Come awandering with me around our new garden

Hello Lovelies! I have been overwhelmed by your generous comments about our new home. I’m thrilled that you are gracious enough to share in my delight. We’re still amid The Great Unpack. Hopefully this weekend will break the back of it. Oh, and see us glue together Emma’s desk for *my room of my own*. Meanwhile, I thought you might like to see some of our garden. Are you up for it? Okay, let’s go!

Right, here we are on the back deck, looking at the kitchen and those bifold windows. There’s our barbecue, waiting to have the gas bottle connected. Those gas bottles are for our inside stove. Oh and the chest on the left is waiting for a home. All part of The Great Unpack!

There are some of Emma’s pots (the empty ones I bought at her garage sale on the weekend). We’ll probably move those pots and replace them with some blue wooden planter boxes like we had in Sydney. The French lavender on the butler’s tray was given to me by my dear friend Ann on one of her recent visits here.

Let’s stroll down these steps to the back garden. This ivy-covered wall is to our left.

That’s going to take some serious elbow grease to remove, don't you think? However, see that jasmine flowering on the left?  At least something pretty can replace that horrid ivy. Fortunately there is a concrete wall behind it so the ivy can’t pull that down before we get to it!

And then here’s the spartan cubby house left by the previous owners. Mr PB can’t wait to work his magic on it and create a little haven for the pixies. He’s already hung a childhood parrot mobile at the entrance. And yes, there are Joshie’s old green gumboots inside! As you can see, those trees make the clear plastic roof very dark and shady. We’re going to get the tops lopped out of them to start and then see if we want to keep them. They’re right on the boundary fence and causing a few problems for our neighbours.

Here’s a view of the back fence. That fencing and the gate are the ones which famously restrained Quicksilver Sam at our rental house! Those acacias are at risk of splitting and dropping limbs, especially the left hand one which is uncomfortably close to the fence. We’re having a little emergency tree surgery performed here tomorrow and will then take it from there. We’ll move that dank little sandpit to a sunnier spot and get a cover made for it to keep out any stray neighbourhood cats.

Here’s the vegetable garden, waiting for some TLC. All we’ve done is plonk Mr PB’s spade and Joshie’s butterfly net there. Meanwhile, potatoes are growing and there’s a mystery fruit tree just aching to be pruned. We have lattice to replace and that vigorous climber on the fence to remove. My, talk about learning on the job! There’s so much to do for a novice gardener like me.

And here’s the clothesline. This was taken at 10 am. See how the sunlight is blocked out by the tops of those trees? It gives me a very finite window in which my washing can dry. I am looking forward to having the tree tops lopped to let the sunshine in. Yes, you eagle eyes, that’s the washing basket I was given for Mothers’ Day! Eventually we’ll remove this line as it takes up so much space and attach one to the fence which folds down. All in good time!

Oh, and here’s a close-up of my happy-making pegs ☺.

Here’s our neighbours’ pesky cotoneaster, dropping its berries everywhere. They’re classified as invasive weeds over here. We’re getting our gardeners to lop off the branches on our side.

Here’s some thriving rosemary. Mmm, I’m thinking spring lamb, aren’t you?

Here’s our strawberry patch. Bring on summer, I say!

And to finish, here are our raspberry canes, just waiting to burst forth with their luscious fruit.

Let’s walk back towards the deck. Here’s *my room of my own* to our left. See how it’s painted with my favourite colours of blue and green? Sigh. A shame about that shade. Fortunately that will disappear once the tree tops have been lopped.

And what do we have here? A trailer expertly packed by A Certain Mother with all the detritus of The Great Unpack, waiting for Mr PB to take to the tip tomorrow morning.

As we mount the steps to the deck, we can see these enormous pittosporums, right on the boundary fence.

Look at the shade they create in the boys’ room, all day long. And yes, those floral curtains and ugly brown curtain rail will be replaced, eventually!

So tomorrow, those trees will be gone. Completely cut down by our trusty gardeners. Our neighbours are delighted. As will be the boys. And me as now I’ll have longer for my washing to dry!

Hopefully tomorrow we’ll get *my room of my own* organised. It’s a tip. Look – here’s the proof!

And the other side of the room.

Oh, and Emma’s desk.

In pieces. I wasn’t joking!

Now I’d better get to bed (bloggy rehab and all that). So much to do tomorrow! Good night, my friends ☺.