Creating a more beautiful environment

A very practical “Creating my new existence today” as I take a look at some of the ways Andrew and I have been creating a more beautiful environment for that existence. It seems that Canbacing can take place internally and externally.

Beautiful environment by the front door

One of the very first gardening jobs I undertook when we bought this house was to clear the weeds around the roses growing up the front of the house. Apart from mowing the lawn the rest of the garden had been neglected and the roses were no different. I can remember feeling rather peeved and patronised when the general handyman we’d paid to help me with some of the more complex projects asked me if I’d like him to scape away at the unwanted grass. “No thank you very much I am more than capable of a little bit of weeding!” Actually, I wasn’t quite that rude or superior: however, that’s how I felt at the time. After 10 hours, over two days, of working in 35c heat even in the shade of the afternoon, I regretted by decision. I’ve regretted ever since too, because the project never got finished. For years we’ve weeded when we’ve had the motivation and done a bit of pruning, yet the flower beds at the front of the house have never fulfilled their potential. Until now:

The “before” photos are from several years ago because I forgot to take photos before I started work – doughnut! Some “after” photos will have to be added later as we’ve not quite finished the job yet (again?) due to the little matter of having a magazine issue to publish. However, now the magazine is out, and we’ve had a few days to recover, finishing this beautiful environment is Garden Job #1. As you will see from the “work-in-progress” for the right of the house what we have actually created in a new beautiful environment for Duval to watch us work from!

Beautiful environment by the drive

Several years ago, a girlfriend came out to say with us for two weeks. She wanted time to get her thoughts together before making huge decisions in her life. She asked if she could bring another girlfriend out with her, who also needed a little time away. In return for bed and board they would give us 10 days of work in the garden: they both ran gardening businesses at the time. All we needed to do was think of a project for them. They wanted something to really get their teeth stuck into and the beds by the front of the house didn’t inspire. We’d been wondering what to do with the strip of land between our original garden and the new driveway. It’s a natural drainage “course” so has very limited scope for landscaping and planting. Ideas were bounced around, plans made, and work started. By the end of the week we had two almost completed, allegedly low maintenance beds. I put the finishing touches to the design after the friends left and loved the result. Unfortunately, the low maintenance wasn’t all that low. The budget was tight, and we could only afford 2 inches of forest bark rather than 6 which means we have a continual battle with weeds and encroaching grass. The second part of the work was to get the weeds under control again in the round flowerbed. This is now finished as we have added an extra thick layer of forest bark which should help.

Garden Project #2 is to keep the weeds clear now that I spent hours attacking the beds. Put a new weed barrier down before purchasing gravel which might be more effect than the forest bark. As above there are some before and work-in-progress photos yet no after ones as we haven’t finished the work yet!

Beautiful environment for eating lunch

Finally, Garden Project #3 which is to make somewhere pleasant and practical to eat outside. This has been an on-going project for many years, probably as long as we’ve had the house. To be fair there are mitigating circumstances: aren’t there always. These currently involve the latest addition to our fur kids. “Pup” number 3, Duval, is part kangaroo and keeps jumping the garden fence so he can pay social calls on our neighbours. Our fencing has grown from 4ft to 51/2ft and, now in some parts, over 61/2ft. The trouble is we don’t have the time, money or stamina to complete all the fencing in one go: there is a heck of a lot of it! So currently we don’t have a suitable place to sit, which is in the part of the garden where Duval can’t escape AND is in the shade AND is not going to do more damage to our miserable excuse of a lawn.

So, the wrought iron gazebo has been dismantled, ready for re-painting which is Garden Furniture Renovation Project #1. The old rotting decking slabs between walnut trees #2 and #3 have been removed. Some bamboo screening has been attached to the 6ft fence to shield us from the 2 cars an hour that drive down our lane. We’ve got a couple of non-rotting decking slabs for our table and chairs to rest on until the ground can be prepared for the paving. Et voila, we have somewhere, in the shade, where we can eat al fresco, safe in the knowledge that the grass isn’t been killed and that our kangaroo hasn’t gone on “walkabout! You know the format about the pictures by now ?

In CANBACE friendship!

If anything I have written resonates I’d love to hear from you in the comments. I appreciate that this can be a difficult subject to speak openly about so if you don’t want me to publish your comment on the website please let me know and I will keep your words private.