Gippy Garden Project List 2010

This is going to be a post where I am declaring my intentions publicly to keep myself honest. It’s not going to be very interesting though.  Now’s your chance to go get that cup of tea you’ve been meaning to get for the last half an hour that you’ve been spending catching up on blogs!

Some of my projects are starting to leak out of my brain, so I’m writing them down so a) I don’t forget what I’m supposed to be doing and b) I can hold myself to account as the year progresses c) I can give the illusion of being organised.

I don’t expect to have it all done by years end…but it will be interesting (for me anyway) to see how far I get.

The List

Forgive me for including in the list jobs that I have already done. I had to give myself a little pat on the back to help keep myself motivated!

• Re-start worm ‘farm’ . Done. Producing lots of lovely worm tea!
• Re-start compost bin. Bin has been re-located and re-started, but still slowly filling it. Now of course I want three compost heaps.
• Remove English ivy and Blackberry. In progress. One of those ongoing jobs complicated by major blackberry roots coming up under the fence on both sides of the property.

Ivy (and - oops - fence) removal Jan 2010

• Develop Butterfly and Bee garden to the north side of the house. In progress. I will continue to research  larval and nectar plants over winter and plant them in late winter/spring.

Starting to organise space for the Butterfly and Bee Garden Jan 2010

• Catalogue and monitor flowering and condition of roses. In progress. I have too many roses.

• Move roses that are in incorrect locations. Just starting, waiting for them to get a move on and finish their Autumn flush.
• Learn about pests in garden, understand how to help keep pests and beneficial species in balance, learn about some organic controls where the balance tips. In progress. But the aphids have redoubled their efforts and the parasitic wasps can’t keep up, so I’m spending a lot of time squishing aphids. Squished aphids are truly icky.
• Re-develop ‘Elder’ rose’ bed.  In progress. It is very pretty in my mind’s eye.

• Re-develop ‘shed bed’ into cottage garden. In progress, re-building garden edging with recycled bricks.
• Experiment with veges in containers. In progress, some successes, some failures, but at least I’m learning!
• Remove four old and neglected plum trees at rear of garden. In progress (and it’s not me doing the hard yards here!)

Um, the plum looks kind of nice and healthy in this shot. But it is still going!

• Plant garden of native Australian plants where plums used to be. Itching to get started, but one plum still to go and lots of cleaning up to do in this part of the garden!

• Learn about soil and plant nutrition. I don’t know my Ks from my Ns or even my Ps.
• Improve soil organically. Mulching, mulching, mulching.
• Build a raised vege garden. I’ve got some ‘colourbond’  roofing sheets that will be perfect to recycle for this. But I’m not allowed to start this until most of the ‘clean up’ jobs are done. It’s OK, it’s me who isn’t allowing me to.
  
• Construct large trellis on back wall and move “Mermaid” rose to scramble up it. Underplant with….I don’t know what yet…lavender perhaps. You know, WordPress seems to think I mean to say ‘underpants’ every time I type ‘underplant’. Still underpants with lavender would smell nice, but they may itch a little.

Mermaid Rose...a good choice if you like monster climbers!

• Reduce lawn area and increase garden area. Gradually remove couch grass. Loooooong term project.
• Maybe start keeping chooks. Need to get everything else well underway first and learn more about the responsibilities of keeping chooks. We have ducks, but they are comparatively low maintenance.

Cripes. Now I’m exhausted and I have a headache. Where’s that cup of tea?