Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Aug 25, 2014 1:00 am Thanks AKB! Looking forward to seeing your progress too!
Hi MalSannie, welcome Where was I? oh yes, rocks. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Another rock mound for plants that need good drainage: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Here's an updated pic of the first mound we planted. Euc Victrix is growing well. http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b609/WestAussieforeva/SANY1413_zps86f09666.jpg http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b609/WestAussieforeva/Gardensofar_zpsa6ba2fd7.jpg We've since added some "architectural" features: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Actually, the first garden I planted was behind the shed. An experiment, as we have never gardened in clay/sand mix before. I chucked in all and any seeds I had...cosmos, beetroot, lettuce, corn, petunias, butternut pumpkin. The beetroot and corn was delicious! This area will be expanded and become our vegie garden. http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b609/WestAussieforeva/67aNeglectedgarden_zpsb74f7907.jpg So, we began the front garden in a quiet corner (near the portaloo...) We used all the spare cardboard we could find (including what was in the skip), laid it out flat on the ground and put mulch over the top. We used the post hole digger to get the plants in. Who knew that cape weed would make such great compost?! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ It is a requirement in the development that we screen the tank. This Kennedya Nigricans grew in builders sand, really proving its toughness and vigor. Now it has its roots down into the soil, it's a mass of flowers. I will post an updated pic later on. http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b609/WestAussieforeva/KennedyaNigricanspoweringon_zps4946d874.jpg We spread more mulch and planted the first trees for our little orchard around the tank as well. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ My next experiment was with daffodils and ranunculus, whoo hoo! Wasn't sure they would grow as I planted them directly into the ground. Flowers, yay! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I'm excited about the next post. Our driveway is going in this week and the contractor will be digging our "dry river bed" for us and site for the pond... More photos to come! Re: Landscaping our half acre heaven 3Aug 25, 2014 8:53 am What size/capacity is that water tank of yours ? .... looks rather large to me. I'll be watching what you are doing, and trying to get ideas for my acre block over here. We've got a lot of large rocks that were dug out of our house pad area that I'm planning on using around the place. Owner Building at Jimboomba Woods in Logan City Qld. Blog : http://bandlnewhomebuild.blogspot.com H1 thread : viewtopic.php?f=38&t=68283 . Re: Landscaping our half acre heaven 4Aug 25, 2014 11:05 am My tips - do a plan - on paper ! Don't overdo it - ie too many plants/shrubs/trees - measure it out. Have a good watering system. Pick plants for your climate. Re: Landscaping our half acre heaven 5Aug 25, 2014 11:31 am bpratt What size/capacity is that water tank of yours ? .... looks rather large to me. I'll be watching what you are doing, and trying to get ideas for my acre block over here. We've got a lot of large rocks that were dug out of our house pad area that I'm planning on using around the place. Hi bpratt, tank is 150,000 litres. It's overflowing and has done so before, so we are getting a 23,000 poly tank for the overflow. Can't waste all that lovely rainwater. Just wish they didn't take up so much ground space... Neighbors have sunk their's under the house and they will reach it via the pantry and cellar. ($$$$ but a great idea). Saint Mike My tips - do a plan - on paper ! Don't overdo it - ie too many plants/shrubs/trees - measure it out. Have a good watering system. Pick plants for your climate. Saint Mike, I can't pin DH down for a plan on paper. As for don't overdo the plantings, he loves the rainforest/ jungle look- he's from Byron Bay. I give them space to grow, then he comes along and plants stuff in between! Oh well. You win some you lose some. We have natives and exotic mixed, so it will be trial and error. But then in suburban gardens in the town we see there is a lot of mix as well. PS: My "good watering system" is on two legs, DH is always out watering in summer so if we run out and have to buy in water, it will be interesting if it's cheaper than previous excess water bills!!? Re: Landscaping our half acre heaven 6Aug 25, 2014 5:44 pm I did our watering system - so anyone can. Bunnings have all the stuff - and its not that expensive. BUT - I still stand out there with a beer and a hose ... Re: Landscaping our half acre heaven 7Aug 25, 2014 6:36 pm I know you'd need a shedload of these for your space - but I'm tempted to get some of these for some planters we're planning for when we eventually have a garden. It makes so much sense to use solar power in Aus where you have all that lovely sun. http://www.irrigatia.com.au/range.html (I have no affiliation with them I saw it at a garden centre here in the UK and wondered whether it was also available in Aus) Re: Landscaping our half acre heaven 8Aug 25, 2014 6:44 pm Oh - I wanted to ask - is aubretia available in WA and does it grow there? I love it - so colourful and it loves rockeries. But it may not work as well in your heat. Re: Landscaping our half acre heaven 9Aug 25, 2014 8:42 pm Ooo thanks treeseachanger1 - I've made a note of those - I love blue/purple flowers and creepers are lovely, and you're right if you can get natives it makes so much more sense. Re: Landscaping our half acre heaven 10Aug 25, 2014 8:47 pm No worries! You may find that most of these don't flower right through summer though. Scabiosa (which is not native) does...it's the lovely blue flower in the pinkish pot at the side of my bulb garden pic, it clumps and spreads like a ground cover. Makes good cut flowers for a small vase, add a bit of fern and imo it looks great. Re: Landscaping our half acre heaven 11Aug 25, 2014 9:38 pm Oh I thought they were chives it looks very similar to me. I have about 50 daff bulbs to go in - going to plant it right around our small lawn here in England. We've recently planted 100 crocus bulbs in the lawn itself, very curious to see whether it will flower early springtime. I don't know a thing about gardening, although I love beautiful gardens and plants. So my gardening is all very experimental haha. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't! Re: Landscaping our half acre heaven 12Aug 26, 2014 7:38 pm I'm about to have some posts deleted with another email address linked to them. So I hope this thread still makes sense! I am posting this pic of two of my Leschenaultias because I just love the colour, they are flowering so well since being planted. They will bush up as they get bigger. http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b609/WestAussieforeva/Lechenaultia_zps7c89d7be.jpg Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Today I bought another Prostanthera Minty (native mint bush). Since they like good drainage I added gypsum and lots of different sized rocks into the hole. Can't wait until they flower like this one: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I got stuck into the onion weed as well, the only way to get the bulbs up is dig 'em out. While I was weeding DH was moving one of our two Woolemi pines. We saw one today which is 12 years old and realized we'd planted ours way too close. We knew they grow really tall (but quite slow, hopefully) but didn't realise how widely they spread. Woolemis are magnificent specimen trees if you have the room. http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b609/WestAussieforeva/Woolemipines3_zps7b3fc00f.jpg They have been in a while, since autumn, as you can see the garden was very new then. There was not much new root growth in the one we moved. It's just probably been getting over transplant shock, poor thing. Fingers crossed it will survive. . . and one day look like this: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ MalSannie, I think your lawn will be wonderful with the bulbs in it. Be sure to post a pic! Wish we could do something like that here but I don't think it's cold enough here. Re: Landscaping our half acre heaven 13Aug 30, 2014 7:43 pm Wow treaseachanger those Leschenaultias are stunning and I love the native mint too - I've searched it on google and pinned it to my 'garden in yanchep' board so I don't forget about it. I'll keep fingers crossed the pine survives the move - your garden is going to be spectacular when all the plants mature! I'll definitely post pics of the lawn if it works Re: Landscaping our half acre heaven- more pics 14Sep 01, 2014 7:47 pm Okay so here's an updated pic of the Kennedya around the tank. It is such a rapid grower, I love it! For comparison on its growth see top of page. Most of the growth has been through autumn/winter.
http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b609/WestAussieforeva/SANY1569_zpse83d3cb7.jpg It is full of flowers. They are small but the yellow and black is vivid. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ We started gardening at the side of the steps. The beds here are slightly raised for drainage and we added our compost in with the soil. Standard rose "Satchmo". Nerines in the middle and the edges are the society garlic. http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b609/WestAussieforeva/Gardenbednearfrontsteps_zps120b5790.jpg Here's another shot of my ranuncs and daffies, wish I had planted more now! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ We lost one of our transplanted bottlebrushes. Bummer. But some more of my natives are flowering! this is the native foxglove's first flowers, I think I need to get some slow release native fertilizer as the flowers are usually bigger. Still very pretty tho. Next pic is the alogyne, tiny but lovely first flower! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Still deciding if hippieastrums should go in the ground, or put them into another pot (this one is broken). Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Lastly, I couldn't resist posting pic of my current job of babysitting: Cute aren't they. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The dry riverbed and rest of landscaping is delayed due to two things: Mulch we ordered is late in arriving. Contractor for driveway and riverbed says wait until the ground is dryer (3 weeks or so he thinks.) So we are going to rotary hoe along the front and put in some agapanthus, then develop the vegie patch a bit more...We have potatoes in. We will be using the wicking bed method for some vegies. Google it on youtube, it works brilliantly. Tip: buy vegie seeds from Heirloom seeds or similar places. We buy on line. Most of the well known brands have been treated with gas to give you one crop then the seeds don't regerminate (planned obsolescence). Also they may not be organically raised PS edited to say Welcome to Spring everyone!!! This is the time to fertilize those natives to give them a boost before the earth warms up.... Re: Re: Landscaping our half acre heaven 15Sep 01, 2014 7:58 pm Have you tried Diggers Trees - Ive joined them and the stuff I've received so far has been great <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=62083">viewtopic.php?t=62083</a><!-- l --> Re: Landscaping our half acre heaven 16Sep 01, 2014 8:53 pm Aha, they are the other ones we use. Just couldn't remember the name at the time of posting!! Re: Treeseachanger: Landscaping our half acre heaven- more p 17Sep 02, 2014 5:05 am Such a shame about your bottlebrush - we had a standard one which unfortunately didn't survive the cold winter and snow we had a couple of years back. Those doggies are gorgeous Re: Treeseachanger: Landscaping our half acre heaven- more p 18Sep 02, 2014 8:53 am Love some of the pics on here. And the dogs. Re: Treeseachanger: Landscaping our half acre heaven- more p 19Sep 02, 2014 4:39 pm MalSannie This is Treeseachanger Landscaping thread I've asked the moderators (via reporting my own post) to delete my post and AKB's so that trees can again be the first poster - hopefully this will happen soon! MalSannie and AKB...are you happy for me to delete your posts? Internal and External Building and Colour Consultant Online - Worldwide http://www.denovoconcepts.com Re: Treeseachanger: Landscaping our half acre heaven- more p 20Sep 02, 2014 5:11 pm Yes please - I can't answer for AKB Hmmm, I have checked your past posts and it seems that you are in NSW, not WA as I had thought. It pays to show your State in your avatar. Retaining wall regulations… 5 7850 Hi, you've probably already resolved this, however, Commbank will probably pay the funds to you after you send evidence the work is done regardless the change in the quotes. 1 35312 Ideally you would engage a landscaper to give you some insight what they may need in the space to make your vision come to life… 1 13633 |