Weeds, weeds and more weeds...

With the warmer weather, the rain and the sun, the weeds, green manure and grass have just taken off. I spent most of the weekend, mowing the lawn, the weeds and then green manure and then pulling all the rest of the weeds out. Looking much tidier now :)

I finally cut a hole in the coop, so that Lucy and Hilda can now use their run during the day, whilst I'm at work. It's a rough looking hole, but it works. I used gaffer tape to cover the sharp edges.

Chicken run

I bought a tarp to cover the run, to provide shade from the hot sun, until I plant the passionfruit vines.

It's so exciting to see all the sticks come to life, this is a raspberry cane

This is my first bud to open and it's on the cherry tree

The prune tree is also coming alive, the rest are still sleeping

Looking much tidier since mowing and weeding.

Weeded and I have sown Good Bug Mix, which is a combination of plants, that should ensure there are flowers all year round, plus encourage lots of good insects

Same garden with Good Bug Mix sown, plus in the front is a heap of grape vines I chopped into small pieces. It is an experiment to see if they grow roots.

Compost bin is well and truly full! Apologies for blurry picture, bad light and didn't notice until I uploaded photos.

Starting 2nd compost heap (these all all the weeds from just the backyard)

I can feel spring in the air...

What an absolutely stunning weekend. I spent a lot of the weekend, basking in the sun, watching Neddie, Jasper and Zena playing in the fresh air, the birds playing (funny little willy wagtails) and soaking it all up :)

My little family

Sweet potato waiting to grow roots and sprout. I'll be pleasantly surprised if this works

Production line setup for planting of seeds

Greenhouse erected and seeds, sweet potato and comfrey put to bed

Greenhouse working beautifully just as it should

Raspberries mulched with newspaper and old straw, as weeds were starting to shoot up with all the rain we have been having

Shade cloth has been hung up to hopefully stop Neddie chasing the chickens in their run, up and down my nicely mulched raspberry cane bed. Will test next weekend before allowing the chickens to roam whilst at work.

Lucy and Hilda scratching my future potato patch for me, found the perfect spot in amongst the bricks and compost pile.

So proud of my baby asparagus shoots coming through, a couple of years and I will be able to try fresh asparagus.

Kale seedlings planted, it's the wrong time for kale, but I will see what happens.

Slightly quiet in the garden this weekend

Planting Comfrey (a herb that has many uses, such as a compost activator, mulch and fertiliser). I'm looking forward to experimenting with this plant.

Planted in an old fruit tree bag

Poor kale has been growing for many weeks, but not looking good. I think it was planted at the wrong time. Hopefully spring it will take off

Veggie beds freshly dug ready for spring

Wild jungle of green manure

Neddie loves playing in the green manure

Freshly mown with the catcher off, only stalled once in a really thick section

Very excited to discover my freshly mown lawn clippings nice and warm this morning

Freshly juiced apple, carrot and ginger. I just love the colour of the juice :)

Finishing touches

Huge tidy up in the backyard and reorganising. I'm really happy with the finished layout
Finished chicken run, but before I cut a hole in the coop I want to try and grow greenery in there for them to eat. I also need to protect raspberry canes from Neddie as he tries to chase and dig to get to the chooks. In summer I will grow passionfruit over the cage.

Is it fox proof? I hate having to use live bait to find out :(

I ran out of wire and also this shadecloth has been secured so I can easily undo it, so I can get in to empty out duck water etc...

Carabiner to hold down shadecloth.

Experimenting with using free wood shavings on the garden paths

Oops different coloured wood shavings, too tired to care tonight. I'll work something out later on.

In case the tags fall off the fruit trees I numbered them and named below.

1. All in one Almond - Late January
2. Lapins Cherry - Late December
3. Moorpark Apricot - Early January
4. 'd' Agen' Prune - Late February
5. Millicent Peach - Mid February
6. Fairlane Nectarine - Early March
7. Granny Smith Apple - Late April
8. Richer Red Delicious Apple - Mid March
9. Golden Delicious Apple

Fruit trees and much much more...

Asparagus and extra raspberry cane bed before
Raspberry bed before

12 Raspberry canes (Variety Willamette ) planted

Fruit trees soaking overnight

Fruit tree spacing measured out, 2m from front fence and 3m from side fence and between each tree

Lucy and Hilda's new hiding spot...

Asparagus crowns (10+) planted and spare raspberry canes

Fruit tree holes dug ready...

Fruit trees planted, this is before pruning

FRUIT TREE SELF-PORTRAITS (pruned)
Almond

Cherry

Apricot

Prune

Peach

Nectarine

Granny Smith Apple

Red Delicious Apple

Golden Delicious Apple

Making room for the lemon tree

Hmmm maybe cheap spades aren't any good

Lemon tree

Strawberry runners planted out (thanks Bel :)) and mulched with the sawdust that the fruit trees came in.

Halfway through making the fox proof chook/duck run. Picked up 10 x 1m dog pen sides for $40, perfect. Still got to put shadecloth and wire over the top and cut a hole in the coop.