Author Topic: The "Show us ya Garden - Landscaping" Thread (Read 85636 times)

Spada · « **Reply #125 on:** February 09, 2020, 04:03:15 PM »

Quote from: nab on February 09, 2020, 01:25:20 PM

Looks so green and lush,

For about the first time in a year

We've had reasonably good rain for about the last 3 weeks and the grass is just starting to recover after a loonnng dry spell, but there are still quite a few bare spots. We've got fairly crappy sandy loam around here, I'd love to top-dress with an organic blended topsoil but Mrs Spada wont let me spend money on "dirt"

gronk · « **Reply #126 on:** February 09, 2020, 05:05:38 PM »

Topdressing is really a thing you do to level a lawn. If you are allowed, get hold of a coring machine and fill in the holes with the "good" soil.
If I get an area of lawn that is struggling, I fork it, and open up the holes a bit and go over with dynamic lifter and hose in.

Spada · « **Reply #127 on:** February 09, 2020, 05:41:06 PM »

Quote from: gronk on February 09, 2020, 05:05:38 PM

Topdressing is really a thing you do to level a lawn. If you are allowed, get hold of a coring machine and fill in the holes with the "good" soil.
If I get an area of lawn that is struggling, I fork it, and open up the holes a bit and go over with dynamic lifter and hose in.

You're right, I cored and fertilized after the first couple days of rain and it sure helped, but would have loves something decent to top over the cored holes.

Spada · « **Reply #128 on:** April 12, 2020, 03:14:23 PM »

This lock-up is going to kill me. Mrs Spada & I decided to use Easter at home to tidy up the gardens. It's their first big overhaul in 15 years. 22 trailer loads of trimming and raked up leaf litter (most of it was fed through the fire pit, but some went to the tip).

Front yard looks a lot tidier now

but we've still got the backyard to go

D4D · « **Reply #129 on:** April 12, 2020, 03:26:01 PM »

Quote from: Spada on April 12, 2020, 03:14:23 PM

This lock-up is going to kill me. Mrs Spada & I decided to use Easter at home to tidy up the gardens. It's their first big overhaul in 15 years. 22 trailer loads of trimming and raked up leaf litter (most of it was fed through the fire pit, but some went to the tip).

Front yard looks a lot tidier now but we've still got the backyard to go

Nice job, it's a good time to get into the garden.

Fizzie · « **Reply #130 on:** April 13, 2020, 08:51:17 AM »

Quote from: Spada on April 12, 2020, 03:14:23 PM

22 trailer loads of trimming and raked up leaf litter (most of it was fed through the fire pit, but some went to the tip).

If you've got lots of trimmings etc, then I can recommend one of these https://www.ryobi.com.au/products/details/2400w-crushing-shredder-rsh2445s.

We've only had ours for a couple of weeks now but it's awesome

55l bin on it, but that equates to ~2m³, or a trailer load, of rubbish

& then couple it with one of these https://www.ryobi.com.au/outdoor/products/list/category/loppers for even more goodness!

Hairs · « **Reply #131 on:** June 20, 2020, 03:43:57 PM »

Finally getting around to doing something about where the above ground pool use to be. An outside fire area, maybe something like this?
Where the deep end of the pool was, will become a water feature, water supplied from the shed and house.
Now it's time for a few Coopers Pale Ales and enjoy the view.

Enjoy you arvo Swaggers
Cheers

Spada · « **Reply #132 on:** August 26, 2020, 06:46:34 AM »

With a real lack of camping this year, I've needed something to keep me occupied so we've started on another little yard project. It's still a work in progress, but thought I'd post up the work so far. So about 15 years ago we built a little wooden deck area up the back garden where we could have a few sundowners and "survey the kingdom" so to speak. Most Sunday afternoon's a few of the neighbours wander up and we share a few ales. Over time, we added a fire pit off to the side which has now evolved into the primary gathering area and the decked bit hasn't been getting a lot of use. We quite often have a camp oven cook up in the fire pit with the neighbours, and have built an oven type thing from an upside down metal wheel barrow over the fire for cooking. About all we've used the deck area for is putting food on the table for serving. With a bit of beer and some thinking music, we came to the conclusion that the outhouse (as we call it) needed a new lease of life, and a plan was hatched

These are the before pictures of the deck area. In it's origional form it is 4.8 x 2.4 with a shade cloth roof, and was completely overgrown with a jasmine vine.

Spada · « **Reply #133 on:** August 26, 2020, 06:56:19 AM »

We decided some time ago that we'd really like a pizza oven, and deliberated for ages on if we'd get enough use and where it could go. In the end we made the decision and decided to put it off the end of the outhouse and turn that area into an outdoor bush kitchen type area.

So stage 1 was to push the back wall out 400mm to make room for a bench along the back wall, and to ad a 600mm extension off the front for a seating/prep bench area, and the shade cloth roof was redone with old corrugated iron.

Spada · « **Reply #134 on:** August 26, 2020, 07:02:18 AM »

Next job was to build a bench-top/table arrangement in the front extension. I've scored a 2400 x 900 granite slab off ebay for $40, so that will be turned into a prep area for the wood oven. I've set it at a height that is comfortable to sit at, and from outside it is about "public bar" height to stand and look in. I've used an old pine sleeper to rim the top and sheeted the front in old tin.

Spada · « **Reply #135 on:** August 26, 2020, 07:12:16 AM »

With the front bit done, I spun around and focused on the back wall. This was framed using recycled timber and also sheeted in old tin. The original wooden table was cut in half and the 2 halves used to make a bench along the back wall.I already had a water line running behind the outhouse for some garden taps, so I tapped into that and installed a sink ($20 from the recycle shop), and we already have power to the outdoor area so a couple of power points will eventually be added the back wall (when I can con my sparky mate around for a beer).

Spada · « **Reply #136 on:** August 26, 2020, 07:16:16 AM »

With building works mostly done, it's now time to look at the wood oven area. We hand poured a slab off the end, and built a block stand from some blocks left over from when I built a retaining wall behind the shed. these were then core-filled for extra strength.

Spada · « **Reply #137 on:** August 26, 2020, 07:23:21 AM »

So far, it's been about 5 weeks since we started the project. This weeks task is to form and pour the concrete bench top for the wood oven. This will pull up the works for a little while now. I'd like to leave the top to cure for a couple of weeks, and then we are away for the 2 weeks of school holidays (assuming Qld doesn't follow Victoria's lead between now and then). There will still be some tinkering like adding a 12v lighting system and a few odd jobs, but after the top is poured on Friday not much more will happen until the start of October. That's when the oven building will start