Apr 2007
Busy
29 April 2007 17:29 Filed in: Planting,
Construction
Doesn’t the peony look completely alien? :)
Despite the peony needing to be planted I actually spent the day painting the chook house – my excuse is that the ground is still completely sodden. Believe it or not the post holes are still full of water 24 hours after the rain stuff.
The painting was fun, I started feeling quite competent after a while, which is a good feeling. The trim was a pain because it’s enamel paint - the only way I could match the colour to the house trim. But it’s done – well except for one bit I can’t do until the trim and shutter dry so I can lift them out of the way – and it looks good!
The only down side to the whole thing was that I fell off the deck and into the pineapple sage, so I now have a grazed elbow and bruises on my arse and knee. Oh and the other down side was that I can’t get to the basement which is where the turps lives – well unless I climb under the deck past the bricks and the roof tiles.
So next should be a long bath to get the last of the paint off
Despite the peony needing to be planted I actually spent the day painting the chook house – my excuse is that the ground is still completely sodden. Believe it or not the post holes are still full of water 24 hours after the rain stuff.
The painting was fun, I started feeling quite competent after a while, which is a good feeling. The trim was a pain because it’s enamel paint - the only way I could match the colour to the house trim. But it’s done – well except for one bit I can’t do until the trim and shutter dry so I can lift them out of the way – and it looks good!
The only down side to the whole thing was that I fell off the deck and into the pineapple sage, so I now have a grazed elbow and bruises on my arse and knee. Oh and the other down side was that I can’t get to the basement which is where the turps lives – well unless I climb under the deck past the bricks and the roof tiles.
So next should be a long bath to get the last of the paint off
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Mud!
28 April 2007 18:18 Filed in: Construction
There is mud everywhere, including a wide variety of
clay footprints throughout the house. It turns out
that this is a great way to track the cats and their
habits, who’d’ve thought they still be muddy by the
time they got to the couch in the living room! I
blame Seb’s sponge-like feet; Seb blames me and the
landscapers and washes a lot.
So it’s started raining, the digger made it out the day before the rain started, but yesterday they worked on the retaining in the rain. When I got home (in the pitch black at 11) there were boards on the front path to decrease the amount of mud tracked around, but other parts of the path were also blocked by the henhouse which has arrived.
Today J and I readjusted the boards and lifted the bits of henhouse up onto the deck as there’s just no way to get to the basement at the moment. I’ve made no progress on painting it because of the rain, but there might be a chance tomorrow afternoon. My current plan is to paint it while it’s still in sections, then assemble it in place.
So it’s started raining, the digger made it out the day before the rain started, but yesterday they worked on the retaining in the rain. When I got home (in the pitch black at 11) there were boards on the front path to decrease the amount of mud tracked around, but other parts of the path were also blocked by the henhouse which has arrived.
Today J and I readjusted the boards and lifted the bits of henhouse up onto the deck as there’s just no way to get to the basement at the moment. I’ve made no progress on painting it because of the rain, but there might be a chance tomorrow afternoon. My current plan is to paint it while it’s still in sections, then assemble it in place.
Holes
26 April 2007 20:17 Filed in: Construction
The digger has gone, and there are holes for
retaining posts all over the place. There’s still
spare dirt in a big pile, although the new plan of
pushing it toward the crib wall seems to have
promise.
After much puzzling about access there should be a pile of hen house bits sitting on the deck when I get home tomorrow. I’m kinda nervous about it because there’s nowhere to put it (which means the basement, which is not easy at the moment) and I’ve been told I have to paint it left handed (having done myself some damage scrubbing and painting the fence).
The only other wildly good news is that the kitchen herb garden list is pretty close to finished.
Not such good news: back to work tomorrow, I expect a serious reduction in progress.
After much puzzling about access there should be a pile of hen house bits sitting on the deck when I get home tomorrow. I’m kinda nervous about it because there’s nowhere to put it (which means the basement, which is not easy at the moment) and I’ve been told I have to paint it left handed (having done myself some damage scrubbing and painting the fence).
The only other wildly good news is that the kitchen herb garden list is pretty close to finished.
Not such good news: back to work tomorrow, I expect a serious reduction in progress.
Selecting Seeds
25 April 2007 21:15 Filed in: Planting
I think the autumn seed orders are done. I just sent
off orders to Kings Seeds and Select Seeds; so I
should be able to spend the weekend planting inside.
This has all been based on my having (finally) sorted out a plan for the vege beds. The challenge has, as is so often the case, been one of restraint. While I want to fill them up straight away I’m going to plan one with a green manure crop for the winter (lupin), then hopefully do the same for the other next winter.
In other news it turns out that the guys took out one of the plums, so I’ve ordered a replacement. J and I have found a couple of possibly acceptable waterfall options. I’ve also made some decisions about where some of the berry bushes go and what I want to plant inside the chookery.
Even more importantly I can now get into the basement!!
This has all been based on my having (finally) sorted out a plan for the vege beds. The challenge has, as is so often the case, been one of restraint. While I want to fill them up straight away I’m going to plan one with a green manure crop for the winter (lupin), then hopefully do the same for the other next winter.
In other news it turns out that the guys took out one of the plums, so I’ve ordered a replacement. J and I have found a couple of possibly acceptable waterfall options. I’ve also made some decisions about where some of the berry bushes go and what I want to plant inside the chookery.
Even more importantly I can now get into the basement!!
Orange Chaos
24 April 2007 17:14 Filed in: Construction
I want to use the word “perturbation” to describe
today, only without “and despair” or the association
with Paradise Lost.
There was much drama today, alongside much progress. The drama has largely been overcome; the (completely wrong) levels under the chookery are nearly fixed, the confused raised beds are back on track, there are plans about where to hide all the spare soil, and the pond looks real!
Actually the pond was probably only a drama in J and my heads, neither of us made it outside to look for it last night until it was properly dark, and it’s unsurprisingly hard to find a waterless pond amongst piles of clay on a cloudy night with only a torch. Lo and behold it was there and perfect once the sun came up. Well not quite perfect, it can only be 30cm deep which is totally inadequate for J.
In other positive pond news I have found a friendly nursery who are gonna work out a planting diagram for me (yay for experts!!). In not so good news it turns out J doesn’t like the shape of waterlily flowers so we have a fall back plan where we have water lilies which are never allowed to flower. We have also reached a positive decision on frogs and a negative one on eels (for so very many reasons).
The fencing drama is hopefully resolved; I counted today and I share boundaries with nine neighbours, so it’s never going to be simple. Not to mention that almost all the boundary structures are retaining walls. The final fence and relaying the entrance path are the last steps before the purple and yellow border can be planted. Oh, and I’ve tracked down the perfect daylilies for the border after a rather endearing conversation where we canvassed the exact nature of “yellow” at length. So there will be three clumps of yellow daylilies (actually one gold; one pale lemon and one bright lemon).
I also have more fence paint, less concrete path, and the henhouse is now at an unknown location in the North Island having made it across the strait
There was much drama today, alongside much progress. The drama has largely been overcome; the (completely wrong) levels under the chookery are nearly fixed, the confused raised beds are back on track, there are plans about where to hide all the spare soil, and the pond looks real!
Actually the pond was probably only a drama in J and my heads, neither of us made it outside to look for it last night until it was properly dark, and it’s unsurprisingly hard to find a waterless pond amongst piles of clay on a cloudy night with only a torch. Lo and behold it was there and perfect once the sun came up. Well not quite perfect, it can only be 30cm deep which is totally inadequate for J.
In other positive pond news I have found a friendly nursery who are gonna work out a planting diagram for me (yay for experts!!). In not so good news it turns out J doesn’t like the shape of waterlily flowers so we have a fall back plan where we have water lilies which are never allowed to flower. We have also reached a positive decision on frogs and a negative one on eels (for so very many reasons).
The fencing drama is hopefully resolved; I counted today and I share boundaries with nine neighbours, so it’s never going to be simple. Not to mention that almost all the boundary structures are retaining walls. The final fence and relaying the entrance path are the last steps before the purple and yellow border can be planted. Oh, and I’ve tracked down the perfect daylilies for the border after a rather endearing conversation where we canvassed the exact nature of “yellow” at length. So there will be three clumps of yellow daylilies (actually one gold; one pale lemon and one bright lemon).
I also have more fence paint, less concrete path, and the henhouse is now at an unknown location in the North Island having made it across the strait
It's a three tonne digger
23 April 2007 14:11 Filed in: Construction
Removing all confusion, a three tonne digger turned
up bright and early this morning and made it up the
thin driveway, down the bowed concrete retaining wall
and across the neighbours’ lawn with no major
mishaps. My highlights were:
But she made it :) The next digger challenge was the path by the front door; which has now been cut back pretty severely to make room for the digger and the retaining to hold the (damned) bank up.
So it’s only half past two of the first day and there’s 20cm of clay on the front path (no rain forecast, yet) a huge hole in the back garden, piles of dirt all over the place and one side of the deck has gone. Not to mention we’ve discovered a gas pipe exactly where it shouldn’t be.
I’m glad I’m home, there are lots of little bits and pieces being decided and discussed as we go. We’ve just made some changes to the shape of the path by the front door to stop the water pooling and running under the house, and sorted out a rather confusing gully trap.
No progress on the bathroom ceiling tho :)
- It being driven off the back of the (nice big) truck with no ramps or boards or anything, Paul just used the snork, the bulldozer bit and hydraulics to spider it off very cleverly.
- The moment he was coming over the bowed concrete retaining wall at a 45° angle and started calling out “she’s slipping” and we all contemplated the fact that a slip of just under 1m would take it through the wall into #5’s toilet.
But she made it :) The next digger challenge was the path by the front door; which has now been cut back pretty severely to make room for the digger and the retaining to hold the (damned) bank up.
So it’s only half past two of the first day and there’s 20cm of clay on the front path (no rain forecast, yet) a huge hole in the back garden, piles of dirt all over the place and one side of the deck has gone. Not to mention we’ve discovered a gas pipe exactly where it shouldn’t be.
I’m glad I’m home, there are lots of little bits and pieces being decided and discussed as we go. We’ve just made some changes to the shape of the path by the front door to stop the water pooling and running under the house, and sorted out a rather confusing gully trap.
No progress on the bathroom ceiling tho :)
The digger arrives tomorrow
23 April 2007 14:01 Filed in: Construction
Major angst this weekend. The digger’s arriving on
Monday; K’s told the front neighbour that it’s a 3
tonne digger having previously told me plus all my
neighbours it’s a 1.5 tonne digger. The size of the
digger causes all kinds of concerns because the
driveway (which doesn’t belong to me) is not very
thick. I’m not quite sure what’s going on and I can’t
find out til it turns up at 7:30 on Monday. Eep!
All that aside, the section is partly cleared; there are a couple of flaxes still to go, but mostly the shape of the land is reappearing (soon to be changed and retained of course :). The photo is of the path by the front door - it’s so much more light already!!
I spent some of yesterday painting the fence that was previously hidden behind a very awkwardly shaped taupata and pittosporum. I had not realised that the fence was orange and white stripes (I kid you not!) - so much green paint was applied yesterday. Sadly before painting much scrubbing, washing and sanding was also required. So J and I were both a bit stiff, but pleased by the progress.
To celebrate all the progress I’m now working out what’s going in the shady fragrant garden, where the taupata and pittosporum were and the old path still is. I think it’ll be a mostly white and green garden, with camellias, liliies, lily of the valley, and maybe dame’s rocket.
All that aside, the section is partly cleared; there are a couple of flaxes still to go, but mostly the shape of the land is reappearing (soon to be changed and retained of course :). The photo is of the path by the front door - it’s so much more light already!!
I spent some of yesterday painting the fence that was previously hidden behind a very awkwardly shaped taupata and pittosporum. I had not realised that the fence was orange and white stripes (I kid you not!) - so much green paint was applied yesterday. Sadly before painting much scrubbing, washing and sanding was also required. So J and I were both a bit stiff, but pleased by the progress.
To celebrate all the progress I’m now working out what’s going in the shady fragrant garden, where the taupata and pittosporum were and the old path still is. I think it’ll be a mostly white and green garden, with camellias, liliies, lily of the valley, and maybe dame’s rocket.
The Beginning of the Flood
21 April 2007 16:59 Filed in: Planting
I came home yesterday to find a box on the doorstep;
full of bulbs to go in as soon as possible. In
practice that is likely to be early June, which is a
bit late but... so they’re sitting on my sewing
table.
As well as a the daffodils, freesias, irises, crocuses and hyacinths I’d ordered, they’ve thrown in some blue dutch irises I need to find a home for. I think they’ll fit in the front border by the salvia, but there’ll be wind problems I fear.
So the stack of plants, bulbs and seeds has begun, I’ve also sorted out a space on the deck to hold plants until they can go in. Hopefully out of the way of the people cutting back the deck but still accessible. It’s all go here!
I’m currently planning a week off in early June to plant as much as possible, although I’m unlikely to have the fruit trees or roses by then.
As well as a the daffodils, freesias, irises, crocuses and hyacinths I’d ordered, they’ve thrown in some blue dutch irises I need to find a home for. I think they’ll fit in the front border by the salvia, but there’ll be wind problems I fear.
So the stack of plants, bulbs and seeds has begun, I’ve also sorted out a space on the deck to hold plants until they can go in. Hopefully out of the way of the people cutting back the deck but still accessible. It’s all go here!
I’m currently planning a week off in early June to plant as much as possible, although I’m unlikely to have the fruit trees or roses by then.
Deciding on Plants
17 April 2007 20:56 Filed in: Planning
Waimea Nurseries emailed today to finalise the order,
they want to send it sooner rather than later so that
it doesn’t get tied up when they start despatching
their winter orders to garden centres. They’ve made a
couple of stock changes; including substituting a
earlier season blueberry, and I just added two
boysenberries now they’ve got the variety details.
There are a couple of fruit spots left in the garden; the windy spot at the front, the gap near the lemon, the other maybe lemon, and whether I can fit a second tree in the chookery.
There are a couple of fruit spots left in the garden; the windy spot at the front, the gap near the lemon, the other maybe lemon, and whether I can fit a second tree in the chookery.
The End of Before
15 April 2007 08:54 Filed in: Construction
I took the before photos today - amazing to think
that it is about to be so totally different. I’m
kinda hating this bit; it feels out of control and
final. Once the walls and paths go in they’re there
forever, or close enough to.
The other part of me just can’t wait - I want to be planting now, I want the plants to be grown now, I want to be able to pick the lemons, walk through the grapes, pick the roses, get scratched by the boysenberries, talk to the chooks.
The other part of me just can’t wait - I want to be planting now, I want the plants to be grown now, I want to be able to pick the lemons, walk through the grapes, pick the roses, get scratched by the boysenberries, talk to the chooks.
Books and Berries
13 April 2007 13:50 Filed in: Planning
There are two problems with reading gardening books;
firstly they inspire covetousness — they’re full of
such exciting and beautiful plants. By 7am this
morning I had decided that monkshood would be perfect
along the bank outside the front door.
Secondly, and even less helpfully, they contradict each other. When I’m planning a 3m hedge of raspberries it would be useful to be sure whether they should be planted 60cm or 1-1.5m apart. I’m currently going with the majority (60cm) and think the other was probably inspired by blackberries or the width between the rows.
Which brings me to my realisation about berries; by spring my garden will contain:
And the first five are already out there growing away.
Secondly, and even less helpfully, they contradict each other. When I’m planning a 3m hedge of raspberries it would be useful to be sure whether they should be planted 60cm or 1-1.5m apart. I’m currently going with the majority (60cm) and think the other was probably inspired by blackberries or the width between the rows.
Which brings me to my realisation about berries; by spring my garden will contain:
- Black currants
- Gooseberries
- Alpine strawberries
- Elderberries
- Grapes
- Raspberries
- Boysenberries
- Blueberries
- Orangeberries
And the first five are already out there growing away.
Planning the Chookery
11 April 2007 21:47 Filed in: Planning
J says it has to be called a Chookery, and I agree :)
I’ve picked the chooks (Welsumers), ordered the henhouse and started deciding on the plants. So far I’ve decided on a Pomegranate inside, Hyacinth Beans, Raspberries and Boysenberries growing outside. Of course there’ll be some greens, yet to be sorted.
Thinking about the henhouse has been surprisingly fun — I’m looking forward to the painting and the hammering and the chaos :) Guttering is a bit beyond me at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll get there.
I’ve picked the chooks (Welsumers), ordered the henhouse and started deciding on the plants. So far I’ve decided on a Pomegranate inside, Hyacinth Beans, Raspberries and Boysenberries growing outside. Of course there’ll be some greens, yet to be sorted.
Thinking about the henhouse has been surprisingly fun — I’m looking forward to the painting and the hammering and the chaos :) Guttering is a bit beyond me at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll get there.
Moving Dirt
11 April 2007 21:44 Filed in: Construction
Good old heavy Wellington clay; it holds water but
drowns roots, keeps its shape but slips under
pressure.
It’s hard to believe that in only a couple of weeks there’ll be a man with a digger cutting and moving and filling — it seems very final. The only things left to do are to draw the final lines on the hard landscaping diagram; redraw the chook enclosure and tidy up a couple of raised beds.
Then the dirt will be good to go!
It’s hard to believe that in only a couple of weeks there’ll be a man with a digger cutting and moving and filling — it seems very final. The only things left to do are to draw the final lines on the hard landscaping diagram; redraw the chook enclosure and tidy up a couple of raised beds.
Then the dirt will be good to go!
Gold and Magenta
10 April 2007 20:33 Filed in: Planning
I’m beginning to feel that the yellow and purple
border along the path is nearly under control, the
roses and bulbs have been ordered. Almost all the
other plants have been ordered or tracked down.
The big struggle has been with how tightly I define purple and how many plants described as “purple” seem pink to me. Only two roses have made it in (Rose Marie Viaud and Cardinal de Richelieu) and lavender and irises will will carry the rest of the burden of purple.
Gold was easy, but a spread through the season will be a challenge, as well as a some roses there will be daffodils early, daylilies, dyer’s chamomile. Hopefully some variegated and lime foliage will also balance the colours and hold the intensity through the year.
The big struggle has been with how tightly I define purple and how many plants described as “purple” seem pink to me. Only two roses have made it in (Rose Marie Viaud and Cardinal de Richelieu) and lavender and irises will will carry the rest of the burden of purple.
Gold was easy, but a spread through the season will be a challenge, as well as a some roses there will be daffodils early, daylilies, dyer’s chamomile. Hopefully some variegated and lime foliage will also balance the colours and hold the intensity through the year.