Parties and Puddles

 

Happy Birthday Little One

May you never Stop Jumping in Puddles !

Shade Garden Re-Build

There was a disaster at my Mother's Home in the form of a VERY old a dilapidated 'Shade House'. 

I can't say WHEN my Father built it but it does feature in my Wedding Photos.

It has to GO - We just need a plan ..

The only way to get Mother to agree to doing something about this was to turn it into a "Big Secret Project" while my DB was away.  We had 4 Weeks.

Demolition: 

Got to break stuff before it can be fixed.

Remove what remained of a Galvanised Water-pipe framework extension.

Remove Shade cloth including Clothesline Wire it was sewn to, as well as remaining Watering system.

Knock down Rotted Timber Framework. 

Make safe all Rubbish.

Privacy Fence Extension:

We 'Think' the infill is Cement Sheet but on the off-chance that it is actually Asbestos - It is Staying.

Work out how to and

Secure the Screen to old Poles

Reattach Shade cloth to Frame.

Lets Paint Stuff...

1 x Tin Colourbond Cream to match the Fence

and the Blue - leftover from Our Garage Reno & Still Good.

Note the 2 Tone to hide the Poles!

Framework Finished:

Needless to say there were many trips back & Forth to Bunnings and a lot of Measure twice Cut once and the inevitable "Why doesn't that fit" moment.

Shade cloth:

Attaching the Shade cloth was going to be the most challenging.

Bearing in mind that there are just DH and Myself doing this we had to come up with a way to tension the fabric and secure it and make sure we weren't short when we got to the other side...

The Overhang:

Do we cut it Off?

Let it drape at the back of the garden?

No - There is enough to attach to the top of the Fence extension... Let's do that - because everything else is too easy!

Part 2 - This Mess:

Sunken Pavers - The result of not waiting or compacting the soil after removing an Ancient Lemon Tree.

A Massive Tripping hazard for anyone let alone my elderly Mother.

Making Safe:

DH thought we could just lift a few pavers and fill underneath.. 

I have laid enough paths to know it was quicker to Lift everything, Level, Compact and Re-lay the pavers.

From Clearing off all the Pots,

Transplanting Cyclamen growing between the Pavers

Lifting and Replacing 120 pavers

and Sweeping Paving Sand in

It took just 3 hrs to do.

Not Quite Finished:

Where we left the last photo - the area was very hot.

Here is where we re-purpose that Artificial Turf from #DS's Garden rebuild.

There was just enough to cover the space.

It's a Wrap:

We returned refurbished Pot plants and installed a couple of Safety items - Handrail on the house wall and Raised planters IF she wants to potter. 

And a "it doesn't matter if it gets wet" Chair.

Did we make it?:

YES!

25 days after we moved the plants out. With a couple of weekends off.

Was #DB Surprised - I think it was more relief that the job had been done.

And Mum?  Well - After 50 years she finally stated that DH "was a Good Bloke."

* * *

Footnote: Incase anyone is interested - 

Final Cost to do this AUD $1,000.00
(not including our time and Coffee)

Finally Flowers ..

10 maybe 15 years ago we went through a "Let's Grow Orchids" phase.

Some are still lurking around the garden in various stages of neglect - except One.

I planted it on a hollow log that was put under the Japanese Maples and forgotten, but each time we weeded the Violets from around it we were surprised that it was actually flourishing.

Today I walked past and noticed its First Ever Flower Spike!

I was doing all sorts of excited 'Happy Dances' 

and DH said 'Oh yeah I saw that last week....'

- Good Grief-

Anyway I was happy...

And keen to watch the buds opening

Are they Green..

Or Yellow?

No - Cream

With Purple Spots in it's Throat.

It has long since lost it's label so I can't tell you what it is - 

(Any Ideas? 

Let me know in the comments!)

Squatters..

If I Fits .. I Sits...

Thought for the Day -

If you are going to leave your Bike unattended for a lengthy period of time..

Take your Helmet with you!

DS wasn't sure How long this Bike had been parked at Uni - 

but it left him wondering What the Owner was going to Do when they returned to it...

Extreme Gardening

It's been Five Years since DS bought his Townhouse with the small courtyard Garden bed.  

But it was someone else's Garden.

Now They need to make it Their Own.

So Out Goes the Garden Bed* - 

That wasn't hard, It was Rotting anyway

Then the Fake Turf came up.

This stuff is horrible - can't be recycled due to the different plastics used.  

So best idea is to Re-purpose it.

And then the "Oh My - What have we done moment"

All Good - just move the Soil across to the path, but keep the compressed bed - we need that.

Adding a Crazy Paved Path for some interest and access to the plants.

DIL was delighted to 'Smash the Pavers into Submission"

It also helped when we picked up already broken ones at Bunnings VERY cheaply!

(Once the path was in place the remaining compacted soil could now be lofted.)

They added a Timber Screen to the side of the Old Shed.

Now the Fun Part - PLANTING.

The idea is to have a Low Maintenance  Australian Bush Garden using plants that are Indigenous to their Local Area.

All we need now is The Site Supervisors  Approval!

(Maybe he should get a Work safe Hi-Vis Vest!)

*Don't worry - Any and All of the plants that were worth Saving are now resting at Our Place.

And the Turf?

That is the subject of another Post.

August: More Birthdays

 DD:- "Mum, I may need some help with the Birthday Cake...

'Someone' dropped the cast Iron Cookie tray on the Glass door,

So I don't have an Oven."

And that is how I found myself baking multiple cakes at short notice ....

I had Cakes in the Oven and Cakes in the Mixer and only one timer...

Until I realised that I had a Stopwatch - Lap timer on my wrist!

(Worked really well, especially when I remembered to set "GO")

Cakes baked, 

Filled with Strawberry Jam, 

and Iced with Fondant

 

then hand over to DD for her and DGD to decorate.

The finished Cake was a success.

Birthday Girl was Happy

And Lots of Compliments for Beautiful and Tasty Cake.

July Round-up

July 9:

While DS/DDIL#2 went off on a short break to Fitzroy Island with visiting Family from the USA, 

We found ourselves "Fur-Baby" Sitting.

We were wondering just How Spike would cope - but after some initial 'Stern Words' as to Who was Top Cat in the House ...

They settled to an uneasy Truce - 

And as long as no one was watching, they got along quite well.

July 20:

Happy Birthday Little Miss I (DGD#4).

Daddy did a Good Job of making the Iconic Women's Weekly Duck Birthday Cake.

July 30:

I was stunned to discover that TEN post comments, dating back to at least September 2022 were sitting in a SPAM folder that I didn't know existed! 

Happy to 'approve' them - and a belated Thankyou!