The Wilderness Garden - Part 3

The days pass by pretty quickly and sometimes there seems to be too much to do to find time to blog! I thought about an entry about the last week . . .and then decided to continue on with loading these images of "the hill that is the backyard!"

So . . .

One of the chooks doing her job, in "Garden #7" according to my diary. The cross bar is part of the frame and will have bird netting over it when seedlings are planted.

Random garden art I guess you would call it. Boar put this here as he liked it. I think it is part of an old transformer - the kind to do with electricity. Beside it is a seat . . . grass a bit long at the mo.

The outside of the greenhouse, with it's own rainwater tank. And more of the horrible lily! Beside the tank is my coaster . . .very important! I often take a cuppa up to the garden.

Fennel grows pretty freely here as well. I know it has culinary uses . . but I don't use it for that. Compost will probably be it's destination! The tap is part of our watering system. As this part of the backyard is up about 25 steps and a couple of paths Boar put in a two way tap adaptor by the backdoor of the house. So we can turn the hose on there and then direct the flow up to this tap as a hose would not reach all the way. And if it did it would be pretty cumbersome!

The outlet to the tank outside, hiding in the horrible lily! Some of the garden tools hanging up. Saves carrying them up from the garage, which is under the house! So add another path to the 25 steps! Boar mentioned on Sunday day he will build a small shelf to sit the watering can on while it is filling :)

An inside shot of the main part of the greenhouse . . .hmmm needs a good sort up! Grass clippings in the green bag for mulch. 

Some of the bird netting we use on the frames. You can just see the top of the blue bin that contains chook feed pellets. Hanging in the plastic bag are old pairs of tights we use for tying tomayoes to supports.

Down the side of the greenhouse. I want to clean this area up and build a small retaining wall so it is easier to walk around the outside on this side.  The chooks head under the bushes on the left and roost in one of the trees!

Sunflower windmill, I've had this a few years and got it because it makes me smile. And on cold, dreary winter days it's a bit of colour :)

A brick path and steps we built a few years ago. Has grown weeds very well! I will be salting these soon to get rid of the weeds and if I do it regularly it will hopefully inhibit them.

This is a Camellia. I got it probably around 25 years ago. It had no tag and so I have no idea what it's name is. Perhaps one day I'll be able to search the web or take it to a camellia society to find out. I love the shade of pink this is! It's hardy and always flowers well.

I think all of us in our family enjoy feijoas. A number of year ago I planted three feijoa bushes. You have to have a couple of different varieties for them to bear fruit. We have had a some blossoms, and even some tiny fruit last year. I need to read up on them and more than likely prune and feed them. This is one and the next two photos show the other two.

You can see they are two different types, slightly different shapes.

This is another view of the last feijoa bush which is being encroached on by a Karaka so I shall have to cut it back - the Karaka that is.

That's it for today. I've been trying to find out how to add Smileys in the body of the text. It involves HTML code and what I've found and what I see in the code don't quite match up! Perhaps I'll have another try one day soon :)

Update! Took another look and found this blog which had a very clear, easy explanation and a less-than-proficient-techie like me managed to do it no problem  :D  So a big  =D>  to Snow Cone and  :-h  from me! Couldn't resist!

The Wilderness Garden - Part 2

More photos of the "hill that is the backyard"

Manuka bush. I planted 5 of these in 1996. Three remain today.

A close up of the manuka flowers. They're in full flower at the moment.

I could hear a native bird singing and snapped a quick photo. Pretty hard to see from here, just a black blob!

A tui! In full voice, you can see the white feathers at the base of it's neck. I tried to move closer to take another photo but it had flown away.

Matai, this is still in it's juvenile form. This is one of two I planted, again in 1996.

The deck from the back. a nice place to sit, have a cuppa and look at the view, even though it is a bit of a climb!

This photo is taken when I am standing at the fence at the back of the section. The greehouse is the small roof, and the house roof is the large one just below the archway.

A lone bluebell I found growing in the grass. I've marked the place so I can uplift the bulb and replant it!

Another of the Manuka bushes.

This just caught my eye. A moth or caterpillar case on the fence.

The foreground is scrubby, the trees in the background have grown from seeds most likely dropped by passing birds!

Gorse, grows like a weed. Brought over to make hedges but it liked the NZ conditions too much and did too well. Although it makes a nursery plant for the native trees.

This chook seemed to like my company and kept following me!

Some of the steps up the back. Rather overgrown at the moment. I made these to make it easier to get up the back. When we moved in it was just a bank, like a piece of farmyard.

A close up of the liquid compost bin. This liquid tea will be well matured!

The Wilderness Garden - Part 1

I'm going to load a series of posts about our garden or more to the point our backyard, which at the moment is a bit of a wilderness. I took the photos over a few days. Most of them were taken last Sunday, the rest on the Tuesday of that week. I have begun work on the garden, again, and these photos are to remind me of what I am trying to improve on. In the main so we have a lovely place to wander. Also because one day we will sell this property and when that time comes I do not want to have a massive job to do. Especially If I'm significantly older than I am now!

These are the before photos, showing what happens when I pay no attention to the "hill" that is our backyard. And the front areas.

A Nurseryweb spider Butcher found when he was getting rid of some weeds.

Halfpint "helping" Butcher pull some weeds up on the side path :)

A strawberry plant in the side garden.

Believe it or not more strawberries in this garden patch up the back. Butcher and Brains had just pulled a whole lot of weeds out and Butcher took some strawberries home.

The cherry tree that grew from a seedling around 20 years ago. Not edible cherries though.

Cherry tree and part of the deck, with a bin containing liquid compost/tea.

One of the gardens. We've used long run roofing iron to make raised garden beds. The frame has windbreak material to protect the plants. . .or, in this case, weeds! Two of the chooks!

Some drainage pipes. I plan to grow something in them but not sure what yet. Lots of weeds and long grass here too.

Another of the garden beds, number 7 according to my garden diary! This is one of the shorter frames. We cover the top with with plastic netting to keep the chooks out when veges are growing.

There are two garden beds under here, covered with an invasive lily which takes over at this time of year!

The greenhouse, again lots of the lily growing!

The chicken coop, although the chickens prefer a tree. Some turnip weed growing out the side.

Another garden bed, I can just see the frame, with lots of grass growing inside.

The back corner, I'd like to grow some wildflowers up here.

The trampoline. I think the hebe bush in front of it needs to go. There is a platform on the left side so children can get on and off easily.

Thursday 9th October 2014

A better day today. Woke up to beautiful sunshine! I woke a bit later than usual. A couple of late nights/early mornings and I find it harder to wake up in the morning.

No car, again, as it was still in the garage. While I ate my toast I checked out some Cinderella music on iTunes. Miss Lisa had asked me to have a look for it. Composed by Prokofiev. I found there were 500 listings! I did find some pieces of music I thought were what were needed so sent a text asking her to call so she could listen to them. A reply came back saying she had been in contact with someone and hoped they could get it. A while later she text to say the person had been able to procure it for her! Which was great, though it would have been nice to know earlier as it would have saved me some time. Still, I know more about it now :)

I spent a while writing an email regarding the tree felling yesterday. I was just sorting out which photos and had mostly composed the letter part of the email when I heard voices and realised people were arriving. It turned out to be Pete, Isaak and Nikolas. They had come to share some lunch with us. I found out later that Brains had left me a note on my cutting table, however I hadn't been up there yet.

They stayed a couple of hours and then headed off home. By then it was getting on for 2:30pm. I decided to head to Twigland, the closest garden centre to us. I wanted to get some advice on the invasive lily that grows all over. I also wanted to get some new leather gloves as I've misplaced one of the pair I bought some years ago. I thought about walking, but in the end I drove as to walk there and back would take more than an hour and I had to pick Pa up around 4pm.

I had a good conversation with an employee at Twigland. She knew exactly what I meant as she has the same problem! Always at this time of year she said. She has found the best approach to be digging over the garden to get as many out as possible. She also suggested layers of wet newspaper to suppress them then putting the earth back over the top. Also when they come up the next year to pull the leaves out when they appear. Apparently it starves the bulbs, and they eventually die off. In the end I decided on this rather than Roundup. It would be rather tedious to paint it on all the leaves and there are the chooks as well. Plus I haven't used any weed killer for a very long time.

I did end up buying some leather gloves, some secateurs and a hand trowel. I also bought some tomato plants, a cherry tomato and some Moneymaker. I will plant them in the greenhouse.

I decided to get some flower seeds too. I've wanted to grow some Pansies for ages so that is what I got! I'll plant some in a seed tray and put them in a pot for now.

I had another quick word with the lady who I'd spoken with about the lily's. She said she tried to spend 15 minutes in the garden every day! I thought I'd misheard. Perhaps she'd said 50? I said, "15?" and she confirmed that was what she'd said and that you'd be surprised what you could get done! I commented it was like FLYlady and she just nodded. I think she thought I was surprised when she said 15 minutes. I was . . . but because it was like hearing a God Breeze right there in the shop!

I wended my way home and took the things inside before I went to pick up Pa. We drove by the garage where the car is and could see someone working on it.

I decided I would do a couple of things in the garden. I usually wear my boots up the back, especially after it has been raining. They give me a better grip on the uneven ground, and my usual shoes don't get muddy. The ones I usually wear are like the ones below Oboz Wind River. They support my ankles as well. Today I decided to use my old leather Kathmandu ones. I didn't find them as good, mostly because they have always been a bit large.

The first thing I did was to put a stick by the flower I found on Sunday. I'm pretty sure it is a Bluebell and I would like to take up the bulb when it has finished flowering. But I'd have trouble finding it again without something to guide me. It may be the hispanica variety. I'll have to check.

I hadn't been up there long when Locket called me to ask about the soup she was making for tea. And told me Frosty and Jester were here. I went down, and they then came up to have a look at the branches all over.Neither were impressed with what they saw. Jester offered to bring his chainsaw down next week.

It was just a quick visit to drop off my bank card which had been left in their truck. When they'd gone I went back up to do a bit of something! I was determined to. I decided to tackle the first garden.

 The nesting box is pretty well covered. It sits below the first garden.

This is what happens because I haven't kept on top of it. If I'm honest for quite a few years. I took my timer up set it for 15 minutes and started pulling.










The 15 minutes seemed to take ages to pass. I was pleasantly surprised by what I got pulled out.

 

Heaps to do but a small area cleared which the chooks soon found as I knew they would! You can actually see the nesting box and the wood of the garden surround. 

Handy things feed bags. It is chock full of the leaves. I'll be able to compost them. I'd forgotten to take the camera with me so went to get it and also to see how Locket was getting on. She had the soup well underway. I grabbed some paper to make some notes on. Later I made a wee notebook. I find it handy to have for ideas, things I need to do. Not flash but it works and can fit in my pocket.

The day was cooling down so after making a few notes I headed back inside. Locket's soup was very yummy. I wasn't long out of bed where I've spent time writing this. Will have to work out a way to get quicker at it I think!

My bucket overflowed!

Wednesday 8 October 2014

Today started off pretty well. The Holden Vectra needed a Warrant of Fitness and service checks so Boar took it down to Johnsonville Car Maintenance where we've been going for years.

I had my usual coffee and later some toast while I checked emails and the bank balances, the dance studios and ours. I also planned my day. Not that it needed much as I was mainly going to be cutting out the lion costumes for the Hip Hop concert.

Once I'd got myself organised I headed upstairs. I worked from around 10am till 12:30pm then took a break for lunch. Sat on the bed and put my feet up for a bit. . .and ate :)

Around 1pm I went into the lounge to say to Pa I could take him down to Johnsonvale Rest Home to see Ma when he wanted me to, and he replied he was ready now. So I went down to check that the Hiace van would start, and it did :)

I was down to Johnsonvale and back home again in around 5 mins.

On and off during the morning I'd been hearing voices and what sounded like a weed-eater, from inside the house. But I realised it had been going on for longer than the weed-eater usually takes. And from outside it sounded like a chainsaw and close by too! Hmmmm, I thought. Best I check this out as it sounded as though it was next door or behind us.

Got around the back, looked up the section and, yes, the huge Macrocarpa was being cut down. When I got further up I could see there was another tree being felled as well. There were branches over on our side of the fence up against the fence. I continued on up and endeavoured to get the attention of the arborist, which wasn't easy as they had chainsaws going.

Eventually one of them saw me and I asked why we hadn't been told. I was informed that it was short notice. Excuse me?! Most people don't just suddenly decide to have a huge old tree cut down! Which is the neighbour's right as the tree is on their property. However . . . I'm pretty sure we should have been informed, especially since the guy up the tree called where I was standing "the work site". Interesting name for property we own.

I'm not going into all the details here. Suffice it to say that I took a few photos with my phone and then went down to get the camera. I took quite a number of photos, then went and sat down on a seat that is lower down than the deck.

 

This is what I could see. It wasn't this so much as the guys attitude that was the one drop too many, and this is when my bucket overflowed! An expression someone used once to me when we were talking about emotions. I sat and looked at that tree, and at all we've tried to do in almost thirty years. All of  sudden I was overwhelmed by the way some people seem to think they can do whatever they like without so much as a by-your-leave. 

I don't cry very often, but today I just sat there and sobbed. On Sunday I was up here with Halfpint and yesterday I was up here with Little Sunshine! Now the weather has warmed up I'm gearing up to tidy, prune and get things looking better. After a while when I was calmer I went down and took a photo of the car they had arrived in. It had their business name on it.

 I took this photo on Sunday, one of a whole lot I took of the backyard.When I went back up the back I took some more.

This is what I found when they'd gone and I coud get close enough to see.

I somehow don't think the tree that was fallen on is going to survive.

 

Brains took this, proof positive if any was needed! 

 When I'd made a couple of calls and picked up Pa I went back up to the backyard. Locket came up and later Brains. With their help I was able to pull some of the branches away from the fence.

Right now I'm pretty tired and so I'm going to finish up and post this :)