Our backyard project; where did we end up you ask?

Seriously how fast does time go? Looking back to one of my very first posts written in August 2010 I proclaimed that Ash and I were planning a landscaping project to makeover our fairly dull backyard.

Almost one year on I thought it might be about time to record exactly where we ended up. I will be the first to admit that perhaps it didn't end up as planned but the completed work is amazing and I am in love with my backyard! I spend time every day pottering around while the kids play and dreaming up what comes next.

We didn't quite get to building the pergola and I think it would have ended up being way to imposing on our small space, the fairy garden is still coming together and of course lots of the plants are still mini sized as they await spring/summer growth but overall the garden is relaxing, fun for the kids to play in and enjoyable to share with our friends and family.

I never thought that our backyard could be a place that both the kids and I actually want to spend time in.

Here are some pictures to share the garden love with you

Daddy's Little Helper

In the interest of recycling Ashley has taken an old gate that was previously hung around the side of the house and is turning it into a potting table to use in the garden.

To get the project started little Joshua wanted to play Daddy's little helper and share in the action. He enjoyed playing and looking at the hammer and drill, so cute

I love watching how inquisitive lttle people are in exploring new things.

Jen

Help, I'm stuck in the mud!

Why is it that it is always raining when you have something really important to do outside?


Case in point Mr Weather man; this weekend we hired a rotary hoe. Check it out, that is some serious machine for a backyard

Whilst a little bit of rain was helpful to soften up the ground a bit, there might have been a bit to much and we had to give it away on Monday until next weekend as the yard became a mud pit in parts.

Alas the rotary hoe was money well spent and it did a great job tearing up our old, half dead lawn and loosening up the hard compacted ground.

It feels great to have started our project and I am confident that we can get it completed within the next two months, especially with daylight savings allowing for some early evening work when Ashley arrives home from work.

And I will need some gumboots after all, just to make sure I don't get stuck in the mud during the next few weeks.

Jen

My green thumb and experimenting with seeds

Yay, it is springtime and I couldn't be more excited. Although it is rather gloomy outside and all but nonetheless it is indeed spring. I love that springtime encourages more outdoor adventures and lots to do in the garden.

I have a confession, I am a green thumb. Never thought that I would be or could be but spending more time at home and in the backyard has sparked a passion for learning more about my garden and more specifically about growing veggies, herbs, fruits for the Little Red House. It is good to finally have something of my own to do, a hobby you might say.

In fact I have started watching Gardening Australia at 6:30pm Saturday nights for info and tips. When I was younger my Mum & Dad used to watch it and I thought it was torture! Ahh how the years make you mature.

We have had one veggie bed for a year and that has been a good experiment. Our most successful crop would have to be silver beet and lettuce. Currently we also have onions, garlic, leeks and beetroot.

I am getting more confident in what to do and as plans for our Backyard Dreaming project continue I am hoping that we can expand this to a few more. I have had my nose in a few books at the moment. Two which have provided some interesting reading are Backyard Self Sufficiency by Jackie French and Harvest by Meredith Kirton.

Emily has been helping me get some spring and summer seeds on the way,

We started them off on the 18th August and finally are getting some little buds of life sprouting up. I have experimented with a few different approaches of what to put the seeds in to see what works best and what is most economical.

We have tried homemade newspaper pots, peat pots, toilet rolls, egg cartons and recycled nursery pots.

It will be interesting to see which provide the best start for the seeds.

I am obsessed with going to check on them every day and give them a drink. It is amazing to watch them come to life.

Jen

Backyard Dreaming - First Update

This is the first of many updates I hope to write about our backyard dreaming project that we have waiting in the wings at the Little Red House.

Since my initial post there has been no action but lots more dreaming! Mainly on my part I guess. I have collected a fair number of gardening design books borrowed from the library along with ones in my own collection and whilst they all offer lots of inspiration it is almost a bit overwhelming to have too many sources to look through. I feel as if I have lost my design mojo a little, so this week I am going to work hard to have one more look through all my books and finalise the first draft and then set about finding some contractors to look at some quotes for the paving. Whilst I would love for us (or should I say the man about the Little Red House) to have a go at doing this it would possibly be a bit foolhardy and could end badly so I will need to find us a reliable paving guy aka a Nigel Ruck type.

With only two weeks to the start of Spring there is only fourteen weeks until Summer will be arriving so we best stop procrastinating and getting working!

Jen

Backyard Dreaming

So here at the Little Red House there is a big project in the planning which I thought you might like to read about.

Six years after moving to the coast, our little family (me included) has become more interested in spending more time in our own patch of green out the back which has kick started a beautification project to finish off the backyard. At the moment we have already constructed and grown a line of native hakea trees, a veggie bed and a large garden bed of natives backed by a slow growing native lilli pilli hedge which might reach the top of our back fence soon (pleasssee!)

So what are we going to?

Paving & pergola big enough to accommodate an 8 seat table and BBQ, drainage, new lawn, sandpit, dwarf fruit trees, new washing line, a kids blackboard, expanded veggie beds and loads new plants to look after and enjoy. That pretty much sums it up, we will see how many of these we are able to achieve before the onset of summer.

I have been mulling over this for many months, indeed years, so it is time to put plans into action. I am currently exploring how to set it out, materials and of course the most important "how to" for some of the bigger jobs.

I know a post is far more interesting with photos so it's a shame our PC expired yesterday otherwise I would have dug up some old pics of the yard to accompany this post but perhaps I will find some to post up once the plan is finalised.

A new project is always exciting and I love having something to plan and look forward to. The thought of having somewhere to have lunch or dinner outdoors without a mish mash of borrowed tables and chairs is exciting (sad I know) so it is time to get going this weekend (hint, hint Ashley!)

I think I will provide a weekly update of our progress so I hope you enjoy reading about and seeing our "Backyard Dreaming" come to life

Jen