Lower Terrace Progress

After a very long period of neglect, we did some work on the lower terrace yesterday: we used fresh soil to filled in behind, and filled up to the top of, our new retaining wall.

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The last time I blogged about progress on the lower terrace was in July and August last year (here and here). This is what it looked like in July 2011:

Since then, we had made a bit more progress on the terrace walling and a lot more on the weeding, extending the area cleared of aggies etc etc until the line of sight along the front wall (just a row of steel posts in the picture above) extends all the way to the drive. (Which, from this point of view, is an ever-diminishing triangle of ground behind the camera.) And we weeded upward, clearing the stonework of grass etc. in preparation for rebuilding both terrace walls.

Doing this extra weeding we discovered that there was another, somewhat mysterious, partial terrace wall completely overgrown with weeds, about one metre to the left and behind the camera. Once the foliage was cleared we were unsure what to do. The cutting is steep, about 60–80cm high and has nothing holding it up except aggie roots—so we decided to work on other bits until we decided whether to build a retaining wall for it (and if so, what sort) or not. We still haven't decided.

In addition, in the last six months, we mulched most of the area we weeded, creating an earth ramp down to the terrace, with stepping-stones and edged in stones; and we intermittently weeded (and then sprayed!) the area furthest from the camera trying to get rid of the last of the blackberries and any other weeds before putting any fresh soil on top. (After months of trying—and failing—to track each blackberry shoot back to its root we gave up and started using Roundup. Likewise, after trying and failing to get the last of the weeds out of the terrace walling—without dismantling the entire wall—we started using Roundup there too.)

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Fast forward past months of micro-progress: two weeks back we went to the GrassRoots Community Market in Upwey and, apart from getting some great food, presents etc—we got three sturdy "Kings Park Special" Callistemons for only $50. (Yarra Ranges information on this cultivar here; listed by Angus Stewart here as one of the top ten native plants.)

Having bought, desiccated and killed a $70 grafted red flowering gum (called "Wildfire") just before xmas, what appealed to me about the plants is that they are large (1–1.5m) in large posts, acclimatised to local conditions, were not being maintained on a sprinkler system, meaning that if I neglected to water them daily they would not turn up their toes. And since it was likely to be a while before we won the war on weeds, they needed to be able to survive a few months in pots. They were also cheap and we were skint.

Having these lovely bottlebrushes sitting on the deck—and having read up about them—we found the motivation we needed to get two cubic metres of soil delivered, and shift it onto the terrace so we can plant them. The shifting took about sixty trips, using our big rope-handled buckets, with M and I shoveling, straining, stumbling, slipping, sliding, toe-stubbing, sweating and swearing until we were stuffed. Anyway, the soil is now in place and we are ready to plant the Callistemons and mulch around them. Que photo:

If we can, we will get another three of these and plant them as a hedge at 1.5m intervals. It is a shame not to use the Scarlet and Crimson Bottlebrushes at all, or to alternate between varieties of Bottlebrush—as I originally planned—but we might be able to use these behind the Kings Park Specials once we have rebuilt the stone wall.

A large part of the reason for the delay in planting anything at all was our realisation that it would be difficult to work on the stone wall with freshly planted tube-stock at out feet, without stepping on, or dropping a rock on, said plants. M. wanted to do the wall first, I was happy to plant first and replace any damaged plants. We were at an impasse, so we did nothing!

But, since these Kings Park Specials are a decent size, they will be a lot easier to see and avoid than tubestock, and we can stake them with big tree-stakes (50x50mm hardwood stakes) which will make them even easier to see and should protect them from stumbling amateur stone-masons! Also, by planting them close together (six instead of the three plants numbered 1,2,3 below) and close to the front of the terrace, they will be further out of the way, leaving us more room to work. This was my argument anyway and—as you can see—M agreed in the end.

Once the Kings Park Bottlebrushes are established, and the wall is rebuilt, there will be space available for a second row of plants. We could plant the Scarlet and Crimson Bottlebrushes here, instead of the Red flowering gum (numbered 4 below), as per my original plan. But even if we decide to stick with the Red flowering gum—or to leave this space clear for access—there are other places I might be able put these Scarlet and Crimson Bottlebrushes** and I will still plant the Weeping Bottlebrush where it will hang over the drive and gate etc. as planned (numbered 5 below).

**The "other places" are on the other side of the drive, on top of the stone wall, but in front of the planned fence. This space is triangular because the fence must be as far back from the stone wall as the wall is high (2m back where it is 2m high, 1m back where it is 1m high etc). Since the area down to the drive is M's territory, it is up to her to allow this, but since she really doesn't care what is on the other side of the boundary fence—since she can't see it from the house—it is possible that she will agree to me planting in this grey area. (It is largely because M is indifferent to what is on the "other side of the boundary fence" that the terraces are "my" area of the garden at all.) A few pictures would make this clearer, but they will have to wait for another post!

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UPDATE: We have planted four of the Kings Park Specials, with Running Postman between them. The survey stake marks where the fifth one will go. Sometime this week we will get some more mulch to cover up the bare ground around the plants and when my back gets better I will extend the retaining wall one more timber-length and terminate it. Then we can return to the back garden to finish what we started up there.

Progress on Vegie Box 1

I haven't been blogging much lately. Summer seems to be the season for labouring in the garden, rather than reflecting on your labours. M and I have been working hard on aspect of the plan for the back garden: slaving in fact, because unbearable heat usually comes with the dry sunny weather.

As I said in my last post (here) immediately after finishing our "Back Garden Plan No.3" (here) we started weeding, and constructing the first of three large vegie boxes, on the steep slope immediately behind the house.

Building the vegie box was, frankly, a bastard of a job, and I did my back in so badly when cementing the second post in that I had to take almost a month off. (M and I had to pull the post out of the wet quick-set cement when I realised that it was not in line, though it was vertical!) But the end product is beautiful, particularly when it has been raining, and I am looking forward to filling it with broad beans.

The first vegie box is now complete, and is nearly full of scoria and fill excavated from the path. We have been too skint to get the top soil to finish the job, so photos of the inside will have to wait for another day, but below are a few snaps of the progress so far.

BTW: This is only one of about four projects we have going which we haven't been blogging about. Before we started on the back garden we constructed some weather-proof storage for all out outdoor equipment (which I didn't quite finish before moving on).

In addition to the vegie box, M has been teaching herself how to construct low, stone walls to create low terraces for the wine-barrel garden; and I have been widening and leveling the path and creating temporary terracing with the spoil.

Next time it is so cold and wet I can't bring myself to go outside, I will trawl the my pix and do another blog entry on one of these.

Starting on the Back Garden

I went to the timber yard after xmas with our plan for the vegie boxes and came home with a few hundred kilos of cypress posts so we could start work out the back. And, having started, I have made an amazing discovery: digging post holes is hard work! Who knew? And who would have thought that there was an impenetrable mass of clay, rocks, gravel and tree roots just below the surface?

With a few breaks for more god-damn weeding, it has taken me two days to dig six holes. And there is something like twenty to go! Meanwhile, M. has worked wonders with our new garden fork** and two metres of mulch.

(M. has also discovered and moved a whole series of indigenous plants that had sprung up after our first weeding effort: a positive sign for the future. Hopefully she will do a post on these soon.)

**We snapped this six-month-old, stainless steel garden fork in half as soon as we started on the weeding up the back, an indication of just how well-established the weeds had become after six months of neglect!

BTW: We now have two wine-barrels too, thanks to my very generous brother, who has an abundance of these. He tells me they cost something like fifteen hundred dollars new, but are worth less than one hundred second hand.

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*

Mushrooms and Fungus

Here are six different varieties of mushrooms that were growing in our yard on 16 May of this year. I think this was almost every variety we have seen. But, if I spot others I will add then to this post. And as I identify them, I will add their names. At least one of them—the yellow one—is probably not indigenous to the Dandenong Ranges.

UPDATE 30 Dec 2011:

UPDATE 19 Jan 2012:

The Nesting Magpies Show

Our Maggies built their nest at eye level, about twenty metres from the house, directly in front of the kitchen window. So, for the last two months, we have been able to see their every move. The nest in huge, so it was quite a while before we could see the chick(s) that we could hear so easily. But then, in no time at all, we could see the fledgling(s) on the edge of the nest, flapping their wings, getting ready to leave the nest.

It is still not clear to me whether their is/was two chicks/fledglings: M. thinks two, I only got to see one. But since I can't see twenty metres without my glasses and I often don't wear them, I have been prepared to take M. at her word.

Anyway, this morning one of the chicks/fledglings left the nest. As I write, this fledgling is sitting, very awkwardly, in a thin and low branch of a tree (closer to the house). There are three other Magpies feeding it, one of which is the youngling from last season. None of the three older Magpies are returning to the nest to feed or care for any other chick, and so, if there was a twin (we have been calling them "the twins" for a few days now) it has died.

I wondered whether the youngling from last season was the second bird M. has seen in the nest, but she is adamant that it isn't. And, until we can have a look under the nest without disturbing the fledgling, there is no way of discovering whether a chick fell out or died and was pushed out.

I will try to get better photos of the whole family of Magpies. Unfortunately, the nest is too far away to take a happy snap any better than the above with my new digital camera, but now that they are out of the nest I should be able to do better.

Birds that Visit, Birds that Stay

[Australian Magpie—drenched and bedraggled after a storm]

There are lots of birds here, unlike the last place we lived.** And the longer we live here, and the more time we spend in the garden, and walking around the neighbourhood, the better we get to know the residents and the more chances we have had of catching a glimpse of occasional visitors.

As a way of keeping track of all the birds, I thought I would start a list and post photos as—of if—I can take them (and replace crappy photos with better ones as I can). The order and the numbers are taken from Ken Simpson and Nicolas Day's The Birds of Australia: A Book of Identification, 2nd ed. (1986); but I also used this site to identify birds. For visiting birds, I have added the month of the visit. (When my coz J. visits in November I am hoping he can correct and extend this short list!)

124. Pacific Black Duck. (Single visit.)
339. Galah. (Occasional visitor.)
343. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. (Regular visitor.)
354. Australian King Parrot. (Regular visitor, spring.)
366. Crimson Rosella elegans. (Resident.)
401. Southern Boobook. (Irregular visitor.)
409. Tawney Frogmouth. (Irregular visitor.)
424. Laughing Kookaburra. (Regular visitor.)
465. Blackbird. (Single visit.)
608. Red Wattlebird. (Regular visitor.)
749. Australian Magpie. (Resident; nested.)
753. Australian Raven. (Regular visitor.)

Also, a sparrow or finch of some description. (Resident.)

[Pacific Black Duck]

[Galahs]

[Sulphur-crested Cockatoo]

[Australian King Parrot (male)]

[Crimson Rosella elegans]

[Crimson Rosella elegans (juvenile)]

[Tawny Frogmouth]

[Laughing Kookaburra]

[Blackbird]

[Australian Magpies]

[Australian Ravens (calling but invisible in our Eucalyptus regnans)]

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** Where we lived previously we only had two types of birds that were long-term residents: pigeons (aka, the flying rat or avis rattus) and Indian Mynahs. There were also two types of visiting birds: the Common Blackbird and the Wattlebird. I spent years throwing things at the pigeons, removing nests and cutting down roosts to try to get them to nest and roost somewhere else—with only moderate success. We got to like the Mynahs (Heckle and Jeckle) who took turns in scrounging food from B. The Blackbird would regularly throw leaves and twigs out of the garden beds onto the paths, and we only occasionally got to see the Wattlebird.

**There are a few birds that we have seen very close to the yard, but not in it, such as Indian Mynahs. The most interesting of these, for me, was 182 Buff-banded Rail which I saw on the path a few doors away. Of course, in the National Park—which is just around the corner—I have seen lots of birds that don't appear in the yard …

[Last updated 15 October 2011]

Moving Rocky

[Arrow pointing to the tip of the boulder-iceberg]

These photos only tell part of the story. We started set to work on the terracing a few weekends back, and began the day by picking up the loose rocks. Two of the larger rocks didn't want to shift, so we dug down and discovered that they were not large rocks, but huge rocks. We kept digging and discovered that they were not huge rocks: they were freakin' boulders.

[Arrow pointing to the edge of dry part of the rock, which had been above-ground, and wet part of the rock, which had been below-ground. NB also the crowbar and the slight gap (visible at right) it has created between the stone and the earth]

At this point we would have buried them again except we discovered (by jamming the crowbar between them) that one of them moved a little, indicating that this was not bedrock we were excavating, but two enormous boulders. Since the boulders were located exactly where we want to plant a flowering gum (where the number 5 is on the planting scheme in my last post), we figured we'd try and dig them up. Foolish, foolish people.

After many hours slaving away, we managed to excavate the dirt, rocks and clay from around the first boulder, but were unable to get it out of the hole. We tried wobbling it back and forward, and trying to jam stones underneath to lift it up, but failed in this and everything else we could think of.** Until it occurred to me to drag the boulder out of its hole with a car, chains and rope.

The weight of the car and a little acceleration heading down hill was enough to shift the rock, but also enough to break four strands of rope (breaking strain ca. 1.2 metric tonnes!)—which sent me whizzing down the drive toward the Burwood Highway. Realising that we were going need a bigger boat stronger rope, we went and bought a 4WD rescue tether with a breaking strain of 4.5 metric tonnes.

[Out of the hole. All of the rocks in the fore-ground—and many more—were in the ground around the boulders, and had to be dug out of the hole]

The light having faded and the rain coming down, we had to wait until the next day to have a second go at the boulder. When we did, we managed to pull it free and most of the way along the lower terrace. At this point I switched positions and tried to drag our 350kg block up the slope, but the angle, the weight of the car and the boulder was too much for my little Civic: the clutch couldn't cope.††

[Along the terrace]

After a week of thought we decided to use simple and very old methods: we levered the rock from side to side, pushing one block of wood after another under it, wiggling it forward when we could, until we inched the rock up about two metres of 45 degree incline, so that it now rests on the edge of the drive. From here we can move it fairly easily—but we are content to leave it there while we consider what we use it for.

[half way up the slope]

Of course, we didn't move it in the first place without some idea of what we might use it for. My preferred option was to set it up as a standing stone in the middle of the herb garden we plan for behind the house, aligning it to North. Our 6hrs on the weekend, moving Rocky up a 2 metre slope showed me that there is no way we can get it up a 4 metres of curving steps into the herb garden, even if I can get it up the drive and along the path to the bottom of the steps on rollers.

[Almost completely up the slope]

The second option is to use it as a massive first step off the deck, above M.'s grey water feature—which also requires it to go up the drive along the path behind the house, along the path on the side garden (not built yet) and then lowered down the slope. Not easy, but do-able. A third option is to use it as a massive first step up from the turn around along the path that heads up to the deck. A fourth, is that we set set it up as a standing stone in the front garden aligning it to North, but we'd have to drag it up the drive and then slide it down through the garden, doubtless mashing a few new plants as we go.

Whatever we do, it is out of the way now and we can tackle the second boulder. And if that one proves difficult to dislodge we will bury it, even if we have to change our planting plans!

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** This is a technique I recalled seeing in a landscaping book. Of course, the example was a perfect sphere: ours was a tombstone-shaped slab (80 x 50 x 30cms) which could only be rocked along its thinest edge.

†† It did occur to me that tethering my car to a boulder and then burning my clutch out trying to drag it up a steep drive was probably not covered by my insurance.

Some Progress; Or, Plum-Be-Gone

[Last week]

[now (after a very long day digging in the garden)]

[what we are aiming for]

[1] Callistemon rugulosus (Scarlet Bottlebrush)
[2] Callistemon citrinus (Crimson Bottlebrush)
[3] Callistemon rugulosus (Scarlet Bottlebrush)
[4] Corymbia ficifolia (Red flowering gum)
[5] Callistemon viminalis (Weeping Bottlebrush)
[6] Acacia leprosa (Cinnamon wattle)
[7] Acacia leprosa (Cinnamon wattle)
[8] Grevillea (Robyn Gordon)

The stone retaining walls will have to be at least partly rebuilt. When we rebuild them we will put in foundations/supports for a brush fence. The fence is made of panels of Melaleuca uncinata branches between steel posts. The picture below gives an idea of the look (though, after a while, the fence will be obscured by all the plants) and what it will look like rising straight out of a wall as it will on the other side of the drive.

Plants for the Lower Terrace

M's domain—in the front yard—ends at the turn around. In other words, I claimed responsibility for the jungle of weeds, and the impossibly steep embankment between our drive/turn around and the road, most of which seems to be owned, but has been completely abandoned by, Vic Roads. It is a kind-of nature strip, partly triangular, about five meters in width at its widest, as the magpie flies, but about double that in terms of surface area. I gather we have responsibility to maintain it, the way everyone else has to mow their nature strip.

Most of this embankment is precipitous. The face of it is also still completely covered in agapanthus and there is also still enough blackberry on it to make it impossible to climb up, slide down or otherwise move on its surface: to weed or plant anything. Probably, either a ladder or a abseiling rig of some sort would be necessary. At the moment, I don't want to think about it.

The upper part of this area (from three to five metres above the road), which we call the "lower" or "first" terrace is the flat-ish part of our "nature strip." My intention to make it really flat and plant it out with a dense mass of flowering natives all of which have red flowers: not an easy task since red is a particularly unusual colour on native (Aussie) plants. The shrubs and trees will, I hope, look good, be a privacy screen and a sound barrier. (That is, utile dulci: useful and pleasant.)

I also want to cover, in time, the whole face of the embankment in ground cover and low (red-flowering) shrubs. But the only way I can do this is by poisoning a few small groups of weeds and planting a few shrubs at a time, waiting until they are established and then moving on, gradually completely replacing the weeds. Any wholesale weeding or poisoning—in fact, any real disturbance of the soil and the roots holding it together—and the entire embankment could wash away!

So I will start with retaining wall and planting behind it on the lower terrace, move and rebuild the second terrace and plant behind it, erect the fence and then work my way from the mouth of the drive along the embankment. By the time it is finished, the combination of native plants, brush fence and stone retaining walls, ought to look brilliant—and distinctive.

The native trees and shrubs I have in mind (at present) are a mix of the following.

Flowering gum

Corymbia ficifolia (red flowering gum: the grafted cultivar Wildfire), this has a dense foliage and abundant scarlet flowers in summer but is slow-growing and from WA [6m x 3-4m wide]. This is the one I want even though Metropolitan Tree Growers warn that "there are no mature (15+ years) populations" of these grafted trees and it "is possible that graft incompatibility … could cause trees to become unstable (at the graft union)". That is, a mature tree might break off 10cm above ground level and fall onto the Burwood Highway!

Wattle

Acacia leprosa (cinnamon wattle: the grafted cultivar Scarlet Blaze, which has masses of round red flowerheads (late winter to early spring) [5m x 3m wide]. All of these Kinglake cinnamon wattles are propagated by cuttings from a single—unusual—parent tree. The yellow-flower form is indigenous to the area.

Bottlebrush

Callistemon rugulosus [aka C. macropunctatus] (Scarlet Bottlebrush; flowers from spring to autumn. This seems to be the one with the most spectacular red flowers, but it doesn't get particularly tall; [2–4m x 2–4m wide].

Callistemon citrinus (Crimson Bottlebrush); flowers from spring to late summer; fast growing. This one flowers for longer but the new growth is pink; [3–7m x 2–5m wide]

Callistemon viminalis (Weeping Bottlebrush; produces large, brilliant red flowers spring and summer; fast growing and tall; [8m x 3m]

Grevilleas

Grevillea banksii x G. bipinnatifida: the grafted cultivar "Robyn Gordon"; spectacular deep red flowers; dense foliage; flowers year round (1–2m x 3m wide).

Other trees M. is trying to convince me to plant

Now that the terrace is almost clear and getting close to being ready to plant, I think M. is regretting her decision to allow me to plant non-indigenous natives on this spot. She has been trying to convince me to consider these:

Eucalyptus ovata (swamp gum), which is fast growing and indigenous, but has very open foliage and canopy [20–25m x 8m wide];

Eucalyptus dives (broad-leaved peppermint gum) [15–25m x 6-8m wide]

Eucalyptus radiata (narrow-leaf peppermint gum) [20–40m x 6-10m wide]. There are two narrow-leaf peppermint gums in the front yard, so they are well adapted to the site and will grow fast and well (and tall!).

With a busy three months ahead of me I'll have plenty of time to decide, and to map out a planting scheme. And M. has plenty of time to lobby for these non-red-flowering plants.