Morning Light

This is the view from our bedroom verandah, looking East.  I have planted tree ferns right up against the verandah and in the fifth year they are thick and thriving.

The bedroom verandah again, this time looking out over the mist.  See the smooth gums that provide the tall cover for the garden, a dappled light that is not too harsh in the middle of summer.

The lomandra longifolia I planted to out compete the weeds.  This is the steepest part of the property and instead of a formal terrace arrangement (which is too much work and too much money) the grasses will thicken and act as a natural soil holder.  The thick cover of mulch is from the trees above.  You can see the stumps of some dead trees i cut down and other stumps of noxious weed trees.

Looking southwest, you can see all the ferns in place - note how the southerly aspect makes for a naturally protected and damp micro-climate, this is ideal for the ferns.  Plus, there is something rich and timeless about tree ferns - they are lush ad soft and vibrant green when so may other Australian native plants are dull greys and olives.

Looking south, you can see where the 'garden' ends and the bush reserve starts.  I have made steady progress taking out the lantana and bitou bush, although it is a frustratingly slow process doing it alone.  I hope that once the tree ferns are established for a decade or so they will be the understory, with us walking amongst them like umbrellas over our heads.

This is a boulder! Duh!  The backyard is littered with boulders like this, made from a conglomerate of sandstone and green with moss and lichen.  The chickens have made great progress eating their way through the weeds so that the rocks are now visible - it wasn't long ago that they were more like big lumps of green. 

This is the mulch we are planting in.  You can see that it is loose and airy and made of big pieces of organic material.  Over time it breaks down especially when layered with chicken manure.

Here is the top of the cliff, the fall is about five meters.  The rocks make a distinct line between the house and the top garden and the bottom fern garden.  The chickens do not come up past the rock cliff, which is great because many chicken owners have to deal with walking the poo through their house.

Antartic tree ferns - these were slow to get started as bare trunks, especially in the middle of a drought, but they have thickened up nicely.  I just hope the chickens aren't too fastidious around the base because they might fall over.

I love Kentia Palms, they are almost mathematical in their structure and once established look like they have been there for ages.   Here is a detail of a new frond emerging behind.

This is the postcard for our bed and breakfast promotion.  Wouldn't it be great if we could rent our place out whilst we are away on holiday so someone could help with the chooks? 

Something about pictures and a thousand words?  In the early morning half light I took some images and they are very descriptive of where the garden is at in midwinter.