The person who came up with the saying that “A problem shared is a problem halved” must have been completely deluded. I’ve been sharing my current problem of weed attack with Bob, my father-in-law, but it doesn’t seem to have halved the problem at all. It did however make the legs and back ache slightly less than it might otherwise have done.

Having got the flower beds weeded and mulched it was time to start on the soon to be herb and salad garden and the remaining land around the house. After about 4 hours of work between us we’ve cleared about 20 square metres. Not a bad effort but just think about how long this is going to take to tackle the other couple of acres of weeds.

Still, armed with my fork, trowel, weed hacker and my trusty garden cart I shall set forth day by day to try and clear the worst before the rains come and they multiply all over again. But hey, it’s all in a day’s work eh out in the country!

Back by popular demand – this is what Fortnum and Mason do to contribute to the weed busting effort. Playing together in the sun (that’s after they’ve been shooed off the area being weeded where they like to lie right where you are working)

For more on my garden.

Despite the hot weather the garden is starting to thrive with the plants in the beds around the house really setting down roots. It is starting to look like a real garden should. The bees are loving the plants close to the front veranda which makes it difficult for maintenance during the day. Best to wait for the bees to go to bed.

Only another 20 plants to put in this week and then that’s it for this growing season as the remaining plants we need are simply not available at the nurseries at the moment. Still, there are plenty of thistles to be dug up so that will make a change from putting plants in the ground!

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This week I declared warfare on the weeds on our land. I know that I’ll be fighting a losing battle for years to come but you have to start somewhere.

This decision followed a rather painful lesson in weeding – make sure that your teeshirt meets your shorts at the back. After spending several hours digging up thistles and dandelions that were establishing themselves on my lawn (Ok, the place where the lawn should be) and in my new flower beds I found to my pain that my teeshirt didn’t quite. Still I’ve a lovely patch of tan which looks faintly ridiculous but gives me renewed determination to get rid of the weeds.

After clearing the flower beds it was time to use blanket amoury in the form of bark mulch. After a big truck deliver 5 cubic metres of the stuff it became a family affair to get the beds covered. I have to say that credit goes to my father-in-law for the most mulch shifted from the pile although the rest of the Treanor family got in at the end of a long day to finish up the last bits.

Long may this mulch keep down the weeds. However, I suspect that they will be back soon in another part of the garden!

The master learning the finer points of mulch shifting

Now doesn’t that look nicer!

If you want to protect your hard work, and your house and garden, much needs to be done to basset proof it. Of course it’s also important for their own health and safety.

After putting so much effort into planting the new flower beds around the house it was important to break the puppies habit of using the flower beds for (a) the quickest route back to the house and (b) a nice soft place in which to do your personal business.

Despite the suggestions at the local DIY store, I knew that granules of chemical solutions was not going to keep my boys off their favourite place. More drastic measures were required. Fortunately having my Dad on hand meant we could install basset fencing.

So, how high can a basset jump we wondered?

Let me tell you they can’t jump very high (unless they are trying to get their dinner of the kitchen bench) but they can trample small fences intended to keep them out which are not entirely secured in place!

It’s so comical to see them bounding towards the flower beds after running up and down the veranda by the front door thinking that they are going to nip across the direct route and beat me to the step. Let’s just say that the fencing doesn’t leave a lasting indentation on their faces but momentarily they are squished as they bash into the offending barrier. It seems also unfair too when they are in their post snooze stagger off the veranda to relieve themselves only to find that their is no access to that lovely soft stuff.

Although I know that they think it’s a hard life being a basset in want and need of the flower bed. But my need is greater than theirs so they are going to have to get used to it!

PS – please no comments on my desert like lawn which makes an appearance in the following pictures.

My parents project since they’ve arrived is to help turn the landscape planting plan into a reality. We’ve been cruising to nurseries and the internet to find the array of plants specified in the plan.

Having tracked down about 100 plants then the challenge of placing them in the right spot started. After lots of tweaking we finally got them where we think they should be. Next step is to dig the holes and put them in to create the first bit of our new garden!

Yes there is a lawn there – or at least lawn seed!

It’s quite something to see the lanscapers turn our “cow pat” into the start of a garden. The front flower beds are now in with work in progress to the side of the house. The lawn area is looking good although there is one patch that will need a bit more work as it got flooded when the rains came down today. We’re very excited about the rain arriving to fill up the water tank!

Hopefully we’re on the home run with the final bits of construction and then we can start planting – the really fund bit.

There’s been a constant hum of machinery at work this week as the landscaping got underway. The beds have been dug and top soil spread after gypsum goes down to help break down the clay. The lawn and herb garden are also being done.

With the resculpting going on we’ve been able to claw back some of the metal from the drive and spread it to start to fill the gap around the barn. Not wishing to be tight about these things but better to respread and save the money. We’re going to need to to fill the beds with plants!

The flower beds are huge. You need a pack lunch and walking boots to get across them! Still it will keep my parents happy as we can spend hours at nurseries picking out the plants. Just need the planting plan from the landscape designer now.

Side view towards living room

Ginormous front bed ready for filling

Other side already filled!

Rear area getting ready for the lawn

Hmm, now what do we do! The hazards of rain collection drains.

More boys toys.

Our landscape designer is taking no chances – he’s carefully marked out the areas for landscaping and to avoid any doubt, he’s labelled some areas clearly!

They are due to start this week laying the lawn and digging the flower beds. This will at least make the front of the house presentable for our visitors. It will be quite an operation to plant up, when the beds are marked out they are huge!

Next on the list of lanscaping priorities is the removal of the gorse which is a NZ blight and needs to be removed/destroyed to avoid it taking over the bush and rest of the landscape. Also, we need to reinstate the fencing as soon as possible to make it all basset proof.

We’ve been enjoying a heat wave this week – yesterday it was 30 degrees and last evening was very balmy. I just hope it’s not summer already – of if it is that it lasts until our last visitor departs. Wishful thinking……..

You think we’d shifted enough soil already but no. More needed to make a lawn and also to finish the banking. All needs to be done before the sewage field can be laid. Let’s hope the high winds and dry spell continues.