C3 Community Gardens: 1 Year already!

Can you believe it?! We have been working on the community gardens for 1 year! I am blown away at how far two novices have come in that time. 

One year ago, we started with zero budget, an old and very worn hand mower and a very neglected lot. The brush cutter had gone missing too.

We only had 1 worker once a week who was often too fatigued to commit to several hours in a day. In all fairness-that hand mower is hard work, especially in the scorching summer heat and humidity.

We were only really committing to one day a week as well.

And, to be honest, we really had no clue of how to tackle and landscape the area.

How things have changed!

Now, we have:

• several workers across 2 week days
• a ride on mower
• a new brush cutter
• proper tools and a small budget for weekly maintenance
• a huge amount of plant donations to help the garden take shape
• several new garden beds
• 2 picnic table settings
• a bench seat
• a paved walkway with a safety rail
• a chess board with seating
• a stunning entrance way
• a cute picket fence

Yes, we still have so much to do. But the foundations are in place. I am thrilled to see what we have accomplished in one year. And now that I am slowly getting through a very tough season of change and incredible fatigue, I'm even more pumped for how much I can personally contribute to making this coming year bloomin lovely! 

As we speak, I have several new plants awaiting their new home. I personally come alive when planning and planting. Thankfully, being an artist, I not only have creative vision, but can already see the mature garden-and it thrills me to know that people will be enjoying it soon too.

For now, let's look at the newest happenings....

One of the latest sunflowers. The veggie garden has given way to these beauties. It's been just too hot and dry to expect anything else to survive.

Hubby and Mick are leveling off the slope, ready for some erosion control planting.

I donated my fave bright pink, semi trailing geranium to fill the space below the mini lilly pilly shrubs. I also replanted some extra agapanthus, several aloe vera plants someone kindly donated, and some mother in laws tongue I had propagated.

The newest garden bed needed some new plants. Some of these are donations, some are purchased. 

These plants are so easy to propagate. Who'd have thought that some silly persons dumping last year would turn into an abundance of free plants now :)

This garden bed took two days to plant out. After the initial planting, we were once again blessed with a huge number of free plants! I'm hoping the bromeliads grow up the tree and hide the X.

The bougainvilleas are literally leaping out of the ground and are considerably bigger since this picture was taken. Obviously, I need more mulch- it's a big slope.

Another view of our newest garden bed. It's too big to get it all in. It has a new frangipani, 2 grevilleas, countless bromeliads, including a large one pictured to the right, and many, many more plants.

So thrilled, and can't wait to see it flourish.

Just a little collage of my little garden. Sigh. makes me happy to see things grow and bloom.

Can't wait to show off some stunning new colours this coming year!

Watch this space people!!!

C3 community parkland and walking track - We have a shed!

Another productive week at the gardens. And a wonderful, long awaited surprise-my rain lilies bloomed 😄

This was my first official week back. Even though work started last week, miss 2's family daycare did not. 

Take a look below at how the week went...

WEDNESDAY:

Planted as bulbs several months ago, these babies took ages to shoot.  They've been trampled on by workers, wilted often in the heat, but at last, here they are. Yay!

Here, Michael is fixing the annoying bolt that often comes off when mowing, making the blades cease to function.

However, I used the good ol' hand mower- in the heat. First time I've used it in nearly a year. And you know what, it was easier than I remember. Go new muscles!

At last, the shed is slowly being pieced together.

Here, Paul is working on some frames. 

Micheal (and Ron-not pictured), did an amazing job of clearing yet another section of garden to be planted out. I am thrilled- a new area to fill with plants 😄

My legs have a fabulous dirt tan after mowing. Just once, I'd appreciate not wearing, and eating, a kilo of dust and dirt due to dry ground and windy weather.

Though it's even hotter today, I'm not out working in it. I must say, 

gardening in summer is just plain crazy! 

My two work buddies. These guys helped me spruce the place up a bit.

THURSDAY:

I only did a half day Thursday, after training. 

Credit to Shane and Mick who had helped out in the morning.

Here, hubby and Paul are doing even more assembly.

At last, after months of climbing over an unassembled shed in a shipping container, look at this! 

Paul up a ladder working on the roof...

And hubby doing the same.

May I say how unimpressed I am with modern products. Despite the cost, this shed was a complete nightmare to assemble. Credit to my awesome, ridiculously patient hubby, and his equally amazing offsider, Paul, for the long, long hours they sunk into this.

There are front doors on the sheds now, thanks to hubby. Soon, the shipping container will be emptied. When it cools down of course. A tin shed in blistering heat isn't a fun place to be in.

Doing some cloud gazing after an exhausting day. 

Thank you God for shady trees.

Next week, I hope to mulch and keep on top of the weeds. They aren't a huge problem currently as I did a big weed spray before Christmas. But weeds  are tenacious little beggars, so I don't want them getting too ahead of me.

There you have it, another week, done and dusted.

I look forward to bringing you more next week. 

C3 community parkland and walking track End of 2016

Christmas has come and gone, and a new year has arrived. Now that the silly season is over, I can fill you all in on the abundance of impressive work that has been carried out at the gardens. And be very impressed people- it has been H.O.T. Scorching, unbearable, sweaty, smelly and just plain yucky work. 

Yes, I hear you. We are all awesome :)

I haven't been quite as up to date as I would like. Summer isn't my fave season. At all.

We have also been quite busy making sure things got done before the Christmas carols hosted by our church. Things were busy.

Then it was time for a well deserved break. And don't forget the food. So much feasting. Sigh.

Once again, credit to my awesome hubby. He worked overtime. My washing may have tripled, but so worth it to see his hard work transform the gardens.

Take a look through the photo's for proof of the amazing transformation...

Hubby cutting pavers to complete the path from the chess board.

Beautiful work- a perfect pathway completed.

When I first started at the gardens, I found this flower alone in the middle of the grass. I managed to dig it up as it regrew even after mowing. And here it is, flowering in a 'proper' garden bed. So thrilled. It's the simple things...

Some of our awesome team, from left: Ron, Paul, Tristan, me and Mick, celebrating at the White Party, a thank you to all the volunteers :)

It's garden entrance time!!! I may whinge a bit when out of my comfort zone, but I'm learning how to construct with my man. 

The framework is up, secured and painted!

Here, hubby has dug out the seating area for around the chess board.

Mick and Paul are laying a paver seating area/ retaining wall.

After some discussion, hubby agreed that this was high enough. I explained to him that if you make it too high, you limit who can sit on it. This height is perfect for kids, shorty bums like me, as well as taller humans.

And here you have it, a stunning sitting area on a giant games board, under some shady trees :)

The boys worked hard paving the garden entrance.

The paver work for the chess board seating area was an incredible team effort. Some collected and delivered pavers, some mixed cement, some assembled.

When not taking photos, I mulched my poor heat stressed side garden.

These flowers have struggled through the heat. A few days ago, they looked dead. I'm not sure if the recent rain has revived them. I have to accept that if a plant isn't hardy enough to survive in the often extreme summer heat, I can't plant it :(

After recent construction, our 3 pallets of pavers has been reduced to rubble :)

Here, my sweet toddler is dancing while her daddy attaches decorative edging.

The lattice is up, and just needs painting.

The safety rail is getting a decorative treatment too.

Daddy's little helper :)

The start of the picket fence has arrived!

Hand painting the lattice. Oh, my arms! Such hard work.

Getting there...

But not easy with poor quality wood like this. Disappointed in your stock lately Bunnings :(

More painting- and doesn't the railing now pop!

As does the garden bench.

A quick router of the edges, and this is also ready for painting.

A white picnic table-yay!

We borrowed a compressor and spray gun. Oh my goodness! We loved it so much, we purchased our own. Hand painting no more!

Well, maybe some hand painting. Thanks Paul, and our newest worker, Michael :)

We now have a white bridge and 2 white picnic settings to add to our garden.

It's picket fence time!

Considering how uneven the ground is, this job is so impressive. 

Look, a white entrance! It just needs a top and beautiful planters.

I don't often feature in photo's. Thanks to hubby for taking this. I purchased a blower/vac. It is my new toy. I love how easy it is to clear pathways now. I'm hooked :)

Hubby laid some gravel up to the pavers to make an even walkway over tree roots.

At long last, these babies have flowered. Several died due to heat stress or bug attack however.

There you have it, a condensed, but still jam packed blog of amazing progress.

I am quite impressed with what I have been able to accomplish while battling the 'change of life' assault that hit me literally at the start of last year, raising a toddler, and doing uni. 

I am excited for this coming year. I know what I can accomplish. I'm blown away at what my hubby and our workers can accomplish. I have also found my passion; creating a beautiful space for people to recharge in. I have plans for specific plantings that draw people in and allow them to rest, recharge and de-stress. Gardens have the ability to calm the soul.

Look forward to sharing more with you all!

Please note this is a repost from my wifes blog http://arabelleswindow.blogspot.com.au