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.