Well I got cracking on the backyard and mulched the border with stones, so bye-bye creeping buttercup (for now). I limed it and blood and boned it, and sanded it, so hopefully they won't like it so much and keep at bay.
I put growing frame hoops around the roses. I also have made a criss-cross trellis pattern against the fence with old sticks, so the sweet peas can climb through. I swapped the lemon tree for the jacaranda so now they are in better spots. I pulled lambs ears out and put them by the roses so we will have a soft border safer from prickles, as well as manuka for bees (wasn't able to get pink...yet) and moved the shrubby kowhai next to the tyres. I've got fennel in the tyres, as well as passionfruit that I moved along from a clump. Also parsely, convulvulus marinara, a hebe, and whatever else I could stick in - lobelia. I made a shopping trip to Kings and found some purple kale ornamentals so they went in and really give it a purple look, as well as purple sage, and I will have purple iris poking through at some stage. I moved the brown carex to the gaps made by the tires and mulched the edges with stone as well. Also I have put mixed primula down by the wet edges. Phew!
I don't know if I will get the pink flax or manuka yet as now it seems there would be nowhere to put them in this border but maybe I can have a pink corner elsewhere..if I can get that iresine to grow again.
Also just between you and me I have nominated Woodside Community Garden for NZ Gardener of the Year competition. You can nominate groups...we could win $300 Gardena pack, and $250 of products from various garden companies. So we could have lots of seeds, gumboots, tools, gloves, plants, fertiliser, fancy indoor plants....or if its the REALLY big prize, a Trulux glasshouse worth $2999 and a Gardena gardening pack worth $2000!
I have not thought what we could do with a glasshouse but maybe we could start our own seedlings nursery on site instead of at home? Or grow eggplants, chillis and tomatoes early? Or have lettuces in winter?? Also, we could have bragging rights to our neighbours!
