Pebbles and Mulch

Well the front yard is now Complete!
Phew - Took nearly 12 months but it's all come together.
We sourced some local mulch and rocks from 'Supersoil' including:
20 mm Riviera pebbles and 14-20 mm Tuscany pebbles.

All the step pavers below were laid on a bed of mortar on crushed rock and then surrounded with the Riviera pebbles.


...and from the other angle.


We also decided to tidy up the blind side of the house and also make it very low maintenance using the Tuscany pebbles.


The water tank area received some attention and was sprinkled with some stone too.


The front garden beds also got the treatment.




Note, the Deck in the following photos has been hit with hose to get this nice effect (tank water of course ;-) - an oiling is planned in the next couple of weeks to give it a permanent colour.










The rear yard is a work in progress and some parts are on hold, although we have recently had an awesome deck built - so once that is all completed we will post some more pics.
Enjoy the summer.

The Front Garden

A lot has happened recently with regard to the front yard and I have finally had time to put together a post.

We had a truck load of rocks delivered and strategically placed in the slope to create some pockets for effect.

We had a fair idea as to what sort of look we were hoping to achieve in the front yard - something that was low maintenance, no roses, no lawn and a variety of plants. So we took a trip down the plant wholesalers with our landscaper who was able to provide some good advice as to what would suit our landscape with the ideas we had in mind. This place is called 'Plantmark - wholesale nursery' located in Lyndhurst - it was massive!! The only downside is that you need to be in the trade to get in.

Here's Lou helping load the truck with all of our plants. We had three trolleys!

Then they were laid out across the yard...

...and planted with fresh top soil.




with the final effect being...

During this development we also had a letterbox constructed and a planter box incorporated to house a Cycad (or Sago Palm).


Next was to start on the front deck. The plan was to create a multi-level Merbau deck which would meet with the exiting path and also with the paved courtyard.

Along the way I had a lot of helpers who were 'eager' to help Dad.






And here is the finished product. This was just after I washed it down. I am still yet to oil it.




To finalise the front yard we now just need to add the mulch and pebbles. The next post will be dedicated to some of the work being carried out in the back yard - stay tuned.

At this point we must say a big thank you to Adriaan and the boys from 'AllFX Concrete' who have done a fantastic job with all the the concrete work and landscaping, and also a thankyou to Craig from 'Australian Lattice and Timber' for the supply of the timber for the deck.

Courtyard paving

As an update to the landscaping efforts to date, the front courtyard paving has been completed and we are very happy with the results. Adbri Masonary Stone was used for the walls and Austral Riviera 'Imperia' 400mm pavers where used for the base and seat. Links included below for those who wish to know more.

Austral Riviera Imperia
Adbri Masonary

The colours work well with each other and also pick up well with the colour of the house and paperbark windows/gutters/garage door etc.







A merbau deck is now under construction which will lead out from the front door with a step down to paver level to connect the two. Once that is complete we will be organising plants and mulch and stones to complete the front landscape - hanging out to have this completed.

Landscaping journey begins

Time for a landscaping update.

We've had the boys from All FX Concrete out again to do some more 'hard landscaping' work for us (you'll remember they also did our driveway for us) And no, I don't mean hard as in difficult. I mean hard as opposed to 'Soft Landscaping' - ie. planting and laying mulch etc :-)

Out the front we are creating a courtyard with a seat and a paved area - something to break up the garden.

Here is a pic with the section excavated ready for the slab frame to go down.

And here it is all laid out.

We are also getting the alfresco paved with the same pavers as the front.

Down the blind side of the house we are getting standard concrete without pavers to minimise maintenance.

We are also getting a slab laid for a freestanding spa.

...and of course every mans basic need - a garden shed.

The access these days is getting a little harder so they enlisted the use of a concrete pumper to get to all the locations.


Here we can see the guys hard at it......on all the slabs.


And what slab wouldn't be complete without signing it. The cherubs thought it was great - a little bit like Hollywood!


While the diggers were there we also got them to level the backyard ready for a retaining wall. This area will eventually be lawn for the cherubs to play on. They took out 3 truckloads of soil.

Tank, Drain and Conduit

Finally some time to catch up on what been happening at the Cherubs place (and its been a lot!) So grab a coffee and a Tim Tam and have a read.

Rain water tank
In an attempt to save some valuable water, I have installed a water tank, a 4,500 litre version to be exact. This was the largest size I could install in the available space we had. It was a great spot too as I was able to plumb two downpipes into it which has now enabled us to completely fill the tank with what little rain we have had.

Firstly the area was cleared of all the crap the builders leave embedded in the ground.


Then I bolted in a frame to contain the packing sand base.


The two pipes shown below are the reticulated termite protection pipe (purple) and my water pipe (black) for extending tank water to other areas of the front and back garden. I took out a piece of the treated pine sleeper to allow them to pass through.


And finally here you can see the finished product.


From the tank I have connected a pump (capable of managing 4 outlets) and connected a tap at the front (so I can wash my car at home again :-) ) and one for the rear.



Power Conduit
In the backyard we have organised to have a slab laid and a Shed constructed. The shed will have 2 skylights for light during the day but at night will have mains powered lighting. In order to provide power, a PVC conduit had to be laid from the house to the shed location prior to the slab being poured. Here are some of the pics showing the trench and the conduit.








Balcony Drainage
As many Cremorne owners will know, the balcony facade provides an option where you can have the base tiled for a couple of thousand dollars and a letterbox drain fitted to one side. This is an excellent option as the standard is to have decking boards above and below as part of the balcony structure letting what ever rain hits the deck to come through on unsuspecting visitors - which is what we chose.

After throwing around some ideas with mates and other tradies, we have decided to do a similar option. The twist is that we will incorporate a drain through one of the balcony piers so the water escapes out of sight. A tiling mate will come over and water proof the balcony floor, tile it and include a stainless steel drain in one corner - a bit like a shower base.

Here is the balcony pier I have plumbed the pipe through.

When you lift the deck boards and look down the pier, the only obstruction is the wiring for the lights, which is minimal.

I then hammer drilled a hole at the base of the pier to allow the pipe to exit.

Then inserted the pipe.



And connected it to the existing silt pit as provided by PD.


As more work is completed on the balcony, I will post more photos.