A busy 4 months at Bird Cottage - but the berries are in!

December is half way through and Christmas is almost upon us !!!!   I can't believe it! I don't know about the rest of you but this years has just flown by. And once again it seems I've been too busy doing 'stuff' to get on here and tell you what's been happening!

It's been a busy few months at Bird Cottage since things have started to warm up. As spring sprung I couldn't wait to get out into the garden and start planning and planting.

One of my first jobs was to paint the ugly grey fence that runs across the back of the property. It actually wasn't ugly, I just wanted to get out my air spray gun and splash some colour about the place. And what colour did I choose; well....it's kinda ...mmmm...grey!!!! (but a classy grey I hope!)

The view from the back deck it quite lovely. Very open with a picturesque little blue cottage in the background. That cottage is surrounded with deciduous trees but as I sit here typing now the view I see is very different with the Liquidambar trees in full leaf. The little cottage is almost obscured. We've had a lot of summer storms and rain lately and last week we woke to see a family of kangaroos huddled under the trees for protection. This is the third time we've seen them so they are obviously 'locals'!

Unfortunately our view was spoiled somewhat but the dead gum tree in the background....right in the middle of the lawn.

 I'm sorry...but that HAD to go!

We also had a Liquidambar of our own. Lovely as they are planted in the correct position, ours was planted about 3m from the side of our house and right up against the fence we share with our neighbours. It also has a very precarious lean....right towards our house. So, as you saw in my last post,  along came Isaac our lumberjack and the trees have gone and we have our firewood for next year.

With the tree out of the way I was able to get on with painting the fences. I used an electric air spray gun which makes the job much easier. Choosing an exterior 'Solarguard' style paint in a colour called 'Monument' I got to work. The paint needed to be thinned down slightly with water so that it will pass through the spray gun nozzle. Once you get the right consistency your up and running.

Using a spray gun is fantastic when you need to cover large spaces, it makes it quite an easy job. The are inexpensive and available from most hardware stores. Just remember if your spraying in your own garden to be careful of the overspray as it will get all over your house or paving; or your neighbours!

Using a darker colour on the fence helps it to recede and when you plant in front of it, it becomes almost invisible compared to lighter coloured fences and the plants take centre stage.  Well....that's what I was told by a fencing guy years ago......my story and I'm sticking to it! 

After painting the fence I will string galvanised cables along it's length as support wires for my 'berry patch'. In front of the fence posts have planted Thornless Blackerries, Raspberries, Red Currents and Kiwiberries. (who'd have even thought there was such a thing as a 'kiwiberry'???)

The poor berries have been struggling a bit since they went in. The weather has been crazy for a Highlands spring and summer; we've had days up around 40 degrees C and four season in a day with sun, rain and hail...the the sun comes out again.  The humidity has been horrible and so unusual for the Highlands.  Hopefully if the berries make it through this summer they will have bedded well and will take off next year!

And to protect the berries from the whipper-snipper and lawn mower I've made some surrounds from treated pine 50mm sleepers which I'll pain in the same colour as the fence. 

These also allow me to build up the soil level with some compost and garden soil mix as our soil here is very 'clayey' and not free draining. Raising the levels of your garden beds and adding organic matter is very important for for adequate drainage .....you don't want your plants getting soggy roots! 

So things are starting to happen here at Bird Cottage. We have manage to get quite a bit done since moving here last August, but there are a million and one things yet to do. Now the Liquidambar along the side has gone I think this area will be my next job. It's surprising how much space there actually is out there and I think it will make a nice little courtyard; protected from the wind but getting lots of sunshine in the winter. You can see the top of the water tank I installed last month ( I'm very proud of my tank!!!) just above the horrible green corrugated fence. That's coming down tomorrow!

We have also inherited a lovely fountain from a friend so I'm thinking that this space will be perfect for it. The dining room looks out over this spot so a nice feature is required....and some planting to block out the neighbours water tank and shopping container....mmm....yes...they have a shipping container in their side garden.

Well it's been a long, hot and tiring day. Time for a G & T I think! My months annual leave is finished and I'm back to work on Thursday....and then...it's Christmas.

Our first Christmas here at Bird Cottage. Wishing you all a wonderful and safe Christmas and all the best for a fantastic New Year in 2015.

                                  Until then, happy gardening. 
                    See you next time with the latest update from
                                            Bird Cottage.

Going...going....gone!!!!!!

I just realised that I had forgotten to post this update from October 13...so the news is a little late....but better late than never!!! Lots has happened in the past 6 weeks but I'll save that for next week!

So, back in October.......


It's been a busy week here at Bird Cottage. When we moved in there we are few trees that were looking  a bit dodgy and definitely needed removal or a good pruning back at the very least.

Our lovely view from that back deck was blighted by a dead gum tree almost 30m high! It had about 10 leaves clinging tenaciously to the top but it really had  had it's day. And it was leaning very precariously towards the old shed and carport. 

You can't quite tell from these pictures but this gum was pretty huge, and the lean towards the shed was quite obvious. If it had fallen and demolished the shed we wouldn't have been to concerned as the shed and carport are coming down to make way for a new double garage and workroom in the new year....but the fact that the shed is clad in asbestos sheet was a bit of an issue so we wouldn't want a falling tree sending asbestos fibres flying into the atmosphere!

We also had a very large Liquidambar about 2.5m from the side of the house. When we moved in I removed 2 large garbage bags of leaves and fruit from the gutters...I've still not got to the front gutter yet! It was a lovely big tree but they just don't respond well to pruning. Pruned trees produce shoots called 'epicormic' growths which shoot straight up into the air. They give the tree a terribly unnatural appearance and are quite weak where they are attached to the tree. Initially we thought to remove about a third of the trees height but the tree lopper thought this would create future problems so it was decided to remove the tree completely. It will will create a big open gap between us and our neighbour but I don't think either of us will miss the mess it created when the leaves and fruit fell.

So in came out trusty tree lopper, Isaac of Heartwood Tree Service here in the Southern Highlands. What a lovely guy; and I can tell you he deserves every cent as he climbed up those trees with a chainsaw hanging from his belt to take them down from the top...bit by bit! 

So up Isaac went and down the tree came!

Limb, by limb, branch by branch......and then it was no-more!

I can't quite believe the space it's opened up but it will definitely be better in the long run. The old green colourbond fence will be removed and a new picket fence put in front of the tank, closer to the front garden. This area will now create a lovely space which is private and will make a lovely sun-filled courtyard. We've been given a lovely fountain by a friend which will sit perfectly in this spot. And I've found fab Magnolia called 'Kay Parris' which is an evergreen and only grows to 4m with large, dense green foliage and creamy-white fragrant flowers the size or saucers....it will spread to 2m so I think a planting of 4 across the fence will create a nice tall hedge; not too dense and not too high to block the winter sunlight from the dining room and sunroom, but enough  to block out the tank and shipping container in the neighbours yard....let's face it...I don't think that shipping container is going anywhere in a hurry. I'll underplant the magnolia with vibrant Hydrangeas for a burst of colour. They should do well under the almost tree-sized camellia.

Removing trees is an expensive business but get the right people with the right tools and it can make the world of difference to your garden. As Isaac said about the Liquidambar; "I hate removing mature trees, especially when they are so healthy" but as he explained; some trees are just planted in the wrong space and in the end, lovely as they are, they can cause more problems than they are worth! Something to keep in mind next time your in the garden centre contemplating the purchase of a tree that grows to 30m for you inner city courtyard!

And something I hadn't thought about......we now have about a third of next years firewood from the felling and enough wood-chip to mulch the entire neighbourhood!!!

So another busy week but some big tasks completed. And this morning it's raining.....the sound on the tin roof is wonderful. I can sit in bed and type and look out the windows and all I see are gum trees and the scarlet red blooms on the rhododendron.

I tell you....life in the country is pretty good!

A New Beginning! - welcome to Bird Cottage.

Well, I can honestly say that the past 4 months have passed in the blink of an eye. So much as happened that I really don't know where to start. But let's just say that a little bit of crazy breakfast talk over the Sunday papers with bacon and eggs .....a search through Domain.com ....and a couple of road trips to the Southern Highlands.....and now we have left city life behind for a new life in the country [well...semi-rural country]. Finally...a plot of land 1020m² in size to get my hands into.....a truly blank canvas. And only just over 1 hours drive from the heart of Sydney.

                             Welcome to 'Bird Cottage'.

When I started 'grounded GARDENS' it was a way to express my frustrations at not being able to get outside and get my hands dirty. It was about making the most of living in the city with only a small balcony, terrace or courtyard to fulfil my horticultural frustrations! I still love small gardens; they can be some of the most beautiful and intimate spaces...a calm and relaxing oasis amongst the hustle and bustle of city life. But now I have the opportunity to turn a really blank canvas into something I hope will be sustainable and beautiful. I want it to be a cottage garden but I don't want it ramshackle; it needs to be orderly and easily maintained. The grass is nowhere near perfect so I'll just mow it and try to keep on top of the weeds. Like everywhere, water is a precious commodity so I won't be pumping it into a lawn. And what a lot of lawn we have.....


                   

These pictures show a few views of the back of the plot. Did I mention something about 'blank canvas'? As you can see it's screaming our for a veggie garden, some fruit trees and I'm hoping.....a chicken coup!!! And that leaky old shed and carport has to go!

We moved down here in early August, just catching the tail end of winter. OMG...it was so cold, especially the mornings....I'm talking -5 degrees which is a big change from the city. Luckily we have a fantastic slow-combustion wood fire that made all the difference. It was trial and error trying to get it to slow burn through the night so that when you wake up in the morning you crank it back up, throw on another log and off it goes all day. 

I took the photos below when we did our second inspection so I could remember what the place looked like. It was very neat and tidy but it seemed so small, and I have to say having lived here 7 weeks it's not huge; but it is cosy. The kitchen was fine but 'horror of horrors - no GAS cooking!!!'. That needed to be sorted out immediately! But the bones are good with high ceilings, some with the original pressed tin in very good condition. There is lots of work to do both inside and out; some cosmetic and some full on building!

I always remember my mother telling me to "enjoy your childhood as the days go faster when your older". Never did I believe that there just wouldn't be enough hours in a day to do all the things I wanted to do. 

So I hope you'll enjoy the journey as we transform 'Bird Cottage' both inside and out. Of course I want everything done 'yesterday'...but I know it will be a process....and of course there is ALWAYS something that needs to be done, even when you think your finished. I'll try to be a little better with my posts now that things have settled down somewhat. Now I'm off to get my hands in the soil....there are raspberries and blackberries to be planted! 

Back to where gardening began in Sydney!

Well I have been pretty slack on the writing front of late! Call it a lack of motivation, stress at work or just plain laziness but it's time to get back on the keyboard and clicking a few keys.

So I've decided to go back a couple of hundred years for this post; taking city gardening back to where it all began in Sydney at Farm Cove. This is a beautiful inlet situated between Bennelong Point, the site of the Sydney Opera House and Mrs Macquarie's Chair. The land adjacent to Farm Cove was set aside not long after the first settlers arrived in Sydney in 1788 by Governor Arthur Phillip as a domain for the Governor and was to become the site of the first farm for the new colony.

As it was back in the early days; a natural deep water inlet with native vegetation.

And today the well known paths and sandstone wall the hug the beautiful blue waters of Sydney Harbour.

Unfortunately this land failed as a farm and agriculture was transferred further west to more fertile ground and in 1816 Governor Lachlan Macquarie established the area as The Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.

It's hard to believe that an area of sandy, infertile soil that could not grow crops successfully has become the lush, inviting gardens we know today. The land has been in constant cultivation in one way or another since settlement times and over the years the soil has been improved to make it more productive.

From the time of Captain Cooks discovery as a new continent with never before seen flora and fauna, Australia has had an important horticultural history. Charles Fraser was appointed the first colonial botanist in 1817 and the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney are the oldest scientific institution in Australia!

Since Fraser there have been a succession of botanists but it was a Scotsman named Charles Moore, trained at the Botanic Gardens in Trinity College, Dublin who really set the gardens in motion. Over the course of 48 years he helped to overcome the problems of poor soil, inadequate water and lack of funds to develop the gardens into the form we see today. 

The was once a small zoo in the gardens which was later moved to Moore Park, named in honour of Charles Moore. 

Moore was also responsible for reclaiming a lot of land situated behind the sea wall at Farm Cove which added a vast amount of land to the gardens.

In 1879 a large area now known as the Domain was taken over for the building of a huge exhibition centre. This building in the Victorian style of glass and metal was dominated by turrets and towers and a dome over 30m in diameter which was topped with a lantern 61m above the ground. 

The building was known as the Garden Exhibition Palace and was constructed to house the International Exhibition in 1879 which was the first 'World Fair' held in the Southern Hemisphere. Unfortunately the building was destroyed by fire in 1882 and the site has became what is now known as the 'Palace Garden'.

Over the years the park has grown to cover an area of 30 hectares (a total of 64 hectares including the Domain) and is the site of many smaller garden areas such as the Palm Garden, the Rare and Threatened Species Garden and the Herb Garden. Other remnants of the Victorian era are the magnificent wrought iron gates that dot the entrances to the gardens.

Along with all the mature Morten Bay Figs, seen below right, 

you'll find many species of trees and shrubs, 

both indigenous and introduced including the

once thought extinct Wollemi Pine, seen 

below left.

 

In all there are approximately 67,100 plant species in the gardens including 4770 trees!

A wealth of information can be found at the website for the gardens at www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au where you can search their data base for the names of plants in the gardens by garden bed; find plants that are suitable for your own garden or help to identify pests and diseases. I once found a plant in Bali that I loved for its architectural look and wondered where I might find it in Australia. I sent a picture into the Botanic Gardens and found out that this plant, Equisetum, was a huge pest plant and in the invasive plant list!!! Needless to say it didn't end up in my Balinese garden.

The gardens are a relaxing retreat from the bustle of the city, especially on a hot sunny day. At lunch time workers sit in the gardens to enjoy their sandwich and you'll see hoards of office workers sweating it out running through the gardens, getting in a workout in their lunch hour. It's a beautiful place to go for a weekend picnic or for a relaxing bicycle ride.

The gardens are open 7 days a week and entry is free.

It's important to note the the area has Aboriginal communities, the Cadigal, and the botanic gardens were the traditional home of their ancestors. Farm Cove was known as Wogganmagule and was the site of food gathering and ceremonies.

When you get the chance go and have a wander through the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney and be amaze our our magnificent horticultural history. 

Watch out for the fruit bats in the fig trees as you walk the paths below and be inspired by the thousands of beautiful trees and plants and the time and effort put in by the gardeners to keep the gardens looking world class.

So go to the gardens, get motivated, and get

gardening!!!