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*