The Great Chook Tractor Experiment
 

It's started. I built my chook tractor out of PVC pipe in similar style to
this one:
http://photos.permaculture.org.au/ga...album=12&pos=8
except that mine has a 2m diameter and is for two chooks.

I moved the dome yesterday, to the delight of the girls. The area they had
been on the previous two weeks is lovely and fluffy with mulch -- I have been
throwing in the guinea pigs' bedding (mainly lawn clippings and piggie poos).
Alas, it is also completely dry, as we haven't had decent rain for a couple of
months. Showers are forecast for the next week, so that's something (we can
only water on Wednesdays and Sundays, between certain hours). Planted bok
choy, shallots, cabbage and kale, and spinach. Hope that the snail numbers
are down enough that the plants survive the night! (I believe they are; the
girls free-ranged most of summer.)

In the front garden, I planted five Coast Rosemary (Westringia fruticosa)
plants down my western side fence. The afternoon sun there in summer has
killed almost everything else I've tried -- apart from the one-year-old
'Moonlight' grevilleas that will now alternate with the Coast Rosemary. I am
hoping to eventually have a formal hedge of the grey, fine-leafed Coast
Rosemary, with the Moonlights (dark, large-scale fern-like leaves) coming up
through it. We'll see. It could look a bit Too Much, but OTOH I need tough
plants with some height to protect my house and front garden from all that
heat. Also planted out a deep blue semi-prostrate form of rosemary, two
salvias (an 'Iced lemon' and a 'Purple Rain') and a Sedum 'Autumn Joy'.

Unfortunately while I was out there, I realised that our Parramatta Wattle is
attacking our power and cable internet lines. I had read that they only grow
to five metres, so I planted it underneath the wires... will have to prune
off the offending branches asap.

Now to find homes for some new plants that my brother-in-law gave me, and all
the others that I bought recently, and to pot up the 'Cambridge Rival'
strawberries.

How are the rest of you going?

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

The Great Chook Tractor Experiment
 

g'day chookie,

sounds like you've been busy hey, the need for rain is the big thing
hey all major dams our way are running at 30% or so. part from that we
are all fine here.

anyhow just a short note for now



snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://mywebsite.bigpond.com/gardenlen2/

The Great Chook Tractor Experiment
 

Checked the two 25000 litre rain tanks & they are about 60% full or for the
pessimists 40% empty. Rain water is for drinking and at the moment some
chillies & capsicums in pots for winter, and 8 yes eight cabbages. Will be
putting in some more winter stuff soon.
Jim
P.S. Get a rainwater tank for the garden and laugh at the restrictions.
(after it rains of course)

The Great Chook Tractor Experiment
 

"Chookie" wrote in message
...
It's started. I built my chook tractor out of PVC pipe in similar style
to
this one:
http://photos.permaculture.org.au/ga...album=12&pos=8
except that mine has a 2m diameter and is for two chooks.

I moved the dome yesterday, to the delight of the girls. The area they
had
been on the previous two weeks is lovely and fluffy with mulch -- I have
been
throwing in the guinea pigs' bedding (mainly lawn clippings and piggie
poos).
Alas, it is also completely dry, as we haven't had decent rain for a
couple of
months. Showers are forecast for the next week, so that's something (we
can
only water on Wednesdays and Sundays, between certain hours). Planted bok
choy, shallots, cabbage and kale, and spinach. Hope that the snail
numbers
are down enough that the plants survive the night! (I believe they are;
the
girls free-ranged most of summer.)

snip
Hope the grils like their new abode.

How are the rest of you going?

Just plotting and planning. I've resolved myself to not buying *anything*
until we get some decent rain.
BUT....
ON my *want it* list a
Eucalyptus "Summer Glory"
Some more kangaroo paws
another Banksia (not sure which one I want yet ... I have "birthday candles"
in on the top of one of the retaining walls so might get a few more of those
to dot through the front garden. ... but I also want an upright form as
well).
A Waratah ... when I get some feedback on the best one for my area (none of
the new ones around here yet).
More herbs to replace those dying in the herb garden. Even the mint is
doing it tough under the current water restrictions.

Instead I've been removing the revolting mock orange and bauhinia trees from
the side garden.

Actually, we were looking at photos from when we moved in and consoling
ourselves that while the garden isn't quite how we want it, it is just *so*
much better than when we moved in 5 years ago ... no more snake weed or
dutchman's pipe, several bauhinias, mock oranges and frangipannis down,
'Neville' the concrete cherub / bird bath was destroyed with glee and a
newer, more subtle bird bath installed, many lovely native plants added to
make a *garden* (as opposed to the ADD planting style / weed farm of the
previous owner, and two of the three retaining walls transformed from grey
besser brick to terracotta render. The "to do list" still seems long, but
the garden is no longer an eyesore.

Amanda

The Great Chook Tractor Experiment
 

In article ,
"FlowerGirl" wrote:

ON my *want it* list a
Eucalyptus "Summer Glory"
Some more kangaroo paws
another Banksia (not sure which one I want yet ... I have "birthday candles"
in on the top of one of the retaining walls so might get a few more of those
to dot through the front garden. ... but I also want an upright form as
well).

Perhaps another form of Banksia spinulosa, then?

A Waratah ... when I get some feedback on the best one for my area (none of
the new ones around here yet).
More herbs to replace those dying in the herb garden. Even the mint is
doing it tough under the current water restrictions.

Instead I've been removing the revolting mock orange and bauhinia trees from
the side garden.

LOL, which mock orange are they? Murraya paniculata, with the cloying scent?
But I rather like bauhinias; just not enough to plant one.

Actually, we were looking at photos from when we moved in and consoling
ourselves that while the garden isn't quite how we want it, it is just *so*
much better than when we moved in 5 years ago ... no more snake weed or
dutchman's pipe, several bauhinias, mock oranges and frangipannis down,
'Neville' the concrete cherub / bird bath was destroyed with glee and a
newer, more subtle bird bath installed, many lovely native plants added to

LOL -- any pictures of Neville around?

make a *garden* (as opposed to the ADD planting style / weed farm of the
previous owner, and two of the three retaining walls transformed from grey
besser brick to terracotta render. The "to do list" still seems long, but
the garden is no longer an eyesore.

Mine will take another 30 years or so... :-)

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

The Great Chook Tractor Experiment
 

"Chookie" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"FlowerGirl" wrote:

ON my *want it* list a
Eucalyptus "Summer Glory"
Some more kangaroo paws
another Banksia (not sure which one I want yet ... I have "birthday
candles"
in on the top of one of the retaining walls so might get a few more of
those
to dot through the front garden. ... but I also want an upright form as
well).

Perhaps another form of Banksia spinulosa, then?

Maybe .... I can't plant one where I want it yet (DH has some major digging
and backfilling to do!) so I've got a while to think it over.

A Waratah ... when I get some feedback on the best one for my area (none
of
the new ones around here yet).
More herbs to replace those dying in the herb garden. Even the mint is
doing it tough under the current water restrictions.

Instead I've been removing the revolting mock orange and bauhinia trees
from
the side garden.

LOL, which mock orange are they? Murraya paniculata, with the cloying
scent?
That's the sucker

But I rather like bauhinias; just not enough to plant one.
One is gone, the other remains. There are just 20 other plants I'd rather
have in the garden ... we've only got 913 m2!

Actually, we were looking at photos from when we moved in and consoling
ourselves that while the garden isn't quite how we want it, it is just
*so*
much better than when we moved in 5 years ago ... no more snake weed or
dutchman's pipe, several bauhinias, mock oranges and frangipannis down,
'Neville' the concrete cherub / bird bath was destroyed with glee and a
newer, more subtle bird bath installed, many lovely native plants added
to

LOL -- any pictures of Neville around?

No! He was really hideous....and he was leaky. We put up with him for a
while, but unfortunately DH 'leant' on him one day and he crumbled. What
set him apart from other cherubs holding large bowls and masquerading bird
baths, was the slight problem he encountered when he was cast, where a bit
of concrete escaped and dribbled out of his bottom and down his leg ... a
really lovely addition!


make a *garden* (as opposed to the ADD planting style / weed farm of the
previous owner, and two of the three retaining walls transformed from
grey
besser brick to terracotta render. The "to do list" still seems long,
but
the garden is no longer an eyesore.

Mine will take another 30 years or so... :-)

Isn't that what they're supposed to do?? :)

Amanda

The Great Chook Tractor Experiment
 

FlowerGirl wrote:

...was the slight problem he encountered when he was cast, where a bit
of concrete escaped and dribbled out of his bottom and down his leg ... a
really lovely addition!


Haa! Nice.

L.

The Great Chook Tractor Experiment
 

In article ,
"FlowerGirl" wrote:

What
set him apart from other cherubs holding large bowls and masquerading bird
baths, was the slight problem he encountered when he was cast, where a bit
of concrete escaped and dribbled out of his bottom and down his leg ... a
really lovely addition!

LOL! That would be the side to point towards the neighbours you didn't like.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

The Great Chook Tractor Experiment
 

"Chookie" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"FlowerGirl" wrote:

What
set him apart from other cherubs holding large bowls and masquerading
bird
baths, was the slight problem he encountered when he was cast, where a
bit
of concrete escaped and dribbled out of his bottom and down his leg ...
a
really lovely addition!

LOL! That would be the side to point towards the neighbours you didn't
like.

We used to wonder if he was a gift to the previous owner ... can't think why
you'd purposefully buy a cherub with diarrhoea, but the man did also seem to
think snakeweed was a fine specimen of a garden plant so who knows ;)
A