Plan ‘B’

Today is one of those quiet days. In Reikorangi every day is (thankfully) a quiet day, with hardly any traffic ever, and the occasional high-altitude north-south airline flight overhead (maybe one a day?) The imminence of these events is always heralded by high-volume barking from sibling Labradors Benny and Sophie. Oh yes, and don’t forget the occasional enthusiast cyclist going by. They make no noise except for some heavy breathing…

Today is quieter than most. Maybe the fact that its a Friday, maybe the cyclists are put off by the intermittent spit-showers? And our builders will only be back on Monday, leaving the gibber-painters free reign to get on with their important indoor work. So, I’m left sitting here, thinking of a blog post. But my thought processes are also very quiet this morning…

Just look at the skewness of the trellis outside the kitchen window… Hmmm.

(Above): View from the kitchen window, looking towards the Secret Garden, with the proposed fence line (marked in yellow) converging with the existing trellis fence. Perhaps the trellis can be recycled for use as a decorative climbing barrier in front of the woodshed? 

The girls have come up with the suggestion that we scrap the trellis idea in favour of a more solid and lower structure. I tend to support this, as I have always been a bit concerned about the (long-term) stability/integrity of the lath-crossover in a large area trellis in a high wind area. Not that I wasn’t up for it, just concerned that there may be a better option for us.

The more solid fence concept has evolved into something resembling picket fencing. Not ornate or curly, but perhaps chunkier and more angular. Tough stuff, strong and functional and dog-proof. The thinking has been reduced to 1.2 metres high with perhaps 100 or 125mm pales and 40 or 50mm openings… perhaps a bit more: probably the way to go will be to do a few mock-ups to see the effect first before committing and ordering the timber.

(Above): The Old Rectory 1850 at Kyneton, P.44, Australia Coast to Coast Countrystyle, Aug 2014

To negate the “skewness” of the fence outside the kitchen window, I will propose that we erect the new fence about 2.50 metres from the north wing and parallel to the wall. Take it just past the end of the extension to allow a hard stepping-stone type pathway, and then to extend it roughly to the 30 metre mark. As we would be dealing with a 1.2 metre height, making and hanging entry gate(s) will be a lot easier than the huge 2 metre monstrosities. Still not a piece of pie, but most certainly, a bit easier. We may then go for about three gates – one to access the Rec Area near the trees of the Secret Garden, one near the water tanks for delivery of soil, etc in bulk from the driveway area, and one at the top adjacent to the potting shed and greenhouse.

Most readers are now rolling their eyes and sighing huge audible sighs in abject boredom. Suggestion: look at the pictures instead. The purpose of this post is simply to prepare you for future posts when we are actually getting down to the nitty-gritty of the woodwork involved…

Some of the “zones” which I have in mind for inclusion in this garden-to-be include:

• Rec area and tea garden with the large metal garden table and eight chairs placed on a hard surface (most likely this will be brick-paving which we could reclaim from the present kitchen garden);
• Vegetable garden – probably occupying the majority of floor space;
• Potager jardin – or ‘kitchen garden’ as the French call it, for growing herbs and various kitchen requirement, maybe even a mini ‘hothouse’ for specialities;
• Cooking area for the Weber BBQ, and possibly, later on, a pizza oven as well;
• Greenhouse for growing selected items and for providing protection from frost to others when required;
• Potting shed – used for potting, transplanting and storing all the garden tools, fertilisers and such-like, insecticides and other chemicals as may be : As this area will be organic, the manmade compounds will be limited to a few essentials;
•  Bird feeder platform on a pole to encourage our feathered friends;
• Irrigation water tank near the greenhouse and potting shed;
• Some decorative stuff and possibly creepers with creepy-stuff.

(Above): The yard is in somewhat of an untidy chaos, fascias and bargeboard timber for the build, dug-up bricks and John’s gazebo frame all cluttering the site. The areas as marked on this photo, are purely suggestive at this stage. The canvas is blank… Much like my mind?