Back yard paradise

Our amazing landscaper, Andy, came back today to finish off the last few things (including lights - I can't wait until it gets dark to see it all lit up).  So here's some better images (sorry Mum) of his masterpiece;

Back yard - Aussie Style

We are two VERY happy campers as our back yard is 98% finished and EXACTLY what we wanted.  It's sustainable, all locally sourced, native & in our minds, unbelievably beautiful.

Here's a few before & afters...

This was a really low point directly behind the house which suffered from pooling water after only a little rain.  Beneath the creek bed, Andy has run some drainage and used the left over bricks, smashed up,  just under the dry creek bed.

Its a little hard to see in these pics, but our gorgeous Ironbark deck extends into a "jetty" which then juts out over a dry billabong.  This area used to be "Lake Cranbourne".  Now, if it overflows, it's channelled to the storm water.

This is our North boundary which we originally had lined with Blueberry Ash. The problem was I had nowhere to dry any washing & didn't want to plant a hills hoist in the middle of our yard or purchase a dryer. So Andy came up with the idea to span some tensioned wire between two railway sleepers to blend with the climbing frame we have outside our bedroom door.  We'll grow some jasmine along the wires too, so the clothes take on a little of its scent while they're drying.

We love love, love it.  I'll no doubt post many more piccies in the coming days.

The hugest of huge thank yous to Andy from Eskape Landscapes. If anyone wants work done, I'd happily pass on his contact details.

Back yard sneak peek

Long time no post!

We've been doing all kinds of fun things, but mostly just enjoying our new lives in this gorgeous home, oh + getting fit & healthy while recovering from stupid back surgery (more on this in a future post I think).

Our landscaper, Andy, who did such a brilliant job on the front has come back (under his own business name Eskape, as the previous company went bust 3 days pre-Christmas) and is turning our formerly flat, weedy, wet, yuk back yard into something we've already fallen in love with.

Here's a quick snap;

Fingers crossed the turf and planting will be done by Friday..YAY!!!

If any fellow Avenuers (or anywhere nearby actually) are looking for a landscaper - I give Andy two thumbs up.

A bit of gardenage

Our landscapers (Outdoor Edge) have allllllmost finished the first stage of works.  It's very like the build - the first part dragged, middle part flew and the finishing touches seem to take months.  Well not really months, coz we've only been in for 3 weeks.  OMG - 3 weeks.  In some ways it's seemed like 3 months, and others 3 days.

It's damn hard work this moving business, so anyone out there who hasn't yet moved, live it up now!!!!

Anyway - here's some pics of our gardeners hard work.  Now that the bones are in place, we can start adding a bit of our own flavour to the space...

Isn't she gorgeous???

Pours and paws

Activity central at the orange house this week.  We're STILL pinching ourselves that we're actually IN, but the dust - oh my - there's so much dust, and mud, and dusty muddy footprints, both human and canine.

So to eliminate some of the mess, our paths have been poured, driveway too.

Exposed aggregate down the skinny side with a 3m long gap which will have Castlemaine Slate steppers set into a garden bed at our feature window.  See our gate all the way down there?  We decided (at the absolute last minute) to put it at the end of the house to keep the hounds at bay.  We'll put a wrought iron feature gate at the front here - at some stage.

Can't wait to drive on it for the first time.  Just needs the saw cuts, an acid wash and a couple of coats of sealer.

Here's a close-up of the blend.  It's "Glenelg" from Mentone Pre-mix & I think the boys at 1300 driveways have done a great job.

The front landscaping will continue this week and weather permitting, it MAY be completed (???). Will be nice to see some greenery against all of this paleness :)

Do you know Alf Resco?

Last seen at the Saltwater Coast display village, MainVue Homes...

If anyone happens to see him, please deliver him to Fieldstone Crescent - in about 20 weeks from now. Thanks in advance!!!

On the street (near) where we live

I took a few (iphone) snapshots of some local gardens on our evening walk with the furkids tonight...

I love the deck that stretches all the way to the footpath, and the way they've created levels through the use of rock, on what is a pretty much flat block.

They've only used ground covers in front of the rocks, and small shrubs behind, which also look cool against the stacked stone and beige rendered walls.

They've used river pebbles in places too - it all blends in beautifully - LOVE it.

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The pics don't do this one justice.  Their driveway is plain, charcoal concrete, but they've edged it with random slate.  The right hand image is a touch too jungle-like for me, but through the trees you can just get a glimpse of a custom rust-finish gate.  I'll try to zoom in on it...

I don't know if it would keep our crazy hounds enclosed, but I might just have to look into getting something similar.  Dare we break the horizontal merbau side gate trend???

I felt like such a stalker snapping away through the streets.  Would you be flattered or sus of a random taking pics of YOUR house??????

Driving down the highway...

Possibly a little premature on this one, but we're starting to think about driveways.  We found these couple at Carlisle display villages when we were in searching mode, and reckon that either would fit in with our colours pretty well. 

Baring in mind we have pale, rendered walls and a jasper (left) garage door (wish we could change coz that surfmist one on the right looks a bit swish!), which one would you choose?

The natives are getting restless

To fill some time while we're waiting waiting waiting for our land to title, we spent a pleasant Sunday afternoon wandering Kuranga Native Nursery in Mt. Evelyn, and making mental notes of what will eventually go where in the garden.

Love the look of a mass planting of Kangaroo Paw.  Should look great against the light rendered walls.

We'll throw some of this in as a contrast against all the green.

And a few of these.  We have them in our garden now and the fur kids love to hide under them.

And definitely some of these to add height and obscure the front bedroom windows from the street a little.

Okay land - we're getting REALLY impatient now!!!!!!!

Plans to Landscape not Manscape

We have to apply for Developer's Approval (again), so thought I'd share a draft of our submission.  This is the Ladyscape plan not the Manscape, as I'm sure Loz's ideas are more forest-like, less structured with way less grass.
(I'm still talking about the landscape plan here).

To make sense of it all, there's a legend below.  And for those of us over 40 who need a little help in the vision department, you can click the image to make it bigger (Mum).

Perhaps Loz's competitive side will come to play and he'll break out the derwents this weekend and put me to shame with a visionary concept that's way better than mine.