Wow... a bit over three months since the huge Sheoak was damage in a swirling storm, causing some minor damage to the neighbour and narrowly missing their house, we finally had the insurance and government approval to take it down... and the arborist did in a single day. It was huge... on the order of 20-30 metres tall. Perfect for a river bank, but not so great for a residential block!

My wife and kids were glad to see the end of it... and if I have to be honest, I was a little bit worried about it as well. But down it all came... the large trunks went to the neighbour to split for firewood, and the stump was ground down... this area will now have a shed (on the list of things to build...) and perhaps one or two more fruit trees.

... and there is a huge pile of woodchips to spread out to suppress the weeds in a different corner.

Meanwhile, in the front area near the tulips and daffodils, my wife had plated these ground cover plants. They are growing pretty well, but the ground is pretty damn hard still... even after repeated waterings and treatment.

Meanwhile, the lavender bushes are a bit of a mixed bunch. Some of them, like the ones pictured back, have been doing okay... especially after a trim and pruning. But there are few more to the right of the photo that are doing less well, they are still small... but they get much less sun, due to being shielded by the house and the large bush nearby. But, they are still growing... just more slowly.

Meanwhile, the first of the seedlings have started poking up out of the soil. These are the carrots... and as you can see, they are a bit too clumped together. We will have to seperate them out later when they are a bit better established... and the next time we try this, we will have to use a seed tape so that they don't fall out of the packet in a huge clump!

Meanwhile, my father in law has finished the last section of the retaining wall whilst we were busy with Easter concerts! So, we will have the job of carting up the drainage gravel and then covering it all back up. There was a bit of discussion about what to do with this area... I had wanted another four veggie planters... but my wife wanted to plant azaleas and blueberry bushes. I was convinced to see the error of my ways... and we will go with the blueberry bushes and flowers.

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