the one... with a moment

After doing the edges and mowing the front on the weekend I stopped to look at the cottage and I liked what I saw.

By no means is it finished, there is still lots to do but I am enjoying all the DIY work and the hard work is starting to show.

I hope you take a moment to look at what you have accomplished with your renovations.

Lisa xo

the one... with an update on the frontyard

With my focus on tiling the kitchen splash back recently I completely forgot to update you on the frontyard.  It's finished - well the garden beds are.

To take you back... this is what I was starting with.

All of the material needed were ordered and delivered at once.  I did have to head back to the landscape supplier and pick up another 30 retaining wall bricks but I still have extra stepping pavers and a small pile of pebbles which will be used in the backyard so no wastage.

When it comes to tackling jobs in the yard I have one rule - to stop work between 12pm and 2pm.  I don't do well in the heat and nore does my pale freckly skin.  The usual plan is to get out early and get in a couple of hours then come inside and have lunch, maybe a nanna nap or jobs inside and then head back out for a couple of hours.  It tends to break up the day and I avoid the sun.

This job has taken me quite some time, I'd say about 8 months from start to finish and here is how it looks now.

As you can see from the colour of the grass, we are in desparate need of rain here in Queensland.

To stop the weeds from coming through the pebbles I installed black plastic.  I found a rather large piece under the house after the painter had finished.  When the grass was removed (by hand) for the path I then cut the plastic to size and put the pebbles over the top.

The occassional weed does get through but no big deal.

The area under the front steps doesn't get full sun and I wanted to add a little colour and hide the dirt.  I added some pebbles and mulch and planted 5 bromeliads and a single liropie.

I was also very lucky to be given 2 frangipani trees - removed from my parents backyard as they were getting too big for the space.  I love the location of the one below as it sits between the lounge room and bedroom windows - it is tilting a little in this photo, I might need to fix the stake.

The larger of the 2 frangipani trees stands over 3mts high so it needed a large hole dug and more support while it settled in hence the timber and cement pillars.  I think these could be taken away soon because I noticed small shoots on the tree but I might wait until after the Summer storm season.

Next job on the list for the front yards is to fill the garden beds with lots of soft foliage plants.  I want lots of green, white and purple plants cause I think these colours will really complete the cottage.  I would like to have the yesterday  today and tomorrow plant running along the cottage to hide underneath and the backyard from sight.  Nothing too big that hides the cottage.

Budget - I'll have to track down the receipt but from memory the original delivery cost around $750.

• Pebbles
• Retaining Wall Bricks
• Bricks
• Stepping Pavers

Tools:

• Wheel Barrow
• Spade/Shovel
• Black plastic
• Scissors to cut the plastic
• Spirit Level
• Rake
• Maddock
• Gloves

Supplies:

• Pavers, Retaining Wall Bricks, Pebbles, Mulch from Nuway Landscape Supplies

I still need to replace the front wire fence and was thinking a 5ft high white picket fence would look good...  one day!

Lisa xo

the one... with some light

I don't have a street light near my house which I'm thankful for, particularly with my bedroom at the front of the house. The downside is that when I drive in the driveway and get out of the car, the path is very hard to see until I get through the gate where I have installed small solar lights along the edge of the veranda to light a path to the back stairs.

That was until now.

I like to tackle as much of the renovations myself as possible but there are a few things I just wont/can't do like electrical, plumbing, major building like the veranda or heights.  Yep this girl is afraid of heights.

It's not logical but when I climb a ladder the legs just buckle and refuse to move so when a job requires getting up a ladder I have to call in the help of mum and dad.

They very kindly gave up their time to help me out with a couple of height related projects and this is one of them.

The spot light is solar, you can see the solar panel on the left - this side of the house faces West so it will get plenty of sun to charge the batteries.  The sensor was directed to face the driveway and turn on when I drive up the driveway.  There are two lights, one is facing the frontyard and the other is facing the back.  Basically either side of the gate as I come through.

Now I just have to wait for it to charge up and wait until night.

Lisa xo

the one... with snail mail

I picked up my new letterbox a couple of months back - when you see the one you just have to pick it up - even if the garden isn't ready for it.

I saw this one on a trip to Bunnings.  I didn't go there with the intention of buying a letterbox but thought I would walk up the aile anyway.

The corrigated roof is what caught my attention because it is the same as the house and the window awnings.

The good news is that it won't be long and it will be in the ground because the garden is almost ready.

Lisa xo

the one... where I paint, maybe?

The decision to paint or not to paint...

I really am undecided about whether I should paint the front footpath the same colour as the front porch.

I originally bought the paint for the cement beside the garage in the backyard but I don't want to start any work on the backyard until the frontyard is complete.  I know for me that I hate it when you have several big jobs going at once and it feels like nothing gets finished.

When it was time to paint the front porch the painter noticed I had the can in the garage and after seeing a painted sample I love.

I love the colour so much that I have used it in the laundry (photos soon, I promise).

I would love to know what do you think?  To paint or not to paint?

Lisa xo

the one... with an update on the front yard

February Challenge: $0 Spend

I know I'm starting with a PS: but this is a long post, probably the longest I've done but it is needed. You'll see why.

Well, I don't mind admitting the front yard has been hard work.

Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed seeing the progress and knowing I'm doing most of the work myself. My parents have been wonderful in volunteering to come over and help dig paths, remove plants, lay pavers and move the mulch. I honestly wouldn't be this far along without their help so a very big THANK YOU xxoo

There is still work to be done but I'm happy to say that the really big jobs are complete!

To give you an idea of what's been happening...

It all started back in my October holidays. The first job was to have the supllies delivered from a landscaping company Nuway. Then the 'real' work started.

The first job was to lay the retaining wall down the driveway. DONE.

I then started to remove the grass and dirt from up the centre of the driveway.  I borrowed Dad's pick to dig up the grass and dirt to 50mm below the height of the driveway.  I then cut black plastic to fit, ensuring to overlap where needed, and then covered with 50mm of pebbles. DONE.

The next job I tackled was the front garden closest to the street.  Using the existing fence as a guide, I measured 1.5mts back into the yard and put up a string line from the driveway across to the entry path.  This was my very first attempt at laying pavers so it took a little longer and looking back over my work, I think there are a few pavers that need adjusting.  Wait... I forgot a step.  Before I could even started onthe garden edge here I had to cut down the very large hibiscus tree.  The stump still has to be removed and at the moment the garden is being used as a place to dump the rubbish to take to the tip.

Next...  this is when my parents came over and Dad dug up a trench along the entry path from the front gate all the way to the house.  The plan was to put the pavers along the path to give the feeling of a wider path (great idea Mum) and then place the retaining wall bricks on top of the paver.  This gives the large garden bed behind a wall to hold the mulch back.

While Mum and I got to work laying the pavers and putting in the retaining wall, Dad got to work on digging a path from the entry path across the front of the house to the driveway - that's about 7mts.  This path runs parallel to the front garden and is about 7mts from that garden bed.  I thought the path from the driveway to the front path would be so people didn't have to walk across the grass to get to the front door.

That job saw us finish a day of hard work.

On an afternoon during the Christmas holidays I went out and layed the border pavers for the new path from the driveway to the front door.  This took about 4 hours to do because I wanted to ensure it was perfectly level.  The first paver was layed to the same height as the driveway and then I used the string line and a leveller with each paver to make sure it was perfect (well close enough).

Another day over the holidays I got back out there and did the stepping stones and pebbles.  Can I say that I enjoyed this part because I could finally start to see the picture I've had in my head come together.  What I did was measured 30cm from the driveway and the paver to place the first stepping stone.  From then it was a matter of ensuring the ground was level and each stone measured 30cm from each corner of the previous stone and the paver edging.  Once I had a couple of stones down I brought in the black plastic and layed it over the top.  I put down a barrow of pebbles to hold it in place before cutting the plastic around the stepping stone.  I continued this process until I got to the end.

It's looking incomplete at the moment but just wait... it's almost there.  This past weekend my parents and I got the mulch you can see in the photo above.  Now, to get the grass to grow.  There is also some final pavers and retaining wall to go in but it's getting there.

Lisa xo

the one... getting to know the pick a little more

The pick and are are getting much better acquainted with having to remove a little more dirt from up the centre of the driveway to make room for the pebbles.

I had to take the dirt down another 5cm below the driveway which meant spending time with the pick.

I'll be honest it's not easy but it will be worth it in the end.

the one... with me and the pick

I spent some quality time with the pick recently while a had a week off work.

We are now very good friends.

I took a trip to the landscape supplier to order retaining wall bricks, stepping stone pavers, pavers and pebbles so I could get to work on the front yard.

The first job was to remove the grass up the centre of the driveway - that's 13.5mts - to be replaced with the pebbles so no more mowing.  I took the job in shifts because it was a tough job and I don't like to work in the sun.  I waited until the sun moved in the early afternoon and put the area in shade which made it a lot easier to work.  Still hard work though.

I want this garden to be filled with agapanthus and their beautiful purple and white flowers.

Can you see I've also put down the single row of retaining wall up the driveway.

the one... with the front yard plans

I have a 30minute ride on the train to work each morning.  Sometimes I like to sit there with my eyes closed and listen to some music but on a recent trip I got out my notebook and pen and did this...

It's a plan for the front yard.

Now that the builders are gone and the painter almost finished, I thought it was a good time to get started on the frontyard, before the weeds completely takeover.

I might need to explain my scribble at bit for you:

• I want agapanthus up the left side of the driveway.
• Remove the grass up the centre of the driveway and replace with pebbles.
• A lilly-pilly hedge across the front fence.
• I'm still deciding to remove the 1mt hight wire fence from the front.  I don't like it but I do like the  break it gives from the street.
• Install a new letterbox on the right of the path.
• Paint the entry path.
• Garden bed on the right of the entry path.
• A frangipani near the corner of my bedroom.
• Garden across the front of the house.
• New path across the front of the house, in front of the garden, from driveway to the entry path so people don't have to walk on the grass from their car.
• Stepping stones to the tap near the front stairs.
• Stepping stones to the side gate.

Now that I have the plan, I want to work out the budget before I hit the shops.

Lisa xo