Project - Garden Do-Over - Pt2

We are slowly doing over our front garden, as per earlier entry, since then we have removed the Geisha Girls, and while it doesn't look like much has changed, we're slowly getting there!

Our House the week we moved in - July 2009

House as at today 14 May 2011 - a couple of additions & deletions

Still very messy, but at least minus the GG's!

Since we bought in July 2009 we've slowly been making improvements, we have partly done some of the kitchen, we have added a gate to the top of the driveway to keep the pug safe when we drive in & out.

We also had a security system  installed in August 2010, because we spend many weekends in Sydney with Mr Mel's family, and in Victoria with my family, our house spends quite a while empty, so for peace of mind we installed a security system, so far no issues, touch wood!

Then in December 2010 we had a solar power system put in, it cost us around $9k (after Gov rebates), and so far it has generated around $900 worth of power, which offset against our usage has netted us around $360.  We were very happy with how it was going until the NSW Government announcement yesterday, which I won't go into too many details as I'll only get cranky!  

So back to the garden, we have removed the Geisha Girls, and found a few Camelia bushes buried under them, they had been struggling for light and had grown sideways to escape the GG's. There are also some small dark green bushes we're not sure what they are, but at this stage they'll stay, till we decide what to do.

We're still deciding what to do, and in the meantime, have put some manure and blood & bone etc, into the garden bed to feed it up while we work out what to do.

We are still thinking several Hydrangea bushes across the back of the garden, and then perhaps some green & bronze long grasses in front.

For now we're living with an ugly garden, but seeings as we had our first frost this week, and winter is knocking on the door, it's not the time to plant out a new garden anyway.  So for the next few months we'll remove the rest of the unwanted garden, keep building up the soil, and working out what we want to plant come springtime!

The bonus is I can take 'garden do-over' off my to-do list for the next few months, while I'm organising our wedding, and getting our new venture off the ground!

Till next time,

Project - Garden Do-Over!

Another Friday rolls round yay, and another photo, well a couple, for the lovely Rhonda from the Down To Earth blog Friday Photo Feature - 'On My Mind....'

So what is on my mind this lovely mild Friday?.............................


Nothing like tackling a project in the middle of a storm!

When we bought our home in July 2009 we thought the front garden was ok, for now, that we'd get to it eventually. Well it looks like we, well really I have decided that eventually is now, in the middle of trying to get fit, getting our new blog/business up & running, planning for our engagement party/wedding, and working full-time!

Since we moved in the geisha girl plants (I think that's their name) have got a bit out of control, we removed the one immediately to the right of the steps as it was growing partly from under the steps, and we have tried to keep the other two under control by adhoc hacking.

Garden when we first moved in

We've never really liked the plants, the garden itself is a bit of a hodge podge of plants, none of which really take our fancy.

So we've decide its outskies for the current residents.  Haven't decided what we'll plant in their place as yet. The garden bed doesn't get alot of direct sun, it's shaded by the house most of the day, so we'll be going with shade loving/tolerant plants.

This weekend we're heading to Sydney to pick up our engagement ring (yay), and then next weekend we'll be getting stuck in to removing everything, then we'll give it a couple of weeks rest, to see what weeds pop up, and give us some time to plan.

At this stage I'm thinking green/gray and perhaps some maroon coloured plants with some height.  Or maybe even my favourites hydrangeas! We had them growing at our childhood home, and I've always loved them.

Hydrangeas - love them!

So if anyone out there has any recommendations, we're all ears!  :)

Till next time,

Like minded

On Sunday we went to our local market, the first one they've held since I moved here 3 years ago.

We were hoping it would be a bit more than a fete type setup, so that it would encourage the tourists who come to the Valley to spend more cash locally, and keep the market going, as currently the closest good markets a 2 hour round trip away.

Anyway we arrived at 8am, and were pleasantly surprised to see the car park filling up and stalls galore, excellent!

Our 2nd stall stop was a tiny one with organic seedlings, because the market was just starting up there weren't huge numbers rolling through yet so had a chance to chat with the stall holders. Gloria and her husband Bob.

They live about 10 mins from us on a couple of acres and have converted an acre or so of lawn/garden into an organic vegie patch.  Mainly due to Bob being ill and needing a hobby.

We got chatting, they're trying the first market with seedlings to test the market, then next month bringing the produce along. And they also have a stall at their property, which we'll be heading to this weekend!

I've been thinking more and more over the past couple of years of how much our lifestyle and especially food contributes to our health.

How do we know what the stupormarkets are getting farms to spray onto their produce to ensure it has a longer shelf-life or is more attractive to buyers, or has a uniform appearance, or is available out of season?

Over the past 10 years or so there has been alot of coverage about the effects of asbestos, and people now can't believe that houses were allowed to be built with such a toxic substance.

I wonder if in 20 years our children will be reading the same sort of headlines, but instead of asbestos, it being about chemical 1234 (etc) being highly toxic and having been a common spray for produce 'back in the 2000's'.

Longterm Mr Mel's and my plan is to have our own farm and be as self sufficient as we can be, growing as much produce as we can, and raising and slaughtering our own meat etc.

But in the meantime, we have put alot of effort into our veggie garden, this season we're growing : tomatoes (2), capcisum, chilli, lettuce (5), spring onions (10), snow peas (15), mushrooms, strawberries (5), mint, coriander, sage, oregano, parsley, bay.  It's only small, but it's a start, we haven't had to buy spring onions or parsley for at least a year, and get through summer with our own supply of tomatoes, capsicum, lettuce & snow peas, usually with some left over for neighbours etc.

Gloria & Bob asked for our details after our chat about organics/health etc, and I'm looking forward to maintaining and growing a friendship of sorts.  They've asked if we'd be interested in bringing our surplus veggies out to their stand, for them to sell (and give us veggies in return), and Mr Mel are very excited to get involved in some bartering and exchanging produce.

We're quite excited about having bumped into some like minded people who live close by, even though they're 25+ years older than us, we all had an instant connection, which is rare these days I feel. Especially when we're relatively new to the area (me 3 years from Melbourne, Mr Mel 1 year from Sydney).

I'm excited  :)

Till next time,