The Back Wall

 Our back wall as really been a labour of love! A 2 year long process. I'm so very proud of James and all the work that he has done to bring my mountain of weeds from a dream to a reality. I love that his dad and my dad have helped out with this area and helping bring it together. I wish that Malcolm would be able to see it. He would be so proud of James and all this he has done. 

Over the long weekend we did the finishing touches to the back wall - fixing a couple of corners so that soil wouldn't flow out from it. We got a lot of soil dumped out the front of the house which we then wheelbarrowed to the back wall. It was a bit of a play to make it work. The wall is taller than the wheelbarrow so we couldn't just fill it and then tip it in. I was filling the barrow and then shoveling the dirt into the wall but that was making dirt fall on the pavers and there was no chance of that working on the top wall. Then I came up with the idea of filling buckets and putting them into the barrow and then filling that way. Worked really well! And worked with the kids too so that there wasn't dirt everywhere.

The kids did a great job at filling the buckets for me (I had to be ok with them sitting in the dirt at times and getting really messy. They were having a blast and were being pretty helpful).

Over 2 days we managed to fill the wall ready for plants!

On the Monday of the long weekend Mum and Dad were amazing and had the kids for a while so that James and I could head to a couple of nurseries to look at plants and buy some. We really had no idea what we were looking for, what would work, what we would like. It was a bit overwhelming too. We headed first to Plants Plus Cumberland Forest. They were great! The people who work there were really friends and gave helpful advice. They weren't pushy. They just listened to what we asked and pointed us in the right direction. We decided that we would try planting some clippings of lavender (for Grandma), we found a dwarf banksia that we thought would look lovely and some Cuphea with white flowers that we thought looked really cute. We also found some plants for upstairs. We bought some potting mix for natives that we mixed into the soil before planting and also some regular potting mix.

We took those plants home and then headed to Flower Power. It was a lot more overwhelming and the people there didn't feel as welcoming or helpful. We found the plant that James wanted to plant for Malcolm - Prostanthera Rotundifolia. This plant was at his house growing up so is a lovely connection to his family and his dad. We also found a violet version of the Cuphea so got that. We now need to get kangaroo paw (it has been very popular laterly) and Buxux hedges for along the top.

We headed back to get the kids and then came home to start planting. The first plant that we put in was the Prostanthera.  I will let James' words speak for this part because they are so heartfelt and meaningful and I want to remember them. He posted this on Facebook.

'It’s been a long two years, but the back wall and new garden bed are finished - and plants started going in today. Dad helped me with so much of this and I’ll forever be thankful for that (handyman, I am not). While it was sad he couldn’t see the finished product, the first plant that went in was for Dad - a Prostanthera Rotundafolia, a beautiful native plant that he loved and has a great connection to my childhood.'

We finished planting the plants that we had and the wall looked lovely.

I went around and picked up the table and chairs from Mum and Dad's place that was Grandma's. I love that it is here and it works so well in the corner.

The kids were pretty keen to use the table as soon as they saw it.
 

The last addition that I made was including the lorikeets that Anne, Angus and the kids gave to us after Malcolm and Grandma passed away. She sent them with a note saying while it won't bring them back it will give us a reminder that they are looking down over us each day. They are very cute!

Chilli looks like she approves of it all too, even though it has freaked her out with all the changes.

What a wonderful transformation! Again, so proud of James and all the work he has put into it! This back area just makes me smile. I can't wait for the plants to grow and fill the space. 

When we bought the place it looked so brown and dry. (all the mulch that covered up the weeds.) I never liked this back area and always dreamed of having a retaining wall with plants in it.)

This is how it looked before James started working on the back wall, just after the boys build the staircase extension. I'm so glad that they did because it kickstarted the work that needed to be done as we had no path to the back. It was a constant mountain of weeds, lots of greenery but it just wasn't neat or nice looking. The plants on the sides were massive and took over. I tried a few times to neaten it up an it just didn't work.

The finished product Painted pipe, wall done, some plants, table and chairs. We are in the process of getting rid of the clothes line at the back, which will just open up the grass area. I'm just so so happy with the outcome!