C3 community parkland and walking track week 44

Hello yet again! What. A. Week.

The mercury soared, tempers flared, yet the worked continued. Challenging to say the least.

Before I get into the week that was, as we are now in December, I am pondering gifts, giving, $'s and the like. As this year draws to a close, to see how far we have come with this garden blows me away. Better still, to see the impact it's already having on people is truly rewarding. This project has become a labour of love for us, and definitely an incredible investment into the future. The peace I feel when gardening, knowing that families will soon be able to enjoy the scents and serenity, play on the giant chess board, picnic here and the like is so, so rewarding. No amount of money can compare.

Now, onto the happenings this week...

Darling Poppa Ian showing us one neatly stacked, abundant pile of painted pickets :)

What a legend!

My awesome hubby, paving the steep side of the slope to join the original path.

He worked until the blistering heat became too much.

With just a few pavers needing cutting, the path is nearly complete.

It will be wonderful to not see sand! Nearly there.

My Lizzy is the queen of gift wrapping, so she was roped in to help set up for Christmas by covering boxes.

It's Chrissy lights time of year! Thanks to Mick, Shane and Ron for working hard in the horrid heat for 3 hours to get the job done.

Here is my amazing man yet again, digging a hole deep enough to secure a large pole. This large pole will become a Christmas tree light display.

Note the brown grass. Rain please!

Two trees awaiting decoration and some pretend presents :)

Lizzy and I had it good in the sweet, sweet aircon.

The pole is up!  The giant tub we were going to use as a water feature in our yard has now become a 'pot' filled with pavers to stabilise the pole.

We have a star!

The tree frame is carefully wired and secured.

At long last, the lights are spiraled around. Such a huge, day long task.

Well worth it though.

We made it just in time! Although not a lot of rain resulted. Still, better some than none. At least I won't have to water for a day or two.

There you have it, a mixed bag of a week. I am so looking forward to the next stages, especially the entrance way and final planting! Can't wait to show you that progress. I have several plants awaiting a new, permanent home :)

That's your lot for today. Thanks for reading guys :)

C3 community parkland and walking track week 43

Progress people! Lot's of it. Hopefully this progress doesn't bring out the crazed, violent fanaticism the sculpture caused. Unless board games stir up bad memories for some? Glad it's not a monopoly board :) 

On Monday, hubby had some helpers. Ben did a brilliant job helping out hubby build this awesome patio- a giant chess board :)

Miss 2 loved playing on the squares while her daddy worked hard. 

The last piece is down!

Now, to edge it with red brick...

And then concrete it in.

Sweeping it off at last. Such a long, late day. Well worth it though.

The day also included a much needed mow by moi. Gary came and helped hubby dig some more post holes to stabilise the hand rail.

Extra hands helped us get so far ahead.

Thanks guys!

This was the next major project for the week- edging the car park with concrete to replace the rotten, uneven timber.

Our awesome Pastor, Steve Godfrey, did an incredible job digging this trench before Wednesday.

The helpers arrived Wednesday to get the job done. Hubby had already put in the timber framing, but more timber needed to be purchased to speed the work up. 

Thanks to Emmet Goddard for letting us borrow his dad's cement mixer.

Thanks also to the Dennis boys: Nate, Baden & Stevie.

Also, Pastor Steve, and later, John Dent, who carted barrow loads of sand-bare footed. Then Craig Chalmers, who helped move the heavy mixer.

So appreciated!

Boys learning new skills :)

Pastor Steve still at it. May I say, well done-the day was a scorcher.

The boys finally got the canopy. It helped the mix not dry out too quickly.

The new edging! What an improvement.

The day was long, hard and hot.

Everyone did so well.

Great teamwork.

Here we are, at Thursday, and a pre-gardening Bunning's trip for mulch.

Miss 2 was thrilled when she found this little guy.

Shane and Mick are adding pavers to complete the path on one side. 

To the left, Paul and hubby are edging yet another garden bed.

Not pictured is Ron, hubby's new off-sider :)

I wish my camera could pick up the stunning purple blooms better. The agapanthus are looking fabulous.

And one of the frangipani is about to bloom-yay!

These flowers are tall and striking. I just love them.

I have been planting on purpose. By that I mean, low maintenance plants that add colour, design and/or attract insects/birds. I can't have fussy plants in a garden I don't own/live at.

The garden I've planted seems to be thriving on neglect :)

These bromeliads are transplants from another bed. I have to lay some bark mulch down to grow them in. It was such a windy day, I gave up.

The poor sunflowers are a bit lopsided from the crazy, strong wind. A few seedlings emerged then died. The heat and wind were obviously too much. Hopefully, the 8 remaining sunflowers will do well.

The nearly completed pathway! It's all coming together now.

The newly mulched bottle brush shrubs. Sugar cane mulch is a great weed suppressant and soil conditioner.

Hubby covered the newest edging with plastic wrap to leave overnight. The first garden bed created is now edged. 

Happy dance :)

So much wonderful progress. We are only weeks away from completing the first stage. Exciting stuff.

C3 community parkland and walking track update: Vandalism yet again

We arrived at church yesterday morning bright and early, ready to set up band breakfast. 

Oh joy. It had happened again. The poor statue had been utterly pummeled. But wait, there's more! During the space of the morning, while church was on, it was damaged further; flipped over, arms severed and a flower pot placed atop the head. 

It gets better. 

Later in the day we returned to water newly transplanted garden beds. The statue now had a paver on his chest after being pummeled further. 

Once again, that's not all. We now had a clear warning. 

Look below for details...

This damage confronted us as we went to the garden late in the afternoon. The flower pot hat was gone, as were the metal rods broken inside the abdomen.

This sight greeted us as we arrived early at church: a face planted, smashed sculpture :(

We know where the weapon went. The broken pieces were left, along with some sticks, as a not particularly subtle warning on the garden path.

Game On I say.

You've picked on the wrong people.

We are not going anywhere. If anything, this just makes us a trillion times more encouraged and determined. 

I get that to some the statue reminds people of a buddha. It's NOT! The sculpture is a slightly abstracted artwork to remind people to just be. Sit. Relax. Enjoy nature. Take 15 minutes out of your hectic day. 

I get that some people HATE church. I'm sorry guys. If this is the case, I'm praying your angry butt into the house of God. 

Whatever the motivation, we've got news for all. This garden is going ahead. We will constantly rebuild. It's our passion.

Anyway, we are as stubborn and tenacious as weeds.

C3 community parkland and walking track weeks 41, 42.

The pace is picking up people!

Summer is just around the corner, and we want this garden finished and open asap.

Plants are leaping out of the ground thanks to warm weather, plenty of rain (at long last) and some fertiliser.

Some major construction is happening, making the garden transform weekly. So exciting!!!

Let's look at last week...

Another large amount of garden edging done. Thanks Paul!

The slope is slowly being transformed. I really hated where the mother-in-laws tongues were, so decided they needed to be moved and got the great idea to fill in the slope with block planting.

Clever me :)

But first, Shane helped by adding a few barrow loads of sand.

 These things apparently like dry feet, so the sandy soil should be great for them. Though, from what I've witnessed, they grow everywhere- from the sludgy creek they were originally dumped into, to the neglected pathway before the bridge.

This sad example was a pot-bound Lilly Pilly I found at Big W. I planted two of these on the slope, above what will be the pergola/seating area. If they grow, they will make excellent screen shrubs.

Some sunflower seeds are starting to grow. Can't wait to see these giants in bloom.

Another view of the mother-in-laws tongues. I like the blocks of agapanthus, then a line of moses plants, another block of liriope, more moses plants, then these. 

A newly repaired statue. I am planning to plant a shrub cove around this soon to add effect. Just need to find suitable plants.

The first stage of a concrete slab base is down! Then, the rain followed. We got it covered but not before the rain left spots everywhere. Lucky it is going to be hidden soon.

Did I say that concreting is hard work!!

If you look closely, I've planted several mother-in-laws tongue cuttings in the geranium planters. Hopefully, they will take root and let me landscape with more free plants.

Pavers painted ready for our chess board! Watch this space :)

And please don't throw or break anymore people!

The start of many, many white palings for our cute picket fence...

And some more.

So far, around 150 have been painted, with more being done by the amazing Poppa Ian Wilkins :)

Now, to this week. 

I wasn't happy with the cottage garden looking lost in the bottom garden. My mission today was to put them somewhere more suitable. So, armed with a fork and poo, I turned over the front garden bed after some weeding, added poo, then transported load after load of plants. I also soaked a peat brick to help keep the moisture in when transplanting.

I have mentioned in the past that I get dizzy.

Well, today, as I was digging, I toppled over the stone edge. Just like that.

Did it hurt?

Yes. Yes it did.

And still does.

Gardening battle scars :)

After a good watering in, I'm pretty happy with the results. If I keep the water up, this garden should flourish in no time.

It was worth the pain and bruised/scratched leg.

This is one of many flowering agapanthus! Yay :)

Shane did a brilliant job cutting posts and digging post holes. Legend!

Paul and hubby adding to the concrete base. Now, it's nearly laying pavers time!!!

The cottage garden has been replaced with 6 Captain Cook bottlebrush shrubs. They don't grow too high, and can be pruned into shape.

I'm happy with the garden bed swap.

Here, the posts holes have been filled, and hubby has started doing overtime by building the hand rail.

And it's done! 

This transforms the garden completely. I can easily imagine this painted, a picket fence along the bottom, and a flourishing garden.

Big steps forward :)

Last week, during a late afternoon watering trip, I noticed 2 beautiful girls arrive and get their formal photo's taken by their proud families...in our gardens! This blessed me so, so much. I hope this sort of thing continues. Makes me smile to see people already enjoying a non-finished garden.

And that is your lot for now. Stay tuned.Exciting happenings ahead.

Until then, thanks for reading :)