Garden of Earthly Delights

3rd December 2009

No, it has nothing to do with Bosch whatsoever.

It's just that something is growing. There are finally some results to our land cultivation: - you could see how excited we are by the ridiculous photos we took.

budding bud

and welcome to the world

chilly in toddler stage

You get enthusiastic about sowing, growth, development and hopefully fruition. It was almost like parenthood, in a perverted and bizzare sort of way. Except you do not need to worry about tuition fees, and the main priority is to nurture the plants to an edible stage.

dwarf beans - week old photos

But, they involve some basic 'upbringing' fees anyhow. Firstly, you need to enrol them into the best possible potting mix you can afford. You can choose from the basic mushroom compost, or something premium like the blood-&-bone mix, but different plants need different nutrients, so it is best to consult Google what sort of mix your plant needs.

okras / ladies fingers / bendi

Enrolling a child to a prestigious school may have its benefits, but it would not do the child much good if he / she hangs out with a rambunctious crowd. This is probably a bad example, but your plants should avoid bad company by all means too. Do not let them near weeds. (not the TV series).

2 months later ...

Anyway, we hoped to reap the rewards soon! Here, we have dwarf beans and snow peas fluorishing slowly over the vines. We scrutinize them daily and are thrilled to see their frilly fingers grasping on the wires D has set up, to reach new heights.

we hope they are what we think they are (beans)

sun-gazers

The sunflowers are just teasing us with their continuous growth. They tower over the rest of the vegetables, they grow steadily, they follow the sun, but they just refuse to flower. Not even a bud has surfaced. Oh well, we'll wait it out. It will be worth it.

we think they are what they are (tomato)

first harvests!

D was absolutely bowled over with the first cuttings of the chillies. To be honest, I'm not really sure if they are green chillies or they just happen to be unripe. Being an ex-city-dweller, D would probably frame them on the walls, if they were not bio-degradable.

family portrait

This is the overall patch. It really is very small and the close-up shots I had earlier were a little deceiving.

Gate How-To

23 November 2009

Gate installation includes but not limited to: - gate transportation to desired location, gate balancing, and making ready of gravelled area for gate installation.

Figure 1

First, set out pathway for gate to manouver. Draw a half circle in ground with the diameter of circle being the full width of the door. Use leftover bricks to pave the radial pathway. Set bricks into ground accordingly.

Diagram 2

Locate gate next to existing timber post. Ensure that gate is upright and the external face of the gate is aligned with the external face of the post. Hold post-end of gate so that it is not tilted to begin screwing holes for hinges. Drill holes all the way through the post and timber. Ensure no one is on the other side of door during drilling process to avoid unneccesary holes in un-needed places.

Image 3

Bolt selected hinges into place through door panel and post, approximately 600mm apart from each other starting from the centreline of the gate. Use 2 no.s of mild-steel, 300mm long, fixed-butt hinges. Cap bolts with matching nuts on the other end. Tighten to secure.

Photo 4

Next, give door a heave to test if door and castor wheel works. If door falls down, repeat the whole process again. If wall falls down, tearing post and fence along the way, engage a professional gate builder and check to see if home+content insurance covers moronic behaviours. Proceed.

Picture 5

Finally, clean all exposed surfaces of gate with clean water. Ensure surfaces are dry and free of dirt or smudges before commencing painting. Apply 2 coats of clear polyurethane finish to panels and louvers generously. Second coat should be painted a minimum of 1 hour after first coat has been applied. Use spray-gun to coat the louvered and other hard-to-reach areas. Use chinese paint brush as a cheaper alternative for spray-gun. Do not paint if weather is muggy or rain is forecasted. Leave to dry.

Install child-proof, vandal-resistant, dog-safe latch if required.

Gate

6 November 2009

The job to make the house complete seems like a never-ending journey. Not that we would want this journey to end anytime soon. Today it's about the gate. The side gate leading to our backyard on the Northern side of the site.

Gate base frame

D had a vision of a timber-strip gate. Timber was used because that is the only thing he could manipulate freely and it matches our deck. The gate design incorporates some see-through element that does not compromise on privacy.

Louvers

The gate will be made up of 3 sections, 2 parts solid, and 1 part semi-solid. The semi-solid area will be made up of repetitive timber louvers that is detailed as per the image above and below.

Washer - Bolt - Washer

First, D made 2 separate frames which would eventually be the 'solid' component. Then he started working on the louvered zone by stacking the pre-cut timber louvers (approx. 50mm wide) consecutively on top of one of the frames. The louvered part is anchored to the frame with a galvanised bracket - sponsored by our neighbour.

The anchor bracket

Clearer picture

This sums up the description above. D used four of M10 galvanized steel rods at 1.2m long as the louver supports. The pre-cut louvers were also pre-drilled at intervals similar as the distance between the rods, so they could be slide in, as indicated.

Gate skeleton

2 weekends later, the gate was approaching completion. At this stage, due to the amount of materials we used, this gate was heavy as! Still, there's more to come... After conducting a little bit of measuring, D realised that the dimensions is slightly off the mark. It was a teeny bit shorter than anticipated. Thus a frame along the perimeter was added to the structure.

Extra framing

Next, - the 'solid' part. For that, D screwed 2 pieces of 7mm thick plywood on each side, 4 pieces, for both sides. I'm starting to get worried as the structure continuously piles on more and more weight ...

Solid & See-thru

And lastly, for this entry, how is the gate going to work? It is way too heavy to just rely on the hinge itself. It cannot be lifted off the ground, but definately has to rest on something and yet remain mobile. So, we shall have a little wheel at the other edge of the door.

Castrol Wheel

This little castrol wheel is going to support half the weight of the massive door. It's rubber based, pretty cheap and we hope that it could withstand the elements and does not need replacement in the near future. To see how it all comes together, stay tuned ...

Edible Garden

28 October 2009

It all started with a harmless exchange of gift from our neighbour, B.C. We gave them some pumpkin cake and they returned the favour with gorgeous free range eggs which were humongous, substantial and possessed the sunniest yolks. And as they were consumed, there is that feel-good sense when you are eating anything natural that has not been hormone-injected nor steriod-induced.

No, we are not going to rear our own chooks yet although that may be another topic for another day. Today though, we shall dabble in the art of Gardening.

Vegie patch

Initially the little patch of space allocated next to our deck was for a herb garden. But a recent trip down to Bunnings changed our minds with their impressive array of vegetables. So, vegie patch it is!

Starters

Since neither of us are endowed with green thumbs, we decided to start small. Tomatoes, chillies and rosemary. Not what you would call a satisfying meal, I know.

From little things big things grow - Australian super theme song

We threw in some onions and dwarf bean seeds too. After burying them into the soil, we never saw them again. Somehow a re-emergence seemed doubtful.

Plant food

On the journey to set up this little patch, we learnt a thing or two about horticulture. We learnt that, there is a lot to learn and, there is a lot we don't know.

In the meantime, we also bought two pots of lavender (not sure what is it's exact genus, there are so many of them!) and two packets of sunflower seedlings. The lavender is to landscape the front yard while the sunflower is just because, well, they are my favourite.
Coincidently, they are both edible.

Sunflower-growing kit

Kit breakdown

Day 3 - Pod emergence

Day 6 - Germination

Our sunflower journey looks to be progressive, compared to the others. We bought the kit from a local budget shop. I love these kits as they are living proof that even idiots can sow a seed : )

For our front yard, lavender was chosen due to its resilience, drought-tolerance and of course, its heady aroma and romantic little buds.

Lavandula bud

We hope that we would have a hedge of it someday. Eventually. Whenever you feel like it. Take your time.

"Flowers"

A potful into the potting mix

go forth and multiply!

Right. All in the ground now. What with austere water restrictions and the impending, scorching summer, I can only hope that all the plants survive and thrive. Besides, summer is not the only immediate adversary. We have cute little furry friends to look out for ...

cute little furry friends awaiting

this entry is specially dedicated to the someone who is currently living in the city and yet, insane over gardening, botany and plant cultivation.

Driveway Part II

9 October 2009

Works on the front yard & driveway continues. After the initial setting out, we ventured to deliver some mulch & stones on site. Hence another visit to D's favorite landscape establishment, a local dealer called dirtbark & bits.

dirtbark & bits

We ordered 3 cubic metres of red-gum mulch & 3 cubic metres of stones for our floor covers. As D and I could not agree on which stones to use, we went with a mixture that consists of both our preference - Tuscan & Cream pebbles for the driveway.

mulch & stones

Scattered

Firstly, it was the entry platform - we shoveled some stones to fill in the gaps between the timber sleepers. They were then, packed tightly in place. By the time we finished spreading the stones around, our wheelbarrow, imported all the way from the PRC, has suffered some casualty. It was slightly disabled, and may very likely not wheel again as it used to.

Couple of steps

Later on, D got ambitious, (the weather was close to perfection) and hastily started extending the frontal area. He added a couple of steps to the platform using some red-gum sleepers in order to further articulate the entrance.

Planter box?

Also, a planter-box like arrangement was constructed at the Southern side of the front elevation. Future plans include rock + Cycad palm features. The planter box was promptly dusted and stained to achieve a continuous 'merbau' look, if you like.

Next, the sleepers were hosed down with water to clean away the muddy stain left from the day's work. Finally D spread the mulch evenly across the exposed areas.

The result

In due time, we have got something worth calling an entrance. D played with the use of different materials, contrasting elements that maintained an overall consistency and my personal favorite ...

From the main road

Levels! I find the idea of various platforms cum steps converging to the portico delighful and all the more interesting for what would have been a mundane front elevation. Levels, though, are quite the common treatment to front lawns in the neighbourhood but I bet we won't find a sleeper driveway anywhere near us anytime soon.

Levels

Now, all we need is some greenery ... Lavender perhaps?

Driveway Part I

3 October 2009

It's high time to start on a long-awaited project of ours. Le driveway. Believe it or not, after all these months that we have been residing here, we irresponsibly parked our car on the nature strip.

Please do not tell the council.

Red gum sleepers

8 out of 10 spec home owners have concrete driveways. I have to agree that concrete driveways are by far the most convenient of all, as they are needless to say, durable, neat and low-maintanence. Here however, we have decided to go unconventional with the driveway.

Weather worn grains

Having alternatives usually bump up the prices. We planned to use railway sleepers, not because we are driving a bloody train okay, but just because we like the characteristics of well-worn aesthetics. Believe it or not ~

goodbye, cliches ...

Anyway, the sleepers were ordered, delivered and D set to work about them because I could not move those darned sleepers a single inch. Yes, they probably weigh about a tonne each, to me at least.

hello, backaches ...

We shall 'sleeper' our driveway and our entry platform. For the platform, D made a shallow indent to the grounds, before positioning the sleepers accordingly.

In position

6 steps to the house


Now, just moving 1 of these hefty things is enough to make me call it quits, so I do not know where D summoned the strength to continue working on the driveway ...

One by one

Before the laying of the sleepers, we had some levelling to do. Our house, you see, was ever so slightly lower than the road, and there was a gradual slope from footpath to Garage. We have previously filled it up with gravel but now, we found out that it was too high. So we laboured to remove all excessive land, before D dragged the sleepers into place.

Levelling

Ingeniously, D conceived of the idea to use fishing lines as a levelling device. Its a hazard to the workplace though, as the line is semi-transparent and I almost tripped over it a couple of times. Eating gravel is not fun.

21 down, 9 more to go ...

I do acknowledge the fact that it looks a little messy at the moment.

Steel anchors courtesy of B.

Our dear neighbour came over one noon and asked us a very good question, "How are you going to stop the sleepers from moving when you drive over it?" to which he answered himself, "Use the steel offcuts that I've in my shed got as an anchor. You'll need my awesome jackhammer!" ok, he did not exaclty said 'awesome'

It was then we decided that B is the best sort of neighbour anyone could wish for. The beautiful thing is, he always comes with two stubbies in his hands ... And if you ever need any of his superawesome special power tools, all you need to do, is to appear on his doorstop, with two stubbies in your hands ...

Two weekend's worth of work

*** superawesome ***