No garden!

Well, forget about a no-dig garden, we simply don't have a garden at the moment! Thus, it's been a loooong while since I've posted to this blog.

We have begun some renovations on our house which has, until recently, turned our productive backyard into a building site! We have built a deck that transitions out to the garden, but there's still some work to do to finish things off and re-connect to our gardening activities.

Thus, we are researching ideas and designs for our backyard, as we have an opportunity to "start from scratch".

I've been reading up on Permaculture Design (Simon gave me Bill Mollison's lovely book recently) and we are turning our thoughts to a sustainable garden that can produce things for us but also for itself to keep it self-sufficient (you know, mulches, composting, seasonal mixes, etc).


So, while we are keen to put in rainwater tanks and a grey water system, we need to also think about the layout and the slope of the property and use the best areas for the best fit to our (outdoor) activities. And of course, we need to look after our little ladies who are keeping us in a fine stock of eggs!

We also want to maintain our worm farm and also a space (or theme) in which the kids can play and explore.

Between now and then (likely about 12 months) I am gathering together plants, propagating things we like the look of, eyeing off secondhand bricks, sleepers and limestone blocks and researching ways to generally make our garden summer-proof here in Perth - and ouch, what a summer we've just had! Hot, dry and simply bears NO fruit/veg wihtout constant water and shade (two things we don't as a constant).

So, wile we will maintain a small garden bed over the coming cooler months, our focus will shift more to our bigger plans in creating a backyard garden to cherish.

Happy gardening!

Children in the garden

Well, Christmas has come and gone and our two weeks holiday already seems a distant memory (but memorable to say the least!).

The extra time we could spend in the garden has meant Simon and his Dad could get the mulch in on the kids' playground area at the back of the garden - and it's looking a treat!

Simon raking mulch over a cardboard barrier.

Work in progress with trees, pond 'to-be' and mulch.

More mulch to go in of course, but the space is much more inviting already. Check with your local council to see if they offer a free mulch service, otherwise you can expect to pay about $60 (or more!) for a trailer load. I want to get more trees in pots around the area, including some fruit trees, plus some herbs for that extra sensory element. :o)

Unfortunately our grapes, while producing a large amount of yummy looking bunches, was struck by powdery mildew. Sulphur doses came too late I'm afraid and we had to remove all of the crop. Better luck (and preparation) next year. The vine provides lovely shade over the sandpit as anticipated and the lattice fence some extra shad on the area in general.

I hope you had a relaxing Christmas in the garden and here's to a productive 2012! Happy gardening!

Universal playground, Mueller Park Subiaco

Hands on water feature at playground, Mueller Park Subiaco a photo by margoc on Flickr.

We recently visited the new universal playground developed at Mueller Park in Subi. It's a wonderful play space for all ages and abilities! We've been filing away ideas for kids areas in our garden and just loved hanging out in this space.

The water feature was a hit with Clancy (plus a few bees vying for a drink) where she dropped leaves into the "stream" and watched them travel into the "puddle". Other kids were dressed for the water action too!

The other aspect I really liked was the contoured sandpits which enabled all to enter them for a play - there were crawling babies dipping in and out - the level of the sandpit was below the walkways, making it really easy for them to get into and out of it!

There were some musical pieces too - drums and hollow tubes linked underground across the playground - kind of like submarine walkie-talkies. Very cool!

The area is planted with native shrubs and trees and some grasses. Would also be nice to see some aromatic plants - herbs for kids to pick and taste for example.

A great space for kids parties too I reckon. We'll certainly be back for more of a play here!

At Home with Josh Byrne

At Home with Josh Byrne a photo by margoc on Flickr.

We visited Josh Byrne's home garden last weekend. It's amazing what you can do in a small space! The front garden is a water wise native garden and looks so lush. The retaining recycled limestone wall really gives the garden form and structure and no doubt acts as a bit of a water diversion to other parts of the garden. Clancy loved the sleepers, stepping along to different areas, one part with a sort of wishing well again made from the same material as the retaining wall - there was a sense of adventure about it all.

The rear yard is amazing: an edible garden and sensory feast using raised beds, pots, bins, a vertical herb garden, plus a sandpit and cubbyhouse for the kids, surrounded by aromatic herbs.

I'll say Josh certainly has an eye for design, using the space well to create areas of activity and relaxation - I especially loved the pergola overgrown with a passionfruit vine and the inviting lounge suite beneath!

Mostly, I wanted to see firsthand his greywater set up - very high tech (well it looked that way) - water is probably the biggest issue Perth gardeners face.

Well, happy sustainable gardening... it's going to be another long, hot Summer!

Sustainable House Day 2011

Part of Sustainable September includes Sustainable House Day. We visited an open house on Sunday morning, a renovation (retaining the small, street-facing original double brick home) using passive solar and universal design principles throughout. It was really helpful to talk with the owner and hear their experiences on the ins and outs of designing and building a home using green principles.

Here are my take away thoughts:

• Get a number of quotes from architects and builders before making a final decision.
• Have a good ongoing relationship with your architect (they can also help when talking with the builders, especially if issues arise).
• Be prepared to compromise if necessary for practicality sake (it's incredibly expensive to take a purist's view on sustainable design and building!) and be wary of "green washing".
• Be available regularly at least to stay in touch with progress, especially if there are suggested design changes.
• Engage builders who are knowledgable in sustainable building practices, materials and approaches (including minimising on-site rubbish and disruption where possible).
• Be realistic (and well prepared) about budget and timeframes!
• Think beyond the initial build/renovation (i.e. future proofing and ongoing maintenance needs, etc).
• Be prepared for a relatively stressful time throughout. :o)

And the garden? Don't leave it til the end, build it into the design and get stuck in! :o)

Happy gardening!

A limestone garden bed

We have certainly made the most of the sunshine this weekend in the garden! Simon (with some help from Clancy) put the garden bed together from salvaged limestone blocks, which sits in the middle of the backyard, cutting the space in two - part of our backyard project (we do love projects). In addtion, we will build a sandpit for the kids too, under the grapevine to make the most of the shade there.

The limestone is simply lovely and the bed breaks up the space to be more user-friendly. Hoping we can keep things growing during the hot summer months and will rig up the greywater system to service this bed too. We may need to supplement with town (potable) water, but hoping to minimise this as much as possible.



Happy gardening!