A year in the making

Well a year ago this week the ball started rolling!  Feb 1st I put the holding deposit down on land and then on Feb 7th, black saturday I signed the contracts and paid the remaining deposit!  I would love to say that the time has flown, but I honestly think that it has been the longest year in my life!  I'm the kind of person that can take a while to make up her mind but once it's made up I want it done right away!

Thanks to everyone for sharing this journey with me over the past 12 months!  I hope the next 12 months are productive and a lot more enjoyable and less stressful!

I keep meaning to put my slide show together of the changes, I really should get off my bum and do that this week

Gardening - Chilli Plants

Today I finally got around to re-potting the chilli plants that I was given! My friend that gave me the plants has literally hundreds of them growing (mostly in pots in his front yard!) and was more than happy to share some with me! The pot's I used I was also given (how good is this!) by someone that was going to throw them out and the best thing they both live in the next suburb which makes it even better!

So first of all I had to clean the terracotta pots as I was originally going to paint them (not so sure now) but first they need to be sealed! I also had to go buy more potting mix as the pots I decided to use were a lot bigger than the black pots I had planned to use, but at least these pots mean that the plants can stay in them a lot longer, if not forever.
After getting back from the big green hardware box, I had the sealer required and painted up all the pots and then left them to dry for a few hours. I used this time to finally assemble the wheelbarrow that my sister bought me for Christmas - too many bolts, urgh! I then replanted all the plants and watered them well with some seasol!

Here are the pictures:

Cleaning the terracotta pots and letting them dry


The chilli plants in need of bigger pots


Shiny! Just after being sealed


The first chilli plant re-potted and a lady bird appears, awesome!


All 7 plants


Bottom to top - Thai Chilli (my original plant), Hungarian Hot Wax and African Bird


Left to right Naga Morich, Corno di torro ross, Golden cayenne and Red Savina (Worlds Hottest Habanero Pepper according to Guinness book of world records!)


I assemble this wheelbarrow today, it was a christmas present from my sister

New table and stools

I finally got my new table! After a few dramas - firstly they ordered the wrong colour and only realised when they were about to deliver it, then the day they finally did deliver the correct table, the screws weren't included in the box so I couldn't attach the legs to the table and then when I finally got it setup the table is damaged! It looks like it wasn't packed properly and the edge of it has rubbed on the box or something -sigh- They are going to replace it, but in the mean time here are some photos!

I can't decide between the blue table runner and the green. I love the bright blue, but I think the green goes better with everything else

My table with the blue runner




With the green runner




New stools for under the bench, I love the shape of them

New soil!

Today I got my extra soil delivered, all 15m3 of it! I also organised for a friend to come around with his bob cat to spread it out - took him about 90 mins which included putting the fence back on.

Two trailer loads


Very skilled, that trailer is still attached!


15m3 of soil


It's a tight fit


Lets go up


Half done in the backyard


First soil in the front


All done


Rear of the house


From the back fence looking forward I still need to level out some bits near the fence line


LHS of the driveway


Front yard done





My tomatoes

Fence is finished!

My fence is now finished and it looks great!! I'm mostly excited because now I can get my outdoor setting and bbq out of my garage and start using them!

Gate from inside



From outside

Fence is 95% done!

Yes, my fence is now 95% complete!!! All that's left to do is the gates and about 1.5 panels to the blind side where it joins my neighbours garage!! I'm surprised how tall the fence is, it certainly provides privacy although I will be building the soil up a bit but still, being a short arse people wont be able to see me.

From the front of the garage where the gates will go


My backyard from the back of the garage


Rear of my block where the vegie garden will be


Looking back to the garage/front of the house


Blind side looking to the rear of the block - the missing 1.5 panels are to my right in this photo

The fence has begun

My fencers started today and have put all the posts in the ground and will come back later this week to put the panels in

It's going to take a while to get used to the reduced space from it having been an open paddock for so long but I sure am going to enjoy having my BBQ and table n chairs outside!

My backyard from the front of the garage


Blind side from the front yard


The main part of my backyard


The back of the house where the vegie garden beds will be


Blind side


The vegie garden area from the other side


Looking back to the garage from the back corner

Rotary Hoe Part 1

oooowwwww my hands!!!

Today I hired a Rotary Hoe to dig up all my existing soil. 2hrs it took to do it all and for 2hrs my left hand has had to hold the go handle on and OOOOWWWWW!!!! I think its stuck in a grippy handle position

But I'm done! They are pretty cool machines with the reverse feature and all but bloody hard to turn corners!

I had to get someone to help me get it off the trailer too, cos my dad's trailer has high sides I couldn't get the leverage to start it on the trailer to reverse it down the ramps and then we dropped it and it wouldn't start but then I fixed it and got it going

I was knackered! I was covered in sweat and my head sweats a lot so my head was drenched! Got it all done in the one go though w/out stopping and glad I did it! When I finished I really felt like I needed a nice cold beer but my hands were too sore to grip it and open it and it was only 10:30am ;)

One advantage of having no fences and a close boundary, throw all the big bits of broken brick and rocks to other property hehehe

I got woken up by this at 6:50 am :(


Before: Front yard


Before: Side of garage


Before: Backyard


After: Front yard


After: Side of Garage to back yard


After: Backyard


After: rear of house


Tomatoes


Two tiny tomatoes!!