Doing it again

Finally a break in the weather! Dad came down today with another traiker of horse manure.

So while i unloaded the trailer he made a start on paving the path across the front of my house.

Still got a bit of work to do.

Also, earlier this week, i had my consultation with the landscaper. And got received the plan on Thursday.

So, in addition to the plants, wintergreen lawn, & retic, my garden beds will be edged with aluminium edging - included.

I alsi asked if the landscaper coukd provide a quote for the main retic line, wires & 2 valves to the back. Quote came back as $270+. I calculated that it would cost me at least $200. $70+ for labour sounds fairly reasonable to me & will save me time & stress.

Work in progress - paving across the front of the house.


Yesterday, i had a look around at plants in Bunnings and came across this little beauty... i want this in my back garden. Might have to use the gift cards i was given last christmas & on my birthday earlier this year.

Also, i finally got around to using the Garden Express gift voucher from my sister and bought a couple of roses that will go in the garden bed directly in front of my bedroom.

Can't wait til the front garden is done

Still a bit of work & tidying up to do but the front paving is almost finished

Can you do mine?? That looks great!!!

Looks great rosemi!

Yeah sure - if you pay for my airfares & accommodation

Haha! You can stay with me I have spare rooms.

I can't wait till my paving is done, just one front path.. but bit worried about doing it ourselves.

Setting up the formwork & getting the right levels is the hardest part. Dad did all that. Laying the paving bricks is easy peasy ☺

That paving looks great Rose, kudos to your dad! Very handy having a helping hand like that!

That quote for rear retic connection seems pretty reasonable. I'm planning to do mine myself but digging a 25m trench from front to back doesn't excite me! And I have to do that x2 - one for storm water and one for retic. I might follow suit and see if the landscaper can do it for a good price instead.

It does sound reasonable. I might ask them about the same when i gave my appointment for the front landscaping

just so you know i had 75mm pipe laid while the paving down that side of the house was done (paving guy offered to do it for me - no extra charge - i bought all the 75mm pipes on the day i moved).

Help!

I have a bit if a dilemma. Thanks to the wet weather these last 2 weeks and the fact that my dad is out of action with an eye injury, my paving hasn't been completed.

All that really needs doing is the edges and the pavers in my steps need to be cemented in. I'd attempt to do it myself but the rain over the last couple of weekends has hindered that option.

This is holding up my front landscaping from being done.

Do i run the gauntlett and risk upsetting my dad by getting a professional paver in to finish the job?

Or do i get the landscapers in to do their bit and worry about the edging afterwards?

I'd probably just get someone in to do it. Then you don't need to worry about it anymore.

Add mixing cement & cementing in (haunching) pavers to my ever growing list of skills.

I ended up doing it myself this morning as it has been mostly dry so far.

Not the best or the prettiest job but it is done and now the landscapers can come in & do their bit.

Lools like you did a great job!

Thanks bob! After reading a couple of how-to's last night i thought i might as well give it a crack myself and see how i go. It was easier than i thought it would be.

Went down to bunnings first thing this morning, bought a couple bags of pre-mixed cement & sand, came home, dug the sand away from the edges, mixed the water & cement mix in my barrow and then started trowelling it on.

The weather has been kind to me today although it did start spitting while i was digging. It is turning into quite a nice day though.

Anyway, now I'm just waiting for the cement to set now so i can level out the sand (yet again).

Spoke too soon on the weather front. Bloody rain!

So this is my front landscaping plan.

The landscapers have already done the mains connections and installed the controller. They've been waiting on me to finish the paving before coming back to do the rest

The plants (hopefully i get all that i've asked for):

Choisya ternata (mexican orange blossom) - this will be a hedge along the top of my front retaining wall

Leptospermum nanum ribrum (tea tree) - these will planted along the front house wall with 3 standard roses between

Dodonea viscosa purpureum (hop bush) - these will be planted along the verge sides adjacent to both neighbours - down to the footpath

Dietes grandiflora - between house & mailbox

Pandorea (wonga wonga vine) Ruby Belle - to grow up the side retaining wall near garage

Escallonia Red Hedge - these will form a hedge in front of the retaining wall across the front

Grevillea Gingin gem - will be planted under the tree on the verge

Myoporum parvifolium yareena - will be planted on the verge to the left of the hop bushes along the driveway.

I have a front garden! Lawn is coming next week - missed the run for this week.

They also ran the pipes through to the back yard for me too.

My standard roses arrived today too - pity i wasn't home as i could have gotten the guys to plant them for me today. I'll have to do it myself over the weekend instead

View of the front garden from across the road