Landscaping our New Home ...

I've always looked forward to starting from scratch on my very own garden and moving here meant that. Mind you, we will probably only be here for two or three years and then we're looking at either renting our place out or selling it so I have to keep in mind the people coming in after us.

Also having to consider the heat, lack of water (and high price of what is available) and maintenance. So taking all that into consideration we came up with a very easy concept .... rocks and lots of them!!!

When Todd finally got to come over and live with us permanently we dove straight into the landscaping thing as he only had three days off in which we had to landscape the entire section. We had about 80 tons of river rock dropped off out the front, we hired a Bob-cat for a day (Todd was in boy-heaven driving that around!) and I pointed in the general direction of where I wanted rocks put. Then it was a matter of back breaking work putting down that black-weed-paper-stuff (see, I already know all of the technical gardening jargon!), moving the rocks to where we wanted them, then spreading them out! WOW ... makes me realise that I'm not 25 anymore and I need a bit more time to recuperate. Gone are the days when I just had to catch my breath for 2 minutes, now it's a matter of sitting down for 2 hours, taking 2 ibuprofen, 2 bottles of vodka, 2 sacks of ice and heat on my back and 2 hours of long hot baths ... and then I'm just starting to feel a bit better.

Todd I managed to get it all done though - Timothy put the finishing touches to the front part of our section with our 'River of Rocks'. Timothy was very glad that he had to be at school during the first few days as he missed out on most of the action.

We still have a long way to go (at the posting of this page anyway) and I want to add a bit more colour to the lovely grey rocks that we have. Here are some piccies of the process and what it's looking like these days! Thank goodness we got the majority of the heavy work done before the hot season set in!

This is the back of the house with the new fence up - and nice ... dirt!

Well you can see what an exciting back yard we had to start off with. But at least we had our fence up. The kids would come in from playing outside absolutely COVERED in dirt, lots of fun was had though!

This is where we're putting our new trailer - hence the hurry up to get the landscaping done.

The front of the house - with fence in place and newly placed dirt, but at least it was level dirt!

Timothy putting a stain on our new fence. It was finished a few days before Christmas so he spent a two days staining it while he was on his week off from school. The weather was nice and cool for him, plus he got to check out the 'babes' riding by on four wheelers ... and they were checking him out too!

This is our totally unexciting entrance. I would like to do lots of exciting things here, but I won't be since we're not here permanently. Stay tuned though, I will be putting something there one day!

These are 'the rocks' ... we got another 7 loads after we had spread these! Like Hamish said in Braveheart "I shoulda remembered the rocks" ... I just wish I could forget them!

Our first strip of Black Weedy Stuff is Down!! Only another 478 to go!! Well, not quite, but mine and Todd's backs sure felt like it was! The kids and dog really enjoyed themselves being outside all day long though! It was the wind that made us stop early on the first day as we couldn't even keep our eyes open for the dust being blown up!

Half way through the second day ... lots of REALLY hot black weedy stuff put down - lots of old, creaky bones moaning all the way through the day and into the night! But we're getting it done!

It certainly doesn't look like a lot of work was put into this but this was the major part of getting things done! Let's hope that the weeds don't come through or I'll be REALLY mad!!

We thought we planned it out rather well. Leave a space where we'd (meaning Todd of course because I wasn't allowed on the boy's toy!!) be driving the bob-cat through, so that's why there isn't black stuff over all of the ground.

End of day two! The hardest of the days ... thank goodness there wasn't a lot of wind that day so we managed to get a lot more done. Tomorrow - it's THE ROCKS and the bob-cat ... and tonight ... LOTS of alcohol to soothe the aching bones!

The front - with my shadow! This is where we plan on having a tiny bit of a garden at some stage. The rest ... rocks of course!

Throughout all of this Kasia and Carl were there to lend a helping hand. Timothy was at school (and he was thankful for that!). They were huge helps moving rocks and helping their daddy make sure that no rocks fell out of the bob-cat! So tell me, who's having more fun - the kids, or the big kid?!?!


And this is the living room - dining - kitchen in the background ... complete with kid's toys that they were delighted to have around them again!

Okay - so have you seen enough rocks yet?! Believe me, if you have, you can imagine how we're feeling right about this time. This is the end of the third day! Not bad for two people (plus a dog and two littlies), a bob-cat and a rake! The bare patch in the middle is where we plan on putting a bit of grass at a later date. ... and a tree too just for giggles!

Same backyard - different angle. Not looking too bad if you want my humble opinion! Bones are beginning to complain to their unions though!

The mighty Bob-Cat lies in wait for the next pile of rocks to be moved! Look closely at this bare spot because in just a few short days there will be a trailer parked there and you won't be able to see all of those lovely ... rocks!

Can you guess what this is?! Oh yeah - it's rocks! If you look closely you can see a 'river of rocks' made up from the larger load of rocks we had delivered. Timothy was the man in charge of the River - and he did a fantastic job of it too.

There goes the neighbourhood - or the view of it anyway! The latest addition to our household, and a great place to store all of those empty boxes we like to collect so much!

This is where my grass is going to grow (crossing fingers and anything else that's handy and not being used). Not too much, not too little - just enough!

Look - it's a plane, it's a rocket ... no - it's a plant! What on earth is it doing in our sea of rocks?! Our first transplant - we're still doing special dances around it to see if it will grow. Kasia and Carl thoroughly enjoy watering it every night when mummy goes out to water the grass.

More plants ... these are hopefully going to flower into gorgeous lavender plants. You really have to research what grows and what doesn't around here. I do love purple though, and these fit the bill. Fingers crossed they like my dirt though!

Meet My Leetel Friend!! My first brush with a Tarantula (spelling?!). When I saw this not-so-little-furry-friend I ran to Todd to come and see if it was what I thought it was. And sure enough - it was! Big sucker he was - and Todd wanted to pick him up and take him home?!?!