Back Garden Plan No.3

Recent activity on the surrounding properties has made us realise that we need to allow some space along the fence-line in our back yard for privacy screening. After much discussion, and somewhat reluctantly, we have opted for clumping bamboo: it is fast-growing and it is reasonably attractive (especially the black-stemmed varieties). This reduces the amount of space and light for fruit trees, vegies and herbs, chooks and sheds.

Also, the recent arrival of our new Airdale pup has made us realise that we need to allow un-paved, un-decked space in our back yard for said puppy to run and scratch around in, poop etc., until we finish both the front fence and deck-extension. And finally, the recent realisation of just how much god-damned time and money is gobbled up doing the smallest thing in the yard has prompted me to simplify our plans.

The upshot is above. It starts simple: first**: three steps made out of 2.4m sleepers, to hold six half wine barrels (left). These are for citrus trees and blue-berry bushes. Then the three square vegie boxes made out of 2.4m lengths of redgum sleepers (middle). Then the retaining wall for the bamboo (all edges), with ag-pipe drain to the left of the house. That is all I plan to do this summer: enough to get the bamboo planted and growing—though I might lay the cement slab for the top water-tank too.

Over winter I'd like to work on the side and front deck, but we should be able to do that and finish the second retaining wall along the central path (with ag-pipe connected to the storm-water) and erect the posts for the fruit-cage cum chook enclosure (top). This should mean M. can lay the central path and we get to plant all the flower beds and fruit trees by spring so that next summer I can put in the second water-tank, link the two tanks and the drainage.

By the time all this is done—by the end of next summer—the bamboo will have been in the ground for over one year and will have reached the hight we want (four to six metres) for us to be able to enjoy the space with a measure of privacy. We can then think about the chook house, shed, the pergola, seat etc.

Actually, first is weed (again) and mulch. *sigh*

Midsummer Eve etc

Midsummer Eve has come and gone, but tonight is the night for food and wine, family and festivities. With this in mind, here is a Christmas photo for everyone featuring our favourite avian friends! (And yes, that is the 2011 fledgling on the top of the Christmas tree!)

Three Flying Teeth

I begged my very talented sister to make these for me after attending an exhibition of her work … last century. I have been carrying them from house to house ever since. Now I have the perfect canvas to hang them on!

And in case it isn't obvious, they are supposed to be a twist on the classic theme, popular in 50s kitchens, of three, ceramic flying geese.

Alternative Uses For 60's Tub Chair

A beautiful left over from Monash University's 60's office furniture has been in our possession for a while now. It has been in need of repair since we got it but we have only recently taken the broken base off to be repaired. The tub part of the chair has been resting on the newly arranged shag pile (a gift from the world's best sister in law) in the study. Hardly noticed by the girls before now, the tub has become the preferred home for "she who must be obeyed".

SekhMet at leisure!

New/Old Ceramic 70s Door Knobs

We bought a small box of glass and ceramic 70s door knobs off eBay over a year ago. I uncovered them when tidying up the laundry and put the ceramic ones on the four doors that had had the original timber handles "renovated" (i.e., replaced with dull, cheap, new plastic crap).

[2010 silver plastic crap (left), 70s orange/brown ceramic awesomeness (right)]

This is a process we would like to repeat all over the house, un-do the cheapo "renovation" and replace low-end 70s fixtures and fittings with high-end ones.

Laundry shelving

We bought a flat-pack shelving unit to go into the laundry last xmas, but it has taken a year to find the time to rip out the crappy and broken shelving and install our new free-standing shelves.

[before (left) and after (right)]

Of course, the old shelves were cross-nailed to the wall with four inch nails rather than being screwed to the studs.

By the time the shelves were off I had dozens of nail holes to fill. it took three layers of plaster to smooth out the mess—so I needed to repaint the whole wall.

Once the wall was painted (a terra-cotta colour called "tawny copper"), the flat-pack shelving needed modifying and reinforcing to fit around the water-heater.

Now that it is done, all the tools which were stacked on the floor are on shelves. It isn't pretty but it holds everything, it is sturdy, we can use the sink and open the back door.

[tools which were on the floor (left) are now on shelves (right). The clothes racks will hang off hooks on the front of the shelves. The kitty-litter is still on the floor, but now we can get past it to the sink and out the door.]