Backyard Update

Well, I have been busy in the garden planting and planning but the weather has not been very kind to me (or my plants). We have had temperatures in the high 30s and I have heard reports that we will be hitting 40 by this weekend ...yikes.

One of our bunnies (Peppa) suffered from heat stroke and passed away last Saturday so we have all been extra vigilant with the shade and frozen water bottles for the animals. Zac has worked especially hard at this..checking their water every couple of hours and moving them around the yard. I am very proud of him.

I have some photos of the backyard taken on 31 Jan for our records of where we started. Hopefully next year the backyard will look very different.

This first photo is looking at the back fence. The shade sail is partially over the cubby house because that is where it blew in a windstorm and one of the legs is now busted. The cubby at the moment is where I am storing my mulch and potting mix etc. Notice the plastic toys everywhere..no there was no cyclone...just Ben and Matt.

Second photo is our back corner and garden shed (lovely glare of the shed there lol). The shed is Nige's domain where he stores his tools etc and is due for a massive cleanout but we will get to that later. The back garden has only weeds at the moment. When the rabbits free-ranged (before Max- one of the dogs..not a child... decided to start nipping them) it was full of rabbit burrows and was there favourite place to hang out. Nige has plans for an Olive tree in this garden and some herbs in pots.

Third photo, my passionfruit vine. I am hoping to grow this around the pool fence. Mmmm passionfruit on icecream yummo ...can't wait for that one.

The other corner of the yard with the guinea pig hutch sitting in what will be my second vege patch. I am planning to do a no-dig style garden bed there with layers of newspapr, hay and compost.

A Meyer Lemon Tree and a Kaffir Lime in self-watering pots by the back steps.

Ben watering the seedlings for me. I have planted:

* a capsicum bush,

* three cucumber seedlings only one of which survived the first day

* six mixed capsicum seedlings (only one has survived)
* three watermelon seedlings..all going well.

I mulched with pea straw. They had compressed bales at Bunnings so it was convenient. I plan to buy some bales of hay from one of the local farmers before I start the next vege patch.

Strawberries are still going along nicley..I have one strawberry almost ready for picking. Not quite sure how I will share that out amongst the boys though.

I have moved the worm farm to a shadier spot beside the house and added some more worms. I am hoping they will go a bit better here (also less likely they will be knocked over when Nige does the mowing). At the moment they are nowhere near keeping up with our kitchen scraps.

I told you I had been busy.

Lisa