ATOM feed
I have built gardens in the past, and had to leave them when circumstances changed. So this time, apart from having no money for plants and landscaping, working full time and studying, I have been content with hanging baskets and herbs in pots.
But slowly my resolve was broken; I remembered some advice I was given years ago by a friend who’s job was the gardens and plantings for the Adelaide Zoo. He told me, even if you cannot complete the garden, just put in the plants, then when you are ready the plants will be established. So I have done this just a little bit, and eventually added a border, then a few more plants.
The trees have grown, I cannot believe where the last 10 years have gone, but boy the trees have done well, and it was quite a shock to realise just how overgrown the yard was, once I took a good look around. So, never one to do things by halves; I have decided to ‘re-arrange’ the way the yard looks. First I had one of the trees cut right back, it had spread so much that nothing under or around ever got any sunlight.
With the tree gone, everything just looked so much more open that I decided to cut back some of the tangle and make the ‘yard’ bigger, and the ‘garden’ smaller. The problem was that, years ago when I paved the front yard, there was a huge amount of dirt (mostly sand) that got moved and piled in a mound, out of sight, but now needed to be flattened and spread across the yard.
I am plugging away at it - I can only work for an hour or two first thing in the morning, then it gets too hot, and another hour or so in the afternoon. But I am pleased with the progress, and although my poor old body is protesting the unfamiliar exercise, I am really enjoying having a project to work on, and yes, even the physical activity.And the birds, who join me in my work, there are the carrawongs, who perch in the Silky Oak tree above me and never shut up, and the kookaburras, who fight with each other over the juicy worms being turned up as I dig. And then there are the scrub turkeys, I swear they can move more earth twigs and leaves (mostly back to where I just moved it from) in the ten minutes it takes me to go inside and get something to drink.
10 Comments
Wow! It sure looks as if you've been busy. I love listening to birds while I'm working.
I'm not much of a gardener. Where I live it's too hot, dry, and windy for much to survive! But I do appreciate all the hard work it involves to have a nice garden.
I garden in infrequent spurts! My herb garden is growing rampantly though and that's the way I like it. My expertise in gardening is I throw my rotting tomatoes, seeding spuds etc., into the plot and let nature take its course! The garden plot never ceases to surprise me with the produce it bears! ;) I do have a lot of potted and hanging plants on my patio area, though...and I meant to water them this morning...now that it's brought to my attention. I went to visit a friend who has just gotten a labradoodle pup...8 weeks old, chocolate in colour and mischievous by nature! :)
Hello Della ~ Thank you for your comments about my gardening efforts. So trivial, when I see what you are doing. Take your time and don't overdo it, and it will look great once you get there. A great sense of achievment
It never pays to say "never" does it?
Everything grows so well in Queensland
Take care, my friend, Merle.
Looks like you have a big job ahead of you, not much of a gardener myself I pulled out a weed once and found out later that it was actually a plant.. my mother would vouch for that one...lol
Anyway thanks for visiting my blog and stay healthy.
O! I do so very much love the gardens of Queensland.
I never fully appreciated them when I live in Brisbane but now what I wouldn't give for a huge mortan bay fig in my garden.....you lucky lady Della.
Your efforts and hard work are paying of the garden is lovely.
best wishes........O! and when you have a moment come down and help me eat some of that chocolate! too. :o)
Lee-ann
Hi Della:-) Thank you so much for visiting my blog and leaving a comment , it was so very much appreciated!! You certainly have been keeping busy turning your garden around. It's a lot of work but so worth it in the end!
Your "before" photos look like my yard Della don't know if there will ever be "after" photos.
Hi everybody, thanks for visiting and commenting.
Janet, where I am which is right on the coast (500m to the water) - it's also hot dry and salty, and I must confess the digging is almost all in sand, there are limits to what will grow, but as Merle and Lee-ann say, in queensland, when it does grow, it GROWS!
HaHa Lee, thats how I 'garden' everything, put it in the ground and after that it's up to the plant, if it survives then it's in the right place...
Pea and Jen - welcome!
Peter, I wonder about my 'after' photos too - at the moment I don't believe what I've started... must have been a rush of blood to the head...
Hi Checked out your site to read the joke for joke day, great joke. I really enjoyed seeing your work in progress. What a lovely way to spend your time even if very tiring. I love to garden but have to restrict what I grow, still enjoy it to the full though. Cheers Margaret
Hi Della ~ that’s a splendid effort, a great project and very good exercise to add balance into your life. As you have had mostly mind exercises, I guess this project compels you to work to natures pace, to some degree and it al sounds very agreeable. Pat on the back to you but please also take it easy!!
Best wishes
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