Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design Re: Belial's Backyard - We finally chose a tree. 21Apr 08, 2011 11:03 pm Our Build - Places Fairhaven 23+ - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=28045 Our Landscaping - Belial's Backyard - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45375 Re: Belial's Backyard - We finally chose a tree. 22Apr 11, 2011 10:09 am Our Build - Places Fairhaven 23+ - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=28045 Our Landscaping - Belial's Backyard - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45375 Re: Belial's Backyard - Update and Pruning Advice Needed. 25Apr 12, 2011 8:07 am Our Build - Places Fairhaven 23+ - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=28045 Our Landscaping - Belial's Backyard - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45375 Re: Belial's Backyard - Update and Pruning Advice Needed. 27Apr 12, 2011 12:50 pm Our Build - Places Fairhaven 23+ - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=28045 Our Landscaping - Belial's Backyard - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45375 Re: Belial's Backyard - Update and Pruning Advice Needed. 29Apr 19, 2011 10:53 am Our Build - Places Fairhaven 23+ - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=28045 Our Landscaping - Belial's Backyard - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45375 Re: Belial's Backyard - Espalier Progress 30Apr 19, 2011 11:23 am For info on our build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=43093 Built the McLaren by Dechellis - slab down 22 Feb - handover 30 Aug 2011 - and gardens finished 9 Dec 2012!! Re: Belial's Backyard - Espalier Progress 32Nov 12, 2011 1:30 pm Seems its about time for an update, much has been going on for us since the last update, just not as much on the landscaping front as we would have liked Still there has been progress of sorts, beginning with the gate which has been many months in the making with constant interruptions but we got there in the end. We decided on a design where the outer frame would be visible with timber paneling within the frame, similar to what most people have installed around us, but slightly different The frame was made from gal steel, cut, shut and welded. Early on in the piece we found that our welding skills weren't up to the task and so it was farmed out to my father . For the timber in the centre we decided to use our left over jarrah boards from our floor, with a few additionals bought from the flooring supplier so we didn't need any joins. As the timber was tongue and grove i spent a 'fun' day with the router table taking off the tongues. I've misplaced the early pics, so we'll start with what i do have. The gate is made up of 3 seperate panels, 2 fixed panels and the main gate which opens. Here you can see the 3 panels, with all the timber cut to size and *rough* test fitted Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ IMG_0930 by Belial669, on Flickr As the frames are visible and reflective coatings aren't allowed by our estate, they need to be painted. How do you paint a frame thats 1.8x1.5? Why you hang it up, and with the help of some straps slung across the end of the garage door tracks we were able to do so. Undercoat going on Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ IMG_0932 by Belial669, on Flickr Final colour going on, C/B ironstone to match our guttering. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ IMG_0936 by Belial669, on Flickr The main gate was positioned firstly just as frame so we could set up the hinge positions on the plate for the post, and for the gate itself. The first panel affixed to the post. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ IMG_0948 by Belial669, on Flickr The second panel affixed to the post. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ IMG_0949 by Belial669, on Flickr The main gate panel, all screwed down. It took the best part of a day to position, drill pilot holes, drill countersinking holes and finally screw in the self tapping metal screws to hold each timber piece to the frame and more screws than i want to remember. (not looking forward to doing the deck at this point ) Also the timber was sanded prior to affixing, and had a couple of coats of of oil applied to both sides. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ IMG_0950 by Belial669, on Flickr And the finished piece. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ IMG_0956 by Belial669, on Flickr We also added sliding bolts to hold it in place, but having to reach over the gate to unlock it is a pita, so we're currently looking for other options that will allow us to unlock it from the front. In the meantime our neighbours finally worked out what they were doing with their front garden, which included them building a retaining wall, but much closer to the front of their house, than ours is to the front of our house. Which left us in need to retain at the boarder, so after a little negotiation we determined that we'd extended our wall around and down the side to the fence. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ IMG_0941 by Belial669, on Flickr So a trip to Austral later, we'd ordered the blocks, specifically the GB masonary Heron limestone blocks from QLD to match our existing wall, since we built the last wall Austral started making a range of the same blocks in melbourne but with slightly different color and with only half width cap stones, so it was with much relief and emptying of the wallet we ordered the blocks. However after they arrived and we had unloaded them off the pallet, we found they weren't quite right, with 10 blocks not being the same color, after some stuffing around their rep came out to take a look and confirmed yes, they were the wrong colour with those 10 being the new 'silverstone' colour made in melbourne, tbh when dry they are VERY similar, however when wet they turn a grey colour rather than the yellow that our exisitng blocks do, so that wasn't going to fly and austral came to the party and replaced them with the correct blocks without much fuss. Game time can you spot the 10 differently coloured blocks? Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ IMG_0947 by Belial669, on Flickr And so i set to, excavating in preparation for laying a crushed rock base. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ IMG_0944 by Belial669, on Flickr Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ IMG_0942 by Belial669, on Flickr As usual my left over stockpile of crushed rock out the back wasn't quite enough, so i did what i could then went to go get some more after checking the finshed level height. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ IMG_0945 by Belial669, on Flickr Due to the slope and the change in height, i had to hold in my crushed rock base, so some treated pine board was called for up against the path, (if ever i was to do this again, i'd do the retaining first then the paths so i wouldn't end up having to work around levels we can't really change.) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ IMG_0951 by Belial669, on Flickr So with much cursing, leveling, scoria shovelling and contact cementing the capstones in place it was done, and just in time for cider o'clock. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ IMG_0954 by Belial669, on Flickr And in other news, our Japanese maple out the front re-sprouted leaves finally after a very bare winter and has been doing quite well. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ IMG_0958 by Belial669, on Flickr Thats about it for now, more has been done such as tilling our prepared soil down the side of the house to limit the weeds growing, i got sick of mowing it and now that most of it has broken down it actually is starting to look like very fertile soil. Next time i'm out tilling, i'll get a few pics and we'll try not to leave it so long between visits to homeone. Cheers Belial Our Build - Places Fairhaven 23+ - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=28045 Our Landscaping - Belial's Backyard - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45375 Re: Belial's Backyard - Gated and Retained 33Nov 12, 2011 9:50 pm With the gate you could use a regular gate latch halfway down. Then install two saddle clamps, one just short of the top, the other some way down. Straighten out some fencing wire. Drop it down the saddle clamps. attach the bottom to the latch by twisting it on. Then on the top bend a small loop over that is about the size of your finger width. Loop it and twist it going back down the wire. Nice and neat. Now you have a little loop that just sticks up from the top but isn't noticeable. Lift it up and it pulls the latch up. Very cheap and easy to do. Will work for tens of thousands of years to come. Re: Belial's Backyard - Gated and Retained 34Nov 12, 2011 10:22 pm Oh with the tree, it will pay to cap each end of the pipe. As much as it serves a good means to wet the soil deeper down, it also will help dry the soil faster than it might otherwise. That ag drain can be fitted with pvc fittings and a screw on cap each end will help reduce air flow and increase the chances of the moisture hanging around. Re: Belial's Backyard - Gated and Retained 35Nov 12, 2011 10:45 pm Fu Manchu Oh with the tree, it will pay to cap each end of the pipe. As much as it serves a good means to wet the soil deeper down, it also will help dry the soil faster than it might otherwise. That ag drain can be fitted with pvc fittings and a screw on cap each end will help reduce air flow and increase the chances of the moisture hanging around. Cheers fu, i'll grab a couple of caps the next time i'm visiting the big green shed (shouldn't be too long a wait ) With respect to the gate, the issue with the current system is only that my other half, well she's vertically challenged in that i can reach over the gate, but she can't so the current methods aren't working. So currently looking at something like a deadlock or preferably an exterior rated version that i can mount lower down and have it key lock from both sides. We also need it to be secure, so it needs a locking mechanism. But thanks for the suggestion Our Build - Places Fairhaven 23+ - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=28045 Our Landscaping - Belial's Backyard - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45375 Re: Belial's Backyard - Gated and Retained 36Nov 12, 2011 10:50 pm Well that's a whole other story then Re: Belial's Backyard - Gated and Retained 38Jun 11, 2012 7:29 pm wow... you wall looks. great,but gezz u did it the hard way. Re: Belial's Backyard - Gated and Retained 39Jun 15, 2012 9:16 pm mike_brick wow... you wall looks. great,but gezz u did it the hard way. If there is one thing I've learnt about DIY landscaping its this. "There ain't no way but the hard way. So get used to it." End of the day, I got exactly what I wanted and I know I won't have to do it again. Our Build - Places Fairhaven 23+ - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=28045 Our Landscaping - Belial's Backyard - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45375 thanks chippy! here is the back of the wall which has not been backfilled yet. Here is the same back of the wall taken from the other end, behind the steps. As you… 5 1852 It's possible but a soak well is usually much larger. Your 'soak well' only holds 424 litres when full. What is your soil type? Soak wells need sandy soils. 10 9625 Need advice on the backyard plan above. Should I excavate and cut all of the dirt to level with the house slab or semi-excavate as per photo above? Both left and right… 0 25512 |