Thursday, 5 April 2012

Clipping Box Balls (most boring job ever)

Clipping Box Balls, their is no way that I can make this interesting. At this property there are about 150 of the dam things. I have to clip them twice a year and today was the first cut for about half of them.








Here are some of the Box balls, its Japanese Box, fascinating aren't they.








The First box to be clipped 7.15 am






( Wow, look at that, taking photo and clipping at same time)







This hole happened because I cut the box to late in the season last year and the weight of the water/rain, had rested on the box and stretched it basically.





Back aching now !









Many thanks to the following things who got me through today.

John Faine 774 ABC
Coffee and B & H smooth.
Music, (Albums)
Gillian Welch "Hell Among the Yearlings"
Neko Case "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood"
Plan B "The Defamation of Strickland Banks"
Nirvana " Nevermind"










Wednesday, 4 April 2012

My Wednesday Garden

Have been maintaining this large garden for many years. It has been in the Open Garden Scheme a few times and peoples comments are usually about how no one has gardens like this anymore ! Its a very large block and has very wide garden beds and did have until recently two very large trees at the top of the garden. One of them, a liquidamber lost some very large branches a few months ago and unfortunately they crashed into the magnolia next to it. Some drastic pruning has taken place. Underneath was planted with many clivias, these have had to be moved because what was once full shade is now full sun.


The above photo is the liquidamber about half of it was cut off it was a very tall tree.







I have a bit of a thing for Salvias and Sedum at the minute hence below photos.





A really lovely garden and I have only shown you some of  the top half. A beautiful day to be outside in a garden like this today, it's one of the joys of my job.






Friday, 30 March 2012

Garden in the Country ( not really)

Probably my favourite garden at the moment is this one. I do a full day here every fortnight. Its about an acre and I am always exhausted at the end of the day from being on my feet for 8 hours.



Its like a country house and garden. Large veranda's around the house sweeping lawns and wide garden beds, its very peaceful working here and I always feel like I am in the country.



Its actually not far from the city. There's always plenty to do, recently completely re planted the lawns with a grass seed, from a specialist supplier, that grows in the shade. It's the first time I have used this blend of different seed types for shady areas and it actually worked !








Weekend, pretty tiring week, could do with some more rain.







Thursday, 29 March 2012

Stables

It's great that this property I go to has kept the stables as part of the back yard. They have their own fireplace hence the chimney. In the day they were in use they would have had easy access to the blue stone (night carters), lane at the back of the property. This property is only a few kilometres from the cbd. Its very rare nowadays as for most people it would be the first thing pulled down.










Tuesday, 27 March 2012

Lillypilly Hedge

With the plentiful rainfall over Summer this hedge has gone crazy with new growth. My biggest concern when clipping it is not to fall in the pool !






Beautiful morning I better get into it.





Getting there




Nearly


Done time for a coffee!








Monday, 26 March 2012

Autumn its darker and getting colder !






Not only is it now dark when I leave in the morning but also their is a real chill in the air. Had to revert to the beanie first thing today. Leaves are changing on many trees some faster than others. Love this house and the garden that I look after, great portico over the front door which has coloured beautifully over many years as the copper changes.