Bench Seat Installation

Here's how I installed a 2100mm sandstone bench seat as a retaining wall. I found it at the local hardware as a discount piece with broken legs - it was $80 marked down from $399. First, I prepared the site by measuring the layout of the bench seat, and putting that in place over the site intended for it. Since the site is on a slope, and would be working as a retaining wall also, it had to be back filled with well draining material. I put down a base of 3 dozen bricks and broken roof tiles, then backfilled this with six bags of blue metal screenings - small gravel. On top of this I spread three bags of sand to give a soft base for the bench seat to rest in.

Putting the sand on top will fill in all the little cracks and gaps so that there is no movement after settling in.

Getting the bench seat to the site was a job in itself - I made a stretcher type set up and carried it along like a sled, dragging the base along the ground. It worked pretty well and I only needed help to position the bench seat into place.

Once in place it was just a matter of settling in. I have since moved more rocks around the edges to protect the site from my scratching chickens, who can excavate amazingly well when they have time. I will post more updates of the garden as I have planted more palms and grasses too.

Fan Palm and More

Now we are off work for a month and it is time for some much needed catching up in the garden. Today I bought four fan plams (Licuala ramsayi) and four giant spear lillies (Doryanthes palmerii). The Fan Palms are emergent growers, in that they survive the darkness and lack of light in the understory of the rainforest whilst they grow up to fifteen metres to emerge in the full sunlight above the canopy. The Spear Lilly is not a rainforest plant, more a local plant and will form a thicket with heavy perndulous red flower spikes as it matures.

Whilst they are small now, over the years they will provide great architectural structure and depth to the garden and of course they are natives.

The fan palm loves deep shade a moist conditions, so I have a great spot on a watercourse for it.
More soon...

Garden Ideas Australia

I apologise for the break in transmission, but as they say in the classics, life had other plans.
Here are some images I took today of the garden and the chickens - early summer, everything in full growth mode, it is a pleasure to out amongst it.  Interestingly, I took down the leaf blower I was given as a Christmas present in 2011.  Today was only the second time I have used it (I hate the bloody noise and sweeping is far more meditative) and it blew all the leaf litter off the gravel paths so it looks amazingly neat.

Our friendly mini-dinosaurs

 The chickens are maintaining the firebreak from the bush reserve diligently, and supplying us with an abundance of eggs.  Just have to find the new hidey hole they pick every now and then before the eggs go funny - and in this heat it isn't long.

Australian Red Cedar

 I have planted nineteen or so Australian Red Cedar, and they are emerging as leggy elegant canopy builders that will offer that rainforest sun blockout over the coming years. 
They have such delicate leaf arrays and it is simply peaceful to watch them bending and bowing with the breeze.

The Backyard Platform

 The backyard platform was a new addition over the last year or so and is made from wood recycled from the front fence, so the floor has a 25 year old patina that is lovely for soft children's feet to walk on. 

More importantly, the raised element of the design spontaneously inspires children to perform "shows" - and I have spent many a weekday afternoon idly watching one of my daughters singing at the top of her voice and twirling on her toes.

Succulent Groundcover

I sourced this groundcover from the beach regeneration sites along the Merewether to Bar Beach stretch.  It is apparently a native (more on this later) and is planted along steeper erosion prone sections of the garden.  It has a spiky purple/pink flower in the sun, but just the deep green of the leaves is a welcome change to leaf litter and bare earth.

Crucially, the succulent is not palatable for the mini-dinosaurs, so they leave it alone and let it performs it's role stabilising the verges and exposed earth.

The dinosaurs at work

Thanks for staying with me, we have been busy doing other things unfortunately, but I have everything back in order and we are ready to share with you the progress in the garden.  Here's to more sharing our adventure...

Cold Snap in Spring

We have experienced an unexpected cold snap and for the last week have have lower than usual temperatures. Plus a little rain.

All makes for an unusual spring and a slight reprieve for the rainforest from the full blown heat of the other week. Chickens are going fine - we have "lent" the wyandottes to a generous family friend who is looking after them until they reach a size and age where they will not be overly pecked by the established flock.

Confidently, I have been letting the birds free range everyday for the last few weeks, and they have rewarded us with brilliant yolks and generally maintaining the block.

Not to say that last week I woke after a late night shift to hear the dreaded buzz of whipper sippers and chainsaws. I ran down to the garden at merewether life and met a half dozen council employees who were clearing a seven meter fire zone between the houses and the bushland. Fine.

We have maintained the zone independently for the last seven years and it would save the council the effort. Plus we have replanted exclusively natives, and managed weed regrowth very successfully.

Keep you posted, and good luck with your gardening...