Inside or Outside!

Hi Guys,

What to do when an opportunity comes along!

Well, make it happen even if it is very hard to do.

Since living in my old family home from my childhood and now owning said home, after Mum died I did manage to keep the garden in check for the first 3 years.  But when I started working it all when haywire and began to get out of control with the overgrowth.  What did me in was the Apricot tree, which kept on losing huge branches after strong winds that then covered the small yard and would take me months to get into the Green waste bin.

No sooner than I had dealt with that, another limb would fall and all that I had chopped back would grow even more with such vigor that stunned me.  On top of this the Birch Tree had been sick and dying for some years now and also with each cyclonic gusts of winds that would have heavy limbs falling that was very close to the roof.

There was simply too much to do with home life, health, work, decluttering and the garden.  Something had to give and the garden was it.  I knew I needed a low maintenance garden, but had little time and energy in which to achieve this.

Dealing with all the 'stuff' takes time as does a garden.  Both are essential to have in check for one's well being and life style.  Mine had gotten way out of hand and the kind offers from my wonderful friends was overwhelming.

The OUTSIDE is just as important as the INSIDE.

I was looking forward to harmony once more.  But it will take time to get there even after this.  Patience is required in abundance when going through this process.

It was at my birthday celebration, I don't remember exactly how this came about that a few friends offered to come over for a garden bee to help me get back on track.  One in particular said he could easily chop the trees and bushes back.  Well, I did eventually call Tony and he did come and have a look.  Dom, Ange and I had estimated it would take around 2 weekends to just do the trimming and so on.

Tony took a look.  I tell him what I would like to be dealt with.  I thought, ah, he will see the size of the job to tackle and the huge trees to be felled and run like the wind.  But he says 'half a day tops'.  Wow.  OK I say.  And it was then I got to fully understand that Tony was a man of many talents and one of them was as an Arborist!  This will be wonderful.

I was dreading and looking forward to the day.

In the meantime, the Study is half complete.  The Lounge Room is now once again in a state of flux, but we are almost at the ready in the Dining Room!

But, finally, I got my act together to organise the Garden Bee.

While he was with us that day assessing the job, I asked if he could help my son and myself to get a few more items from my neighbour's garage.  I now have the 1960s stereo at home to take pride of place eventually.  There is only one more item after this along with the fridge over there now.  What a relief.

The Lounge Room is next to be moved around to be more open and flow through much better.

So that is the INSIDE for the moment and will keep you posted as to the big reveal of the Study, Lounge and Dining more than likely after Easter sometime.

Now for the OUTSIDE.

Fortunately, for me, I chose the very weekend where the heat had finally broken.  But the day prior to the garden bee it belted down with rain.  Not only would it be soaking wet, but would have to call it off due to inclement weather!  Rats!

The morning of the garden bee I looked up the weather radar and decided to take a chance and now glad that we did.  It was perfect in temperature and slightly overcast at the beginning ending in sunshine.  I even got my forehead slightly sunburnt!

After running around getting things ready, picking up the extendable motorised chain saw and my said teenage son from a friends place and who was not going to get out of helping drag the logs to pile up on the front lawn ready for chipping.

First to arrive was Tony.  The others where still on their way I said to him.  That's OK, picks up the chain saw and has the tall and dying Birch Tree down within 15 to 20 minutes!!!

This is just last winter how the Birch Tree looked.  You can see the top was decaying and falling apart.

Here is Tony already started.

Half way by now.

Done and dusted!

What the!!!  What just happened?  This guy was a dynamo!  Would I be able to a handle this?  Well, too late for that now.  He worked like a trojan with many needed smoko's.

We then got rid of the Oak Tree's sucker that had regrown from the last chop down.  Here is what is left of it and will need to be poisoned to stop the constant regrowth.

It was around now that my son appeared from his shower and breakfast intake.  Now to trim the magnificent Magnolia Tree away from the gutter.

It was at this stage my good friends Ange and Dom arrived  to get cracking.  Dom set his sights on bushes that had long grown over the fence and taking over part of the driveway and Ange worked on the weeds in the rockery below.

This is the side which was very overgrown by the Pittosporum Bush, which by now was a tree.
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The neighbour's bush had grown over the fence and shaded the rockery garden bed.  Dom made light work of pruning this back, which was hard work as this bush was very thick and dense.

This is how it looked after Ange got finished with it.

What a beautiful garden!  Taking shape already.

By this stage Tony had already started on the side of the house getting a very overgrown Pittosporum bush trimmed away from the gutter.

This is how what was left of that bush from the front driveway with my three wise monkeys dragging more branches out from the backyard to the frontyard.

Certainly no where near the gutters now.

Roses were pruned and what was left of any rubbish removed.

From the other viewpoint before most was cleared away.  Still more weeding to be done along here.

It was around now that my high school friend arrived, Sue and Godparent to both my children.

Tony was long gone and into the backyard making light work of the huge Apricot Tree that had so many limbs fall over the years creating havoc for me on a regular basis.  Unfortunately, it had to go.

Here is Tony already half way through the Apricot Tree.  You will notice the overgrown grass and what a shambles the yard looked.  Very rustic.

More than halfway by now on this lot.  Weeds still sprouting up loud and proud before being trampled down.

Many workers look on, but also could double as supervisors.  You know, like the guys who make the roads or lay the pipes and there are at least 20 of them to get the one job done!

The stump will now serve as an excellent perch for a Bird Bath or seat.  Next to the shed was this bush that housed masses of spiders and covered in cobwebs and always gave me the heebie jeebies and was situated right where I wanted the BBQ to go.

Here is the shed and what was left of the Apricot tree last year.

Finally the spider bush was gone.  BBQ won.  Spider Bush lost.

Tony who turned out to be a total surprise.

The house had a foot path along the house, but due to the other at least 40 year old Magnolia by now Tree had to be trimmed back in order to use it and also trim away from the gutter of the house.

Mum would never let Dad prune certain branches.  She would be horrified at this, whereas, Dad would be dancing for joy!  It means the pathway will now be able to be used without tall people being clunked on the head.

Now, almost at full strength with volunteers, there was a continuous stream of long limbs being dragged out to be piled high on the front lawn along with what was left of the Birch Tree.

Coffees, teas and smoko's later and many water stops to re-hydrate, we were getting through the endless amount of overgrowth from the last 3 years.  I had kept up till then and when I started working again the garden just went by the wayside as I said before.

Tony watches on having a well deserved smoko in-between lopping's.

It was just as we were about to start on the massive Lemon Tree that never stops fruiting all year round that my daughter and boyfriend arrived looking rather bleary eyed.  They were promptly instructed by all of us what was what and safety instructions and then left to it.

Everyone arrived at just the right time to keep the energy level up and running.

Apricot done and next up the Lemon Tree.

This is how massive the Lemon Tree had become.

Checking the chain and a refuel later to start on the Lemon Tree.

By now I wasn't sure I had done the right thing.  I hope I have.

Lemons retrieved for the last time till it recovers and fruits once more.

A little lopsided, but can be worked on after it gets over shock.

The entire crew/team worked well and in unison.  It was fantastic.  Fun even.

Once the Lemon Tree was done and dusted it was at this stage we discovered under the massive Monstera Deliciosa bush with it's huge leaves there were 4 little feral kittens hiding.  I caught a glimpse of one which was a champagne colour.

I called the local RSPCA to be told that it was a Council issue and that I would incur a charge to hire a cage to catch them and then they would be put down!  I will have to try and find an organisation that helps these little critters.

We turned our attention to the Plum Tree that by now had taken over the washing line.  This one had huge thorns and we had to be very careful when handling this lot and will have to do the same when we get to chipping this lot.

Plum Tree slowly taking shape.

My son looking on .

It was around now that the skies started to threaten rain, but Ange yelled at the skies and ordered them to stop.  The skies listened.

Time for lunch and a well earned break.  Laughter, chatter and mucking around took place and it was just then after all had been cleared from the back fence and I had said my back neighbour will be delighted for the extra sunlight on their vegie patch, and just like magic up pops my neighbour who loved my Mum very much to say how happy she was to see me.  We cried as we had not seen each over for quite sometime.  I wont let time slip by till the next time.  She is just gorgeous.

Everyone commented how happy she was to see me.  Nice to know that.  I have such wonderful neighbours.

Getting ready for that break.

Gathering together.

Ange my angel brought lunch for all and boy did it go down well.

So nice to see the laughter in my backyard once more.

Break over and we get cracking once more.

By now the Green Waste Rubbish Bin was filled to the brim and I went to ask another neighbour for the loan of hers for this week if I could.  She did and even brought over some much needed rakes and huge brooms to make light work of the clean up under the carport.  Thank you bella for when you might read this.

What was left was on the other side of the house was what I referred to as the Triffid Bush that had grown to gutter height and was many many meters off the ground, being the steep side of the block.  I had trimmed it many times before and it seemed to just grow even more to spite me and cover my son's bedroom window to block whatever sunlight there was to be had each time.

I requested for it to be cut at the base.

Here is how the side of the house looked before the chop.

 Just after the huge ball of twine was dragged out for good with the ground covered in twigs galore.

Keith made the side of the house look fabulous once more.

 By jove we think we got it.

Aija looking on at the huge mass, which has stopped just there where it is to be cut down to go into the Green Waste bin over the next few months.  It was massive.

Being that there were 4 guys and this one massive mass of a bush they all decide to drag it out in one mass.   They heaved and the hoved and shoved and pulled.  What a fiasco.  Zigis is missing from this photo.

The young guns, being Zigis and Keith, raked what was 3 foot long grass and by now trampled down with masses of twigs within it. This way when we do mow the lawn the mower will stand a chance.

After the huge raking by Zigis.

The yard at the back now looks large compared to before and will be a useful place once again soon enough.

I now have a clothesline to use once more.

I can see outside!

It really has given me a renewed motivation to get stuck into the 'stuff'.

Here are some photos from the day.

Proof of work done.

Were I will set up the future BBQ.

My boy worked long and hard all day long on little sleep.

Soon to be a tranquil spot.

Mum and Dad watch over the day's proceedings.

Will be nice to have matching outside and inside in the end.

Little pile started.

 Bigger pile piling up.

Growing pile.

Adding to the pile.

Front yard about to be taken over.

The entire front yard is covered waiting for chipping to become mulch.

It was such a great feeling to finally get this done and the bones of the garden started.  It is only the first part with much more to do like weeding, getting the lawn back in order and fine tuning the low maintenance side of things.

Have since found out that the friend of Tony's is no longer in the biz of chipping so will have to find out if the council can help out or find the cheapest quote to get it done.  Small issue compared to what it could have cost me otherwise.

That night my body was a mess.  I could hardly move, but in a good way.  I personally started at 7am and finished around 4.30pm.  Most of the work on the garden went from 10am through to around 3.30pm.  We achieved a hell of a lot in a short amount of time.

And Tony was spot on.  It only took half a day!  Way to go.

To the crew.  One big huge THANK YOU.  xxxxxxxx

What a team!

Next up will be moving the Lounge Room furniture around.

Cheers till after Easter.
Anita who is almost one happy camper.