October 14, 2013

Finally A Garden Update.

As promised I have a few before and after photos of our garden.  To be honest calling some of the photos after photos is probably a little silly as lots of the plants still need to grow and fill in the bare patches!  The Farm House garden is actually pretty big and I am going to do these posts bit by bit. (Given the sporadic nature of my posting I will probably finish some time in 2014....)

I am going to start with what I felt was the hardest "bit" of our garden.  I have blogged about this area before - I called it my 'jungle' initially.

Here it is when we first moved in.

Around The Back

A lot has changed.  The beautiful lemon scented gum on the left had to be removed as it was way too close to the house.  I used to worry about it falling in a storm - particularly as the part of the house you can see contains The Farmkids' bedrooms.  We had a huge storm recently (our first since the tree was removed) and I didn't go and get the kids and move them to another area of the house as I had done previously!  So nice to not have the worry.  Removing this tree has, however, left this area looking a little more open.

Open!

All sorts of plants have been used.  On the right initially is a clump of New Zealand Rock Lillies (Arthropodium cirratum).  They are doing really well and should clump right out.

I had never heard of them before - they have a white flower and are a lovely strappy green plant.  They are supposed to be super hardy and shade loving.  So far they are doing really well.

NZ Rock Lily Or Renga Lily

On the other side of the path from the NZ Rock Lilies are yellow-cream Clivia and some Gymea Lilies which we transplanted from another area of the garden.  There is lots of lavender planted down toward the arch and we are trying to screen the tumbling down dry stone wall along the side with a hedge of Murraya paniculata or Mock Orange.  They are tiny at the moment and you can hardly notice them.

Tiny Murraya. Hurry Up and Grow.

There is an arch which has jasmine growing over it halfway down this section of the garden and this leads you into the second 'room" which is going to be my golden rose garden.  In the centre is a Crepe Myrtle underplanted with some white annuals for now.

Archway

Crepe Myrtle
You can see the roses just starting to establish in the background.  It all still looks a bit bare - the horrible grey wall at the back will eventually be covered by more Murraya hedging which will line this area.  The roses are a mixture of some creamy yellow David Austens, Just Joey, Champagner and Ashram.  They are all thriving and just coming into bloom.

So there we go - a little area of our garden is at least on its way.  Hopefully it will all start to fill out and look a little lusher soon!

Just a quick vegie garden update.  This area is doing really well.  The Farmer has updated our watering system and the 'sprinkler on washing powder bucket' sytem has been replaced by a slightly more sophisticated arrangement.

Vegie Garden
Incidentally the two floppy looking things on sticks in the vegie patch and the rose garden are my scary owls that help keep the birds away.  They blow in the wind and the sticks swivel so the birds have been fooled so far...

Scary Owls


Hope all is going well for everyone.

Take care.


12 comments:

Coulda shoulda woulda said...

Wow - your garden itself looks as big as a farm! That must keep you busy no end...I have one long window box and two planters and I still get help from my neighbours. Must smell gorgeous though!

**Anne** said...

Your garden is looking wonderful and all the hard work you've put in is going to pay you big rewards.
Hope you've not had too many snake encounters this season. My brother had four encounter in four days, nasty ones too.
Anne xx

Heidi said...

Those owls are doing double duty for Halloween too - although I suppose you don't really get trick or treaters. Long way to walk in the country between houses.
Love the garden progress, it's looking so fab. The structure is all looking really good. I think all the plants you've put in will do well - they're all the ones we grow here in Adelaide that cope with drought and heat too. My murraya have tripled in size in 2 years, so I'm sure your hedge will look impressive within the year. Looking forward to more progress updates. xx

Jacana said...

Looks like all the hard work is paying off - looks great.
The owls are fantastic - can I ask where you got them from?

A Farmer's Wife said...

CSW - Thank you! Sometimes the garden is too big and a bit daunting - others I love it.

Anne - Had one dugite on the driveway. Nothing else. Yet.

Heidi - I need the Murraya in particular to grow as it has to screen some less than attractive areas!

Jacana - Got the owls from Bunnings. They are called "Prowling Owls". They have worked well so far as they move in the wind.

Faux Fuchsia said...

I love it !!!!! Cannot wait to see it as it grows xx

Domesblissity said...

Its looking lovely.

Anne xx

Dee said...


Your garden is looking fantastic !
Love the owl. We have a plastic statue one like a friend uses in his market garden. It doesnt work for us like it does for him, maybe we need the scare gun to go with it. I think we will have ti try and get to a Bunnings and get one like you.

cilosophy said...

I admire people who garden.
I have many talents but they don't extend to many domesticky or gardening things.
Lovely work, Wifey x

Mel @ Coal Valley View said...

What a beautiful garden! And it's just going to get more and more beautiful with every season. We have some Mock oranges and I love them as a hedge - they look pretty when they're in flower (right now), seem to thrive on neglect and smell citrus-y :-) Love the owls, we need something like this! Mel x

Tania said...

I am in love with that veggie garden, the rest is pretty okay too lol!

That fence reminds me of the farm fences from home when I was a youngen :)

Looks like you are having nice fine weather there :)

x

Unknown said...

Just writing to say you property looks beautiful , my wife and i have built on a 100 acre property , there is nothing better , than having a nice peacefull hideaway.