

I’m renting Yeehah, and you should see what I’ve done, LOL! Will find pics soon.

If I was planning to stay in the house for any length of time I’d bother with the garden. I’d even negotiate about having a pet, which currently is forbidden.

Fair enough. :)
Don’t know if I could ever live without pets though. I haven’t been petless for 16 years…mind you, that’s the age of my old dog so I’m sort of cheating, but I’ve since just kept adding more – have two dogs, two cats (indoor only), a tank of tropical fish (which may even pre-date the dog), the worms and now the chooks (who are just adorable btw)

I’d love an indoors-only cat that had access to an outside cage. And chooks, maybe ducks. Maybe a lap dog (I know how hard it was for Mr Y’s kelpie to cope with in-town living) but NOT a terrier (we had two little diggers for a couple of years … dead cute but had to be chained up too much because the dug out and ran away too much, silly sods). On a decent-sized block of land within ten minutes’ walk to work.

Don’t want much do I?

I got a couple hours in the front garden in the cool of the evening before dark, and I’m very surprised at how much I did in that time compared to during the day when the sun is shining on me.
I have nearly all the weed matting out, just a little more to do and that’s gone. Then I can concentrate on the shape of the garden bed and exactly where the retaining wall will go.
Moving rocks is going to be the fun part..

Say …how do I work out the ratio of the slope height? Is that even the right way to ask the question? The back of the garden bed next to the house is somewhat 60 cm higher than the front. It won’t be a terribly high retaining wall. But I need to know the slope ratio so I can work out how many rocks I need layer apon layer..and so I have both side walls even.

I’m a learn – as – you – go – sort..

I have plenty of fill and 50 thousand bags of gravel to even out any uneven parts. Well thats what my muscles counted.

Is this retaining wall going to be between the garden and a path around your house?

Dinetta said:

Is this retaining wall going to be between the garden and a path around your house?

Between the footpath and about halfway back onto my block. Driveway one side and there will be a path to the gas and electricity meters the other side.

Everything is so straight , the house is straight, the road straight, the footpath ect, of course, so I want the wall to curve. Working on it.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Is this retaining wall going to be between the garden and a path around your house?

Between the footpath and about halfway back onto my block. Driveway one side and there will be a path to the gas and electricity meters the other side.

Everything is so straight , the house is straight, the road straight, the footpath ect, of course, so I want the wall to curve. Working on it.

normally soil on a 45 degree angle will hold itself – that called “the natural angle of incline”
so 45 degrees is a 1: 1 ratio – that’s one vertical to one horizontal.

when the vertical is more than 1 soil will start to slip. however your rock retaining wall is effective to 1:10. that is : you can rise 10 vertically to every 1 horizontal. (provided the wall is properly interlocked and drained)

pepe said:

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Is this retaining wall going to be between the garden and a path around your house?

Between the footpath and about halfway back onto my block. Driveway one side and there will be a path to the gas and electricity meters the other side.

Everything is so straight , the house is straight, the road straight, the footpath ect, of course, so I want the wall to curve. Working on it.

normally soil on a 45 degree angle will hold itself – that called “the natural angle of incline”
so 45 degrees is a 1: 1 ratio – that’s one vertical to one horizontal.

when the vertical is more than 1 soil will start to slip. however your rock retaining wall is effective to 1:10. that is : you can rise 10 vertically to every 1 horizontal. (provided the wall is properly interlocked and drained)

Ok! Thanks. That makes sense.
It’ll be a stacked rock wall, no motar. Drainage not as important than if it were solid. And I know to dig a trench for the first layer. Plenty of large rocks with a flat side sitting out there for the base.

Ok! Thanks. That makes sense.
It’ll be a stacked rock wall, no motar. Drainage not as important than if it were solid. And I know to dig a trench for the first layer. Plenty of large rocks with a flat side sitting out there for the base.

————
all correct.
so you can have a 1 in 10 batter – or anything less than that – and it will hold.

I had some visitors, some of the the lovely people from shoestring garden group. One fellow and his wife had driven past my place a few times over recent days and saw me working my bum off out there alone.
So they decided I needed some help with the front garden reno :D :D :D
Weed matting all out now. Yay! The incline was determined with a water level via a clear hose. It’s 64 cms, so I wasn’t far off my ‘two feet higher’ guess.
They asked what am I going to plant it out with. I explained about the rhodys going where the cordyline is and other potted things I intend to raid from other parts about the house to use. They ummed and arhed over them. So I asked them if it were their garden, what would they plant?
Boy, they would change everything lol! But I did get some great ideas :D

In particular one idea I really love, it was suggested I could use a wisteria (yesss!!) to climb the gap near the porch and that would help keep the weather off the front door and it could climb right across the roofline on one side and carport the other side. That would look great. It would also help to shade the rhodys.
But if it’s to climb across the eves, then small blocks of wood would be attached to the frame then hooks attached to them, then a chain hung on the hooks to hold the plant. I can’t explain it well, but it means when we repaint the eves (facia?) we only need to unhook the chain without having to cut back or remove the wisteria.

Cuttings and seedlings of peoples favourite plants are being taken for me. Grevilleas, a small flowering gum, and the like.
I have the best gardening friends on the planet :D

I’m stuffed and sore all over. Been working my bum off out the front and shifted a ton of dirt, JJ helped, and the design is starting to take shape.
I got a bucket of curl grubs for the chooks.
The family raided the freezer and heated up lasagna. I didn’t get any cooking done as it was cool out and great for working in.
Tomorrow I’ll have a break.

I rang a tool hire to see what hiring a rotary hoe would cost, and the bloke was checking that the user knows how to use it, seeing as I rang..I said I’d be using it. He chuckled, “you?”….!
Laugh at me will you!!

I have to level the sloped bit that will be in front of the retaining wall. The ground is dry and like concrete. Thinking thinking..so I searched the mans shed looking for his rotary hammer drill with the brick cutting bit on it. Like a mini jackhammer. It wasn’t heavy at all..tested it..yay! It does the job of breaking hard ground perfectly :)
You shoulda seen the look on the mans face, it was pure gold haha!

Happy Potter said:

I rang a tool hire to see what hiring a rotary hoe would cost, and the bloke was checking that the user knows how to use it, seeing as I rang..I said I’d be using it. He chuckled, “you?”….!
Laugh at me will you!!

I have to level the sloped bit that will be in front of the retaining wall. The ground is dry and like concrete. Thinking thinking..so I searched the mans shed looking for his rotary hammer drill with the brick cutting bit on it. Like a mini jackhammer. It wasn’t heavy at all..tested it..yay! It does the job of breaking hard ground perfectly :)
You shoulda seen the look on the mans face, it was pure gold haha!

its a handy looking tool – for concrete work. still you get full marks for using whatever is available.

its a handy looking tool – for concrete work. still you get full marks for using whatever is available.
—————————————————————
Ta Pepe. Where there’s a will…

So that’s what that tool is for. I will use it to dig the trench too.

A handful of walnuts and a cup of tea for lunch then back to work.

Happy Potter said:

I rang a tool hire to see what hiring a rotary hoe would cost, and the bloke was checking that the user knows how to use it, seeing as I rang..I said I’d be using it. He chuckled, “you?”….!
Laugh at me will you!!

I have to level the sloped bit that will be in front of the retaining wall. The ground is dry and like concrete. Thinking thinking..so I searched the mans shed looking for his rotary hammer drill with the brick cutting bit on it. Like a mini jackhammer. It wasn’t heavy at all..tested it..yay! It does the job of breaking hard ground perfectly :)
You shoulda seen the look on the mans face, it was pure gold haha!

Jeepers, wouldn’t that do your back in, HP??

bon008 said:

Happy Potter said:

I rang a tool hire to see what hiring a rotary hoe would cost, and the bloke was checking that the user knows how to use it, seeing as I rang..I said I’d be using it. He chuckled, “you?”….!
Laugh at me will you!!

I have to level the sloped bit that will be in front of the retaining wall. The ground is dry and like concrete. Thinking thinking..so I searched the mans shed looking for his rotary hammer drill with the brick cutting bit on it. Like a mini jackhammer. It wasn’t heavy at all..tested it..yay! It does the job of breaking hard ground perfectly :)
You shoulda seen the look on the mans face, it was pure gold haha!

Jeepers, wouldn’t that do your back in, HP??

Nah Bon it was quite light and as if it were cutting into soft butter. My hands are sore though and I’m covered in dust from the last one hour stint.. but it’s getting a bit warm now so will take a break. Cold drink and a rest :)

Happy Potter said:

bon008 said:

Happy Potter said:

I rang a tool hire to see what hiring a rotary hoe would cost, and the bloke was checking that the user knows how to use it, seeing as I rang..I said I’d be using it. He chuckled, “you?”….!
Laugh at me will you!!

I have to level the sloped bit that will be in front of the retaining wall. The ground is dry and like concrete. Thinking thinking..so I searched the mans shed looking for his rotary hammer drill with the brick cutting bit on it. Like a mini jackhammer. It wasn’t heavy at all..tested it..yay! It does the job of breaking hard ground perfectly :)
You shoulda seen the look on the mans face, it was pure gold haha!

Jeepers, wouldn’t that do your back in, HP??

Nah Bon it was quite light and as if it were cutting into soft butter. My hands are sore though and I’m covered in dust from the last one hour stint.. but it’s getting a bit warm now so will take a break. Cold drink and a rest :)

But were you bent over like that the whole time? I wouldn’t last a minute before grabbing something to kneel on!

Further proof you’re made of tough stuff!

I don’t know if we’re that tough Bon, the pair of us just fell through the gate! lol!

We are sitting at the desk covered in dirt each daring the other to get up and make something for tea, but neither of us want’s to move.
But we got the front ‘lawn section’ levelled :D

Oh hang on, we’re saved from possible starvation.. JJ just rocked up! oh good! hahaha…

Happy Potter said:

I don’t know if we’re that tough Bon, the pair of us just fell through the gate! lol!

We are sitting at the desk covered in dirt each daring the other to get up and make something for tea, but neither of us want’s to move.
But we got the front ‘lawn section’ levelled :D

Oh hang on, we’re saved from possible starvation.. JJ just rocked up! oh good! hahaha…

:)

I was out the front all arvo and did heaps.. including the trenching, about 14 meters.
I had to get the corners right where the retaining wall will have a curve either side so searched for something to help my non mathematical brain.. found a round tabletop frame and sat that on the dirt, measured and pegged, spray painted the outline and worked with that. Perfect!
I’ve measured and double checked the measurments were exact then marked a line with the paint right across.
Had a break and drink then back to it, with the mini jackhammer. Love that tool. I finished the trenching from one side to the other. Without the fab tool I wouldn’t have gotten more than a couple meters done.

Next on the agenda is setting the base rocks in the trench :D

Ooo rock on my foot, rock on my foot!
Ouch.
And yeah, I had my bluntstones on..it’s just that the rock was nearly half the size of me! lol.
Ok now though, just a nice bruise will come up.

I didn’t come inside because of my foot though, but escaped inside because of the passerby that offer to help. I don’t want them to. A fellow from the side street came over to offer his help and reckons he can move that huge rock with an air bag lifter thingy. No way. I can just see what would happen and someone would get hurt. Probably me. Problem is he is so enthusiastic about moving it, and he won’t be told no easily.

Then he and his wife came back with a wheelbarrow with 2 big yukkas in pots. Very nice of them and they are a lovely couple, I thanked them profusely.
But if you had any idea of how much I hate yukkas…

Happy Potter said:

But if you had any idea of how much I hate yukkas…

I do. Because I do too ;)

Nasty spiky sods.

Yeehah said:

Happy Potter said:

But if you had any idea of how much I hate yukkas…

I do. Because I do too ;)

Nasty spiky sods.

Yes, one spiked me in the eye once. It hurt for days. I loathe the things.
Where can I hide them?
I can’t say they died, I’m a gardener! LOL

Happy Potter said:

Yeehah said:

Happy Potter said:

But if you had any idea of how much I hate yukkas…

I do. Because I do too ;)

Nasty spiky sods.

Yes, one spiked me in the eye once. It hurt for days. I loathe the things.
Where can I hide them?
I can’t say they died, I’m a gardener! LOL

I never picked you as someone who would have trouble saying No, HP!! :)

Happy Potter said:

But if you had any idea of how much I hate yukkas…

Prolly to the same extent as I do? They may think you’re going for an arid look out the front? Would love to know how you manage to kill the yukka, if you do…

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

But if you had any idea of how much I hate yukkas…

Prolly to the same extent as I do? They may think you’re going for an arid look out the front? Would love to know how you manage to kill the yukka, if you do…

It’s a drought tolerant thing.. pond plant ? lol!

I can say ‘no’ usually Bon and have no probs, except this fellow is sooo insistant.

Well I’ve sat a good few meters of base rocks in place, I did it myself and they look good :) It got too dark to continue. Lot’s of grunting and pushing and pulling and half the time me sitting in the dirt, but the rocks are sitting tight.
I need a shower.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

But if you had any idea of how much I hate yukkas…

Prolly to the same extent as I do? They may think you’re going for an arid look out the front? Would love to know how you manage to kill the yukka, if you do…

It’s a drought tolerant thing.. pond plant ? lol!

I can say ‘no’ usually Bon and have no probs, except this fellow is sooo insistant.

Maybe you could put it to one side, planning to use it, and either “forget” it or somebody accidentally threw it out without telling you???

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Prolly to the same extent as I do? They may think you’re going for an arid look out the front? Would love to know how you manage to kill the yukka, if you do…

It’s a drought tolerant thing.. pond plant ? lol!

I can say ‘no’ usually Bon and have no probs, except this fellow is sooo insistant.

Maybe you could put it to one side, planning to use it, and either “forget” it or somebody accidentally threw it out without telling you???

Bingo! Thanks D :)
I had them by the front door and some rotten scoundrel nicked them!!
Hehehe..

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

It’s a drought tolerant thing.. pond plant ? lol!

I can say ‘no’ usually Bon and have no probs, except this fellow is sooo insistant.

Maybe you could put it to one side, planning to use it, and either “forget” it or somebody accidentally threw it out without telling you???

Bingo! Thanks D :)
I had them by the front door and some rotten scoundrel nicked them!!
Hehehe..

Except.. what if he turns up with more?! :D

bon008 said:

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Maybe you could put it to one side, planning to use it, and either “forget” it or somebody accidentally threw it out without telling you???

Bingo! Thanks D :)
I had them by the front door and some rotten scoundrel nicked them!!
Hehehe..

Except.. what if he turns up with more?! :D

He would too! He said he has plenty more yuccas around his pool area.
I think I’ll sell up lol!

bon008 said:

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Maybe you could put it to one side, planning to use it, and either “forget” it or somebody accidentally threw it out without telling you???

Bingo! Thanks D :)
I had them by the front door and some rotten scoundrel nicked them!!
Hehehe..

Except.. what if he turns up with more?! :D

Hopefully, by that time (in the distant future), Happy Potter will have her front yard set out with her plantings, and obviously the yukka won’t suit…and they’re not suitable for indoors…and we need to watch out for poor little Maxie, don’t want him poisoning himself on the thorns…cost a $fortune$ at the vet’s these days and all…

Phew, wrecked again and in need of a shower and rest. But I got a bit more done on the dry rock wall.
A sneak preview :)
Of course there’s some tidying to do on the section and gravel to be packed in behind it, and the trench to be backfilled and base partly buried.

Happy Potter said:

Phew, wrecked again and in need of a shower and rest. But I got a bit more done on the dry rock wall.
A sneak preview :)
Of course there’s some tidying to do on the section and gravel to be packed in behind it, and the trench to be backfilled and base partly buried.

yay!

Happy Potter said:

Phew, wrecked again and in need of a shower and rest. But I got a bit more done on the dry rock wall.
A sneak preview :)
Of course there’s some tidying to do on the section and gravel to be packed in behind it, and the trench to be backfilled and base partly buried.

Well done! applause

Happy Potter said:

Phew, wrecked again and in need of a shower and rest. But I got a bit more done on the dry rock wall.
A sneak preview :)
Of course there’s some tidying to do on the section and gravel to be packed in behind it, and the trench to be backfilled and base partly buried.

Is your front yard steep HP? I though it was flat by the pics I’ve seen.

pomolo said:

Happy Potter said:

Phew, wrecked again and in need of a shower and rest. But I got a bit more done on the dry rock wall.
A sneak preview :)
Of course there’s some tidying to do on the section and gravel to be packed in behind it, and the trench to be backfilled and base partly buried.

Is your front yard steep HP? I though it was flat by the pics I’ve seen.

No not steep at all Pom, there’s only a difference of 2 feet from house wall to footpath.
There’s one more row of rocks to go on the top then that’s it. I’ve kept all the flatest of the flat ones for the top. But first all the bigger ones to put in for meters and meters yet, the rest of the front and al the way round the sides.
If I can’t get the top dead level it won’t be such a problem as I’ll be planting things that will trail over the top and hang down, in parts.

Happy Potter said:

Phew, wrecked again and in need of a shower and rest. But I got a bit more done on the dry rock wall.
A sneak preview :)
Of course there’s some tidying to do on the section and gravel to be packed in behind it, and the trench to be backfilled and base partly buried.

:)

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

But if you had any idea of how much I hate yukkas…

Prolly to the same extent as I do? They may think you’re going for an arid look out the front? Would love to know how you manage to kill the yukka, if you do…

It took the farmer up the road on his tractor with a chain wrapped round the base of the yukka to get rid of mine ;) (huge clump of them actually, must’ve been there for a decade or two, more sprouted from pups around the base of what I assume was the original one).

Hey, HP, maybe you could find someone who would use it through your swap group – and tell the kind donors that you just didn’t have room, and/or that the yukkas like dry and you didn’t want to kill it with kindness as you water your garden so much … trying to think of ways to get out of it for you!

Yeehah said:

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

But if you had any idea of how much I hate yukkas…

Prolly to the same extent as I do? They may think you’re going for an arid look out the front? Would love to know how you manage to kill the yukka, if you do…

It took the farmer up the road on his tractor with a chain wrapped round the base of the yukka to get rid of mine ;) (huge clump of them actually, must’ve been there for a decade or two, more sprouted from pups around the base of what I assume was the original one).

Hey, HP, maybe you could find someone who would use it through your swap group – and tell the kind donors that you just didn’t have room, and/or that the yukkas like dry and you didn’t want to kill it with kindness as you water your garden so much … trying to think of ways to get out of it for you!

Thanks Yeehah, it helps. Especially the bit about ‘no room’ :)
I have loads of potted things lined up ready to plant out the front when it’s ready. 15 rhododendrons, many 2 mt or more tall, for the shady south facing house front wall (where the cordylines are atm awaiting poisoning) azaleas and cycads for special points, and even a magnolia that I struck from the parent plant will be specially placed so it’s away from the overhead power line, potted boronias for under bedroom windows.. and heaps of pretty daisys and a cognata for infills, and some other natives. I have it all planned and there really won’t be room for any bluddy yuccas.

After the great potted rhody shift the patio will be bare so the yuccas can live there, for a while.

Yeehah said:

Hey, HP, maybe you could find someone who would use it through your swap group – and tell the kind donors that you just didn’t have room, and/or that the yukkas like dry and you didn’t want to kill it with kindness as you water your garden so much … trying to think of ways to get out of it for you!

Mine have taken off like a Bondi Tram with the last couple of Wets…

Happy Potter said:

After the great potted rhody shift the patio will be bare so the yuccas can live there, for a while.

I don’t think they are susceptible to Roundup, more’s the pity…

Yeehah said:

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

But if you had any idea of how much I hate yukkas…

Prolly to the same extent as I do? They may think you’re going for an arid look out the front? Would love to know how you manage to kill the yukka, if you do…

It took the farmer up the road on his tractor with a chain wrapped round the base of the yukka to get rid of mine ;) (huge clump of them actually, must’ve been there for a decade or two, more sprouted from pups around the base of what I assume was the original one).

Hey, HP, maybe you could find someone who would use it through your swap group – and tell the kind donors that you just didn’t have room, and/or that the yukkas like dry and you didn’t want to kill it with kindness as you water your garden so much … trying to think of ways to get out of it for you!

Tell them that you must be allergic. Every time you touch them you come out in a terrible rash, so you gave them to a good home.

bubba louie said:

Yeehah said:

Dinetta said:

Prolly to the same extent as I do? They may think you’re going for an arid look out the front? Would love to know how you manage to kill the yukka, if you do…

It took the farmer up the road on his tractor with a chain wrapped round the base of the yukka to get rid of mine ;) (huge clump of them actually, must’ve been there for a decade or two, more sprouted from pups around the base of what I assume was the original one).

Hey, HP, maybe you could find someone who would use it through your swap group – and tell the kind donors that you just didn’t have room, and/or that the yukkas like dry and you didn’t want to kill it with kindness as you water your garden so much … trying to think of ways to get out of it for you!

Tell them that you must be allergic. Every time you touch them you come out in a terrible rash, so you gave them to a good home.

Oh you’re too good BL! that will do perfectly. I can induce an impressive rash just like that! clicks fingers lol!

bubba louie said:

Tell them that you must be allergic. Every time you touch them you come out in a terrible rash, so you gave them to a good home.

…we have a winner! Blue Ribbon and gold cup to Bubba Louie!

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

Tell them that you must be allergic. Every time you touch them you come out in a terrible rash, so you gave them to a good home.

…we have a winner! Blue Ribbon and gold cup to Bubba Louie!

thank you, thank you, thank you.

bubba louie said:

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

Tell them that you must be allergic. Every time you touch them you come out in a terrible rash, so you gave them to a good home.

…we have a winner! Blue Ribbon and gold cup to Bubba Louie!

thank you, thank you, thank you.

Pity you aren’t in Bris, you could give them to my neighbour, she’s killed everything I’ve given her so far.
Lovely lady though..

bubba louie said:

Pity you aren’t in Bris, you could give them to my neighbour, she’s killed everything I’ve given her so far.
Lovely lady though..

The previous owners left one on it’s side down the front paddock, it was there for at least 2 years and then one day it shot up a 6 foot flower stem…then it died of it’s own accord…thankfully…

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

Pity you aren’t in Bris, you could give them to my neighbour, she’s killed everything I’ve given her so far.
Lovely lady though..

The previous owners left one on it’s side down the front paddock, it was there for at least 2 years and then one day it shot up a 6 foot flower stem…then it died of it’s own accord…thankfully…

This was during the Drought…

Dinetta said:

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

Pity you aren’t in Bris, you could give them to my neighbour, she’s killed everything I’ve given her so far.
Lovely lady though..

The previous owners left one on it’s side down the front paddock, it was there for at least 2 years and then one day it shot up a 6 foot flower stem…then it died of it’s own accord…thankfully…

This was during the Drought…

I’m in charge of their garden when they travel but I don’t know why they bother really because they don’t do anything to it when their home. LOL

bubba louie said:

Dinetta said:

Dinetta said:

The previous owners left one on it’s side down the front paddock, it was there for at least 2 years and then one day it shot up a 6 foot flower stem…then it died of it’s own accord…thankfully…

This was during the Drought…

I’m in charge of their garden when they travel but I don’t know why they bother really because they don’t do anything to it when their home. LOL

they’re home……..sorry yeehah. LOL

Dinetta said:

Yeehah said:

Hey, HP, maybe you could find someone who would use it through your swap group – and tell the kind donors that you just didn’t have room, and/or that the yukkas like dry and you didn’t want to kill it with kindness as you water your garden so much … trying to think of ways to get out of it for you!

Mine have taken off like a Bondi Tram with the last couple of Wets…

Shhhh!! We’re trying to get rid of the damned things … unless you want HP to ship ‘em up to you???

Yeehah said:

Dinetta said:

Yeehah said:

Hey, HP, maybe you could find someone who would use it through your swap group – and tell the kind donors that you just didn’t have room, and/or that the yukkas like dry and you didn’t want to kill it with kindness as you water your garden so much … trying to think of ways to get out of it for you!

Mine have taken off like a Bondi Tram with the last couple of Wets…

Shhhh!! We’re trying to get rid of the damned things … unless you want HP to ship ‘em up to you???

I’m trying to get rid of them too…didn’t you see my post where I moan that I don’t think Roundup will kill them?

Happy Potter said:

Phew, wrecked again and in need of a shower and rest. But I got a bit more done on the dry rock wall.
A sneak preview :)
Of course there’s some tidying to do on the section and gravel to be packed in behind it, and the trench to be backfilled and base partly buried.

very noice. good work there

very noice. good work there.
——————————————-
Thanks Pepe. Got most of the front straight bit done and now for the sides. Both sides are equally as long as the front, but I work slowly so this will take me some time. I reckon I spend half my time searching for the right shaped rock for the next bit of the jigsaw puzzle. I can’t lift the bigger ones so I roll them into place, then hubby rights them, then I do the rest of the infill to the required height.
The few sunny days we had were good, but now it’s back to occasional showers and cold. Heating is on.

Happy Potter said:

very noice. good work there.
——————————————-
Thanks Pepe. Got most of the front straight bit done and now for the sides. Both sides are equally as long as the front, but I work slowly so this will take me some time. I reckon I spend half my time searching for the right shaped rock for the next bit of the jigsaw puzzle. I can’t lift the bigger ones so I roll them into place, then hubby rights them, then I do the rest of the infill to the required height.
The few sunny days we had were good, but now it’s back to occasional showers and cold. Heating is on.

i’m using up all the old bricks in my front fence walls and – like you – i spend most of my time working out where the odd shape bits will fit – while still keeping things straight and plumb.

Happy Potter said:

very noice. good work there.
——————————————-
Thanks Pepe. Got most of the front straight bit done and now for the sides. Both sides are equally as long as the front, but I work slowly so this will take me some time. I reckon I spend half my time searching for the right shaped rock for the next bit of the jigsaw puzzle. I can’t lift the bigger ones so I roll them into place, then hubby rights them, then I do the rest of the infill to the required height.
The few sunny days we had were good, but now it’s back to occasional showers and cold. Heating is on.

you work slowly? I would be still trying to figure out how to dig up the first rock!

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

very noice. good work there.
——————————————-
Thanks Pepe. Got most of the front straight bit done and now for the sides. Both sides are equally as long as the front, but I work slowly so this will take me some time. I reckon I spend half my time searching for the right shaped rock for the next bit of the jigsaw puzzle. I can’t lift the bigger ones so I roll them into place, then hubby rights them, then I do the rest of the infill to the required height.
The few sunny days we had were good, but now it’s back to occasional showers and cold. Heating is on.

you work slowly? I would be still trying to figure out how to dig up the first rock!

Ok, I work consistantly , with lot’s of breaks.

This arvo too. If I was wrecked yesdy , today I’m completely and utterly stuffed. I can’t feel anything. But I got the wall done around one corner and up to the drive side. That’s only a couple meters, but what took most of my time was getting the gravel out of the bags and behind the wall. They had become quite compacted and I jabbed at the surface until I could scrape some out, then managed to tip it over and shovel it. A bucket at a time. When I can move again I’ll go have a shower.
Too stuffed to cook tea, and the males are out, so it’s apple pie warmed up for me :)

Can’t help meself lol, I have to show yous. I did some more on the drive side rocks and didn’t want to stop once I got going, drizzle rain and all.
A sneak preview.

Happy Potter said:

Can’t help meself lol, I have to show yous. I did some more on the drive side rocks and didn’t want to stop once I got going, drizzle rain and all.
A sneak preview.

Excellent work with the rock wall. Have you got a path laid beside the house?

Happy Potter said:

Can’t help meself lol, I have to show yous. I did some more on the drive side rocks and didn’t want to stop once I got going, drizzle rain and all.
A sneak preview.

Wow! Looks brilliant. What a huge amount of work you’ve done!

Happy Potter said:

Can’t help meself lol, I have to show yous. I did some more on the drive side rocks and didn’t want to stop once I got going, drizzle rain and all.
A sneak preview.

Looking great.

Happy Potter said:

Can’t help meself lol, I have to show yous. I did some more on the drive side rocks and didn’t want to stop once I got going, drizzle rain and all.
A sneak preview.

that wall is amazing! YOU are amazing!

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Can’t help meself lol, I have to show yous. I did some more on the drive side rocks and didn’t want to stop once I got going, drizzle rain and all.
A sneak preview.

Excellent work with the rock wall. Have you got a path laid beside the house?

Ta :)
There will be a path to the meter on the other side but as for beside the house there’s only the driveway, but I will be able to just walk across in front of the house when I need to. I’ll put some stepping stones about plants. When I get it planted out that is.

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Can’t help meself lol, I have to show yous. I did some more on the drive side rocks and didn’t want to stop once I got going, drizzle rain and all.
A sneak preview.

that wall is amazing! YOU are amazing!

Oh! aww thanks BG. I’d like to thank my mum and my dad LOL.. no not amazing, mad maybe, but all the materials were there and the vision in my head, it was crying out to be done. Not spent one cent still.
And I have biceps now!

Happy Potter said:

Can’t help meself lol, I have to show yous. I did some more on the drive side rocks and didn’t want to stop once I got going, drizzle rain and all.
A sneak preview.

It looks very professional. Well done.

pomolo said:

Happy Potter said:

Can’t help meself lol, I have to show yous. I did some more on the drive side rocks and didn’t want to stop once I got going, drizzle rain and all.
A sneak preview.

It looks very professional. Well done.

BTW Potter, I re-watched your garden segment on GA when I was searching info about rhubarb. I bet your place looks different now.

pomolo said:

pomolo said:

Happy Potter said:

Can’t help meself lol, I have to show yous. I did some more on the drive side rocks and didn’t want to stop once I got going, drizzle rain and all.
A sneak preview.

It looks very professional. Well done.

BTW Potter, I re-watched your garden segment on GA when I was searching info about rhubarb. I bet your place looks different now.

Heaps different Pomolo! The ferns are to the top of the 6 ‘ fence, the veges are different, fruit trees grown ect.
It’s ever changing and never stops growing :)

Happy Potter said:

Can’t help meself lol, I have to show yous. I did some more on the drive side rocks and didn’t want to stop once I got going, drizzle rain and all.
A sneak preview.

wow – youse have worked and worked and worked……

those top stones look a bit loose – do you have plans to stabilise them?

pepe said:

Happy Potter said:

Can’t help meself lol, I have to show yous. I did some more on the drive side rocks and didn’t want to stop once I got going, drizzle rain and all.
A sneak preview.

wow – youse have worked and worked and worked……

those top stones look a bit loose – do you have plans to stabilise them?

Yes, although they look loose they are sitting tight but I will secure them anyway with some bond crete, for four year olds who love tearing about my garden. You wont see it..
Still much to do but I am having a break from the work whilst it’s muddy.

ps, I have done 99.9 % of this work myself..not that I didn’t want help, I surely did, but everytime JJ went out there to help me he got hayfever so bad I sent him back inside and he made cuppas and drinks for me.
The mans been at work daily, but he did put the biggest rocks in place with the trolley in the front section when he had the opportunity, and he tipped over the big bags of gravel and stomped on them to break it up so I could shovel it out.
The rest is my work.

Happy Potter said:

what are you going to do in that recessed bit?

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

what are you going to do in that recessed bit?

Lawn

Happy Potter said:

ps, I have done 99.9 % of this work myself..not that I didn’t want help, I surely did, but everytime JJ went out there to help me he got hayfever so bad I sent him back inside and he made cuppas and drinks for me.
The mans been at work daily, but he did put the biggest rocks in place with the trolley in the front section when he had the opportunity, and he tipped over the big bags of gravel and stomped on them to break it up so I could shovel it out.
The rest is my work.

you certainly are an inspired person.
it’s very difficult to get partners to have the same timing as our own tho’. most times partners are busy persuing their own projects. altho’ -
when you told me to do flexibility exercise i went to my wife and asked her to teach me the yoga she knew. as luck would have it she was looking for someone to come along and do them with her. so for the last 4 mornings we’ve done ‘salute to the sun’ together.
very rare to have such coordination tho’.

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

what are you going to do in that recessed bit?

Lawn

Why didn’t you go the whole hog and make it all garden?

pepe said:

Happy Potter said:

ps, I have done 99.9 % of this work myself..not that I didn’t want help, I surely did, but everytime JJ went out there to help me he got hayfever so bad I sent him back inside and he made cuppas and drinks for me.
The mans been at work daily, but he did put the biggest rocks in place with the trolley in the front section when he had the opportunity, and he tipped over the big bags of gravel and stomped on them to break it up so I could shovel it out.
The rest is my work.

you certainly are an inspired person.
it’s very difficult to get partners to have the same timing as our own tho’. most times partners are busy persuing their own projects. altho’ -
when you told me to do flexibility exercise i went to my wife and asked her to teach me the yoga she knew. as luck would have it she was looking for someone to come along and do them with her. so for the last 4 mornings we’ve done ‘salute to the sun’ together.
very rare to have such coordination tho’.

Yep! I have a large family inc. 5 grown kids and there’s in laws and nephews and their friends, but trying to organise help was impossible. Good on yous doing yoga together, very nice and gentle stretching excercise :) Without the regular stretching I doubt I’d be able to lift the skin off a custard. In my books it’s absolutely vital and it’s wayyyy overlooked as a muscle strengthener. The man got me into it and I haven’t looked back. I can put the palms of my hands flat on the floor without bending knees and my grandson can barely reach his shins. He thinks I’m a freak.
In a way though I have made it harder for myself as they see me as so capable and able. I do love help!

bubba louie said:

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

what are you going to do in that recessed bit?

Lawn

Why didn’t you go the whole hog and make it all garden?

Boring… there’s so many straight lines out there I wanted some curves. And in my side of town there is not another retaining wall, whether it be rocks or bricks or sleepers, at all. I can’t find one. I have small plants waiting in pots to plant out, things that will trail over the wall and soften it and hide bumps.
I did have plan B in place if I didn’t like the wall, but I really it :)

Happy Potter said:

bubba louie said:

Happy Potter said:

Lawn

Why didn’t you go the whole hog and make it all garden?

Boring… there’s so many straight lines out there I wanted some curves. And in my side of town there is not another retaining wall, whether it be rocks or bricks or sleepers, at all. I can’t find one. I have small plants waiting in pots to plant out, things that will trail over the wall and soften it and hide bumps.
I did have plan B in place if I didn’t like the wall, but I really it :)

I love the wall too. I just don’t think I’d bother with a bit of lawn to mow when you could garden it as well.

bubba louie said:

Happy Potter said:

bubba louie said:

Why didn’t you go the whole hog and make it all garden?

Boring… there’s so many straight lines out there I wanted some curves. And in my side of town there is not another retaining wall, whether it be rocks or bricks or sleepers, at all. I can’t find one. I have small plants waiting in pots to plant out, things that will trail over the wall and soften it and hide bumps.
I did have plan B in place if I didn’t like the wall, but I really it :)

I love the wall too. I just don’t think I’d bother with a bit of lawn to mow when you could garden it as well.

I lerve it too :D
There’s kikuyu on the big verge that hubby is keeping nicely trimmed so it won’t be just that little bit to mow. A few plugs of that in spring will cover the front bit. I am going to put a decent root barrier in as well as a concrete mowing edge. I don’t want to see kikuyu climbing the wall and invading my garden.

Happy Potter said:

Can’t help meself lol, I have to show yous. I did some more on the drive side rocks and didn’t want to stop once I got going, drizzle rain and all.
A sneak preview.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello Yeehah, Hows work?

bubba louie said:

Happy Potter said:

bubba louie said:

Why didn’t you go the whole hog and make it all garden?

Boring… there’s so many straight lines out there I wanted some curves. And in my side of town there is not another retaining wall, whether it be rocks or bricks or sleepers, at all. I can’t find one. I have small plants waiting in pots to plant out, things that will trail over the wall and soften it and hide bumps.
I did have plan B in place if I didn’t like the wall, but I really it :)

I love the wall too. I just don’t think I’d bother with a bit of lawn to mow when you could garden it as well.

some groundcovers would look nice, and you wouldn’t have to mow them :)

Veg gardener said:

Hello Yeehah, Hows work?

Bit slow today.

I have fiddly things I could be doing but I’m lazy :P

Yeehah said:

Veg gardener said:

Hello Yeehah, Hows work?

Bit slow today.

I have fiddly things I could be doing but I’m lazy :P

Couldnt Complain at all.

I have finally finished the rock retaining wall :D Next I’m packing the gravel behind it then backfilling with dirt, then I can plant it out.
The man had an idea for the big rock that took 4 and a half men to move..seeing as both surfaces on it are flat.. bury it level with the footpath and make it the entry for the small path that needs to go to the meter boxes. Easier said than done! But he and I did it. That took all morning. We were jumping up and down on it to celebrate and to settle it.
That particular side of the wall of the path will remain bare with no garden behind it, so I strengthened it with a double row of rocks and packed the gravel in between them. From the front you can’t see the double row.
A tradesman pulled up in his ute to ask me about it and said “I want to do that too, that looks bloody awesome!”. Then he looked at me.. “OMG you’re a girl!!”
Yup, was last time I looked. LOL

Happy Potter said:

I have finally finished the rock retaining wall :D Next I’m packing the gravel behind it then backfilling with dirt, then I can plant it out.
The man had an idea for the big rock that took 4 and a half men to move..seeing as both surfaces on it are flat.. bury it level with the footpath and make it the entry for the small path that needs to go to the meter boxes. Easier said than done! But he and I did it. That took all morning. We were jumping up and down on it to celebrate and to settle it.
That particular side of the wall of the path will remain bare with no garden behind it, so I strengthened it with a double row of rocks and packed the gravel in between them. From the front you can’t see the double row.
A tradesman pulled up in his ute to ask me about it and said “I want to do that too, that looks bloody awesome!”. Then he looked at me.. “OMG you’re a girl!!”
Yup, was last time I looked. LOL

Haha!! Well done, HP and Mr HP :)

Happy Potter said:

A tradesman pulled up in his ute to ask me about it and said “I want to do that too, that looks bloody awesome!”. Then he looked at me.. “OMG you’re a girl!!”
Yup, was last time I looked. LOL

LOLPIMP!

He’s got no excuse now!

I finshed the backfilling on the retaining wall, and I have to say, it does look fab! Just got to smooth the path out and I’m going to use left over rocks as stepping stone to the gas and elect’ meters.
I dragged myself inside and had a shower and then cooked some pork chops and veg, but I’m too stuffed to eat. The mans on arvo’s atm so he can re heat his later. I think I’ll just have a sustagen then hit the couch for a rest :)

Happy Potter said:

I finshed the backfilling on the retaining wall, and I have to say, it does look fab! Just got to smooth the path out and I’m going to use left over rocks as stepping stone to the gas and elect’ meters.
I dragged myself inside and had a shower and then cooked some pork chops and veg, but I’m too stuffed to eat. The mans on arvo’s atm so he can re heat his later. I think I’ll just have a sustagen then hit the couch for a rest :)

You’re such a goer.