Tag: country garden

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Barbie's garden Gardening Home page features Miscellaneous

Destruction 101

If I had to commentate the happenings in my back garden it would go something like this – “….The garden was devastated by Hurricane Skollie and Tornado Vanilla….” I am shattered at the total destruction 2 small chickens can inflict on an area large enough to hold a large house!! The garden is a total mess and the beautiful stone path around the house has been scratched to death.

I have lost total enjoyment and the appeal has gone right out of the window! This has all happened because the planning of the new chicken run has not materialized. We were set back this past week with a sick chicken needing surgery on her feet. Oh dear!! Poor Buffy had bumblefoot and needed to have this removed before it caused systemic damage…..that is another post (sigh!)! She is on the mend, but ….

No words can describe what you see here…… wish me luck that in the next weeks before Christmas, I can get this looking like a garden again. We have to get the chicken run up this week…..or else!

[one_half]The bed under the potato bush[/one_half]

[one_half_last]The stones are all scratched up[/one_half_last]

[one_half]This area is also destroyed[/one_half]

[one_half_last]The culprit lurks[/one_half_last]

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[one_third][/one_third]

[one_third_last][/one_third_last]

[one_half]Tornado Vanilla[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Hurricane Skollie[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Potato sacks destroyed-ripped apart![/one_half]

[one_half_last]Raised bed has been infiltrated[/one_half_last]

[one_half]The new bed has not been excluded[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Plants ripped up![/one_half_last]

[one_half]A big mess!Yes-I’m talking about you![/one_half]

[one_half_last]The patchwork wrecked![/one_half_last]

[one_half]Ripped up and out! Plants uprooted![/one_half]

[one_half_last]Closer look at the devastation![/one_half_last]

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[one_third][/one_third]

[one_third_last][/one_third_last]

I have so much to do. It will take me days to get this right! And a few trips to the nursery! Wish me luck…..

Happy Gardening xxxx

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Barbie's garden Gardening Home page features Perenniels

Welcome to my garden

I am seeing the results of all the hard work and love that I have put into my garden these last few months. With spring on its way, it is looking like a loving space where I can wander and stay awhile. The grass is green and lush – thanks to Neutrog Blade Runner and all my newly planted shrubs are already showing signs of flowers. I am now reaping the rewards and all the big landscaping projects are completed – for now! I will now sit back and watch my garden grow.  But first … I will still need to sow my vegetable seeds in September!

[one_half]Feels very welcoming[/one_half]

[one_half_last]The lawn is so green![/one_half_last]

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[one_half_last][/one_half_last]

 

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Barbie's garden

Barbie’s Garden

The first pic of the house when we bought it
The first pic of the house when we bought it

When we decided to move to the country in 2005, it was quite an adventure. From a flat in a real urban environment where your next-door neighbour was within arms reach, to a house with a garden, surrounded by wheat fields and your neighbours are cows, sheep and horses. You can’t believe what a change that was. From traffic noises at night to complete stillness! We could not sleep those first few weeks.

Country living is the best! Being a true spirit of the earth, my garden is all about vegetables and fruit trees and herbs and chickens roaming free. I was keen to really start gardening when we moved to Philadelphia in 2005, but not your typical suburban-type garden – sterile and bug-free! I wanted an edible garden.

But first I had to start removing what was there. My pet hate plants are geraniums and my hubby’s are wild garlic. Needless to say, this garden was full of them AND snails!! The oom and tannie who lived in the house before us had a chicken coop and an overgrown veggie garden in the back – I was so excited!! “Babes! Look – chickens!” But the more we looked at the state it was in, the more I wanted to rip it all down. Start fresh!

The house itself was incomplete, so we had to use our handyman skills to fix the place up – Hannes is so good at this! The kitchen, the bathrooms, the front and back stoeps, the driveway…… let’s just say we are still not finished with it!! I can also show you how we renovated the place. But this might be a blog all of its own!

Ok, so my first obstacle was if I wanted a garden, I had to do it all by myself. Hubby made it quite clear up front that he is not into gardening. I totally understood and all the heavy-duty work I will have to get used to! He bought me a stunning electric lawnmower that was easy to use and did not need arm socket ripping actions to get it started – just press the button and it started to hummm. That was for the small lawn I was going to have in the front and the back. Ok, so that’s sorted. But first we needed privacy, so we built a picket fence around the front of the house. Check out the pics of our first major DIY.

 

Here is the front of the house with the poles in the ground.
The start of the fence
The fence is complete - privacy!