I think we are finally closing in on how we want the backyard. Not being
able to afford the services of a landscaper or anyone experienced in setting
up gardens, it has been a couple of years of minor trial and error adapting
a nanna garden to suit our needs (not that I knew what those were
initially). It looks like we will be pulling out a few more plants and
shrubs to replace them with fruit trees.

I've bought 2 lemons and a lime, as well as a plum and may get some more.
They will be planted on the north and west sides of the yard. I'm going to
put a raised garden bed in the north west corner, I just have to work out
how best to level the ground a bit more. It will need breaking up with
something and some dirt moved to other areas of the yard. I have to work out
what to do with the nasty compacted lump that was in the compost bin. It was
not working well. Does anyone find a worm farm is better?

We will need to get a lot of pine mulch to put around to keep weeds under
control. It will take time but hopefully as the weather improves we will get
more opportunity to do it. At least now I have some idea on what we will
have in the backyard.

Liz

Hi Len,
I have just been looking at your garden pages and thinking there are some
great ideas there. By pine mulch what I probably mean is chipped up trees to
put around on top to keep weeds down. I'm into short cuts in all things as I
work fulltime and have a four year old. Not enough time for gardening
unfortunately which is why cooch was winning the battle until recently. What
would you say your best tips are in carving out a veggie bed? I don't know
if I have the room for your straw bale garden. Looks great though!

Liz
"gardenlen" wrote in message
...
g'day liz,

ah lot of us can't afford those services, probably not needed services
anyway, nothing too dramatic in laying out a garden area the way you
want it. what do they say the only difference between the garden you
want and a landscaped agrden is where they put the rock feature hey
lol? money spent on proffessionaly called service oft' better spent
buying good mulches or plants.

anyhow to enlighten me what is "pine mulch"?

in the mean time check our site listed below and go to the building a
agrden page also go our latest too easy and as cheap as hay bale
garden listed and the instant potato patch. all have only beeen in
since easter and eating broccoli, silverbeet and now cauliflower from
it.

On Mon, 28 Aug 2006 09:44:17 +1000, "Staycalm"
wrote:

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://www.gardenlen.com

g'day liz,

ah lot of us can't afford those services, probably not needed services
anyway, nothing too dramatic in laying out a garden area the way you
want it. what do they say the only difference between the garden you
want and a landscaped agrden is where they put the rock feature hey
lol? money spent on proffessionaly called service oft' better spent
buying good mulches or plants.

anyhow to enlighten me what is "pine mulch"?

in the mean time check our site listed below and go to the building a
agrden page also go our latest too easy and as cheap as hay bale
garden listed and the instant potato patch. all have only beeen in
since easter and eating broccoli, silverbeet and now cauliflower from
it.

On Mon, 28 Aug 2006 09:44:17 +1000, "Staycalm"
wrote:

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://www.gardenlen.com

In article ,
"Staycalm" wrote:

I've bought 2 lemons and a lime, as well as a plum and may get some more.
They will be planted on the north and west sides of the yard. I'm going to
put a raised garden bed in the north west corner, I just have to work out
how best to level the ground a bit more. It will need breaking up with
something and some dirt moved to other areas of the yard. I have to work out
what to do with the nasty compacted lump that was in the compost bin. It was
not working well. Does anyone find a worm farm is better?

If it's a raised bed, why would you be moving dirt away? Oh, and just throw
teh undigested compost into the future bed.

We will need to get a lot of pine mulch to put around to keep weeds under
control.

Ring your council -- see what they do with chipped street trees. Mine will
dump a load of chips on my driveway on their way home.

--
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

"Chookie" wrote in message
...

If it's a raised bed, why would you be moving dirt away? Oh, and just
throw
teh undigested compost into the future bed.

The levels in the garden are all over the place. We need to lower what was
part of the old garden beds so that the mower can be used. I'm mounding
other areas in order to put the trees in once I've added some compost and
poo of some sort. The area for the garden bed is on a slope so that's going
to require a bit of digging to get the levels right. I was thinking of
digging in the compost in wherever.


We will need to get a lot of pine mulch to put around to keep weeds under
control.

Ring your council -- see what they do with chipped street trees. Mine
will
dump a load of chips on my driveway on their way home.

I work for said council (indirectly) and I recently became aware of the
chipping but I'm not sure they give/sell to the public. I think they use it
on their own projects.

Thanks though it will be worth a call to find out.

Liz