grammyinthegarden: May 2013

It was a lovely time away – going to a nephew’s wedding party, meeting up with family and friends and seeing our daughter’s family in their new home. Pop was unable to enjoy the trip to the fullest as he had a terrible gallbladder episode which landed him in hospital via an ambulance trip. So he had to take things easy, on a totally fat free diet, till we could get him home and off to visit a surgeon.

So after two weeks on the main land we arrived home. The concrete was nice and hard and no graffiti or chalk drawings anywhere, and the plants that were planted before we left were all well and looking like they were enjoying their new outlook. I made a few trips out to nurseries, buying more plants, and got to work getting the soil ready for planting.

Pop had seen the surgeon and so he had a couple of days before he would be out of action. We bought pavers for the front garden and also bought more blocks to increase the height of the retaining wall. It was all done in one day!!!! Amazing what can be achieved with two people working together.

I spent one whole wet and miserable day planting out the front top garden. This area had four large camellia bushes under planted with azaleas, and so my plan was to keep that look but to introduce a few natives and a few other favorites. A favorite camellia is ‘Sweet Jane’ so I bought a larger one and a smaller one. I really like Loropetalums and so planted 3 in this area. Another favorite plant is Lophomyrtus. A dark coloured one is ‘Krinkly’ and it is a lovely contrast colour to the house bricks and the multi coloured leaf is my very favorite called ‘Rainbows End’. At last count I think there are about 8 scattered through the total garden area. Abelias are a very handy shrub as well. There is the usual one which has just green foliage and pretty white flowers, but I have also included into the top garden bed a variety called ‘Snow Drift’ It is a variegated leaf with lots of white. ‘Sunrise’ is the other Abelia I planted in the lower area of the front garden. It variegated with red and yellow tones to the green leaf.

Pop was off to hospital the next day and home the day after – so getting back to the garden.......

The next area was the front lower garden. I had already put in a few plants – mainly azaleas (one very big one Pop had transplanted from the back garden) and a beautiful red Nandina. So off to the native nursery this time. ‘Nancy Otzen’, Theleman Mini Marvel, and John Evans were Grevilleas I chose, along with some ground covers and another tea tree said to be Peter Cundalls favorite – ‘bloomin marvellous’.

It took a lot of effort and time and hard work to get this area right for planting. I had to empty the steps of my good soil and replace it with the sticky clay and rocks etc.. This was not fun but I kept reminding myself that it was worthwhile. Just wish the landscaping guy had been a bit more practical or even left them empty. At least the steps provided a good way of getting rid of the unwanted clay. I pounded it down hard so hopefully not much will be able to grow in it. I will be filling the steps with stones once I get the mulch and get that part happening. It must have been quite comical for anyone watching as in places it is so slippery I would just go sliding down and have to use the shovel to steady myself.

The plants are all in – all that the garden needs now (except for mulch) is a few years to grow.

Meanwhile nothing much is happening in the vege patch. A few onions in and some red beet but with the cold weather and the many wet days that is about all I can manage with doing the front yard ...oh well....next year.....That is one of the special things about a garden you get another go next year.

I’m also a little bit behind putting in my sweet peas (about two months)....last year I was too early but with circumstances this year I’m a bit late. They will go in this week for sure!!! I love them too much to miss out on having them in the garden.

Every thing else is just doing its own thing. The shade house residents all seem quite happy although I’ll look at putting up some more shade cloth at the doorway and the back as the weather gets colder. The begonias have pretty much finished for this season so they will get tucked away to hibernate for the winter.....sounds like a good idea...maybe I will get some of my indoor projects happening in the next few months and watch the garden grow from indoors by the heater.

This sunrise greeted us the day we left for the mainland


Looking across the top garden - pavers are down and retaining wall raised.

Loropetalum 'China Pink' - gorgeous

'Sweet Jane' 'Rainbows End' and 'Snow Drift'

Abelia - 'Snow Drift'

Grevillea - 'Theleman mini marvel'

Grevillea - ' Nancy Otzen'

Lophomyrtus - 'Krinkly'

Monday 20^th and the morning started with the sound of the landscaper’s dog barking and waking up those still lucky enough to be asleep at 7.30am. Once all of the dogs in the neighborhood had joined in ‘Sam’ sat on her bed watching as the landscaper (his master) got to work. The base was carved out for the new retaining wall and foundations prepared. Tuesday commenced with the landscapers dog barking arrival and then work on building the retaining wall began. By the end of the day that was completed and both Pop and I were very leased with the result.

Over the next few days the base for the new parking area and the pathway and steps were formed ready for the concreter. The steps were then made – treated pine made into boxes and filled with clay from the garden which we will top with stones once we have mulched and finished off the planting.

I bought a compost bin. A ‘tumbleweed’ so there is no way any mice or rats can get inside. All I have to do is tumble it every day and six weeks after putting in the last item, I should have lovely compost. So out came the corn plants,the remains of the bean plants and tomato vines. I chopped them all up and into the bin they went. I also added some cow manure and some old potting mix and pea straw that had really had it and was starting to break down and all of the other usual inclusions. I wanted a really dry mix as Pop and I wouldn’t be there to tumble the bin for a few weeks.......so when we return from Melbourne it will be interesting to see what is happening. By mid July it should be ready, but maybe with the lack of turning it I might have to wait a bit longer. So I shall just have to wait and see.

We were surprised when the concrete trucks arrived on Wed. 29^th April. It was meant to be a wet day but they were sure all would be fine. Well it was till they had nearly finished and then the heavens opened and for the next few hours they stood in the shelter of the garage watching the concrete being rained on.......so 2 hours later they finally started to re-finish off the surface of the concrete. Thankfully no harm had come to the finish of the job. So now it was just crossing fingers hoping that no dog or wallaby from the nearby bushland decided to leave their paw prints or that the neighbourhood children didn’t decide to do some of the artwork on our new driveway etc.

The next stage of the garden will have to wait until our return.......