The boot camp ...
After the setbacks experienced while trying to construct the orchard fence described in my previous post, Cath and I regrouped and then, blessed with unbelievably beautiful spring weather, we put in four days of mighty effort. In addition to doing the basics of digging up thistles, spraying weeds, transporting vast quantities of horse manure to the future veggie patch, chopping kindling for the fire and splitting larger wattle logs to stockpile for next winter, our efforts focussed on a number of larger projects.
We have always felt a little exposed because the vehicular access to our cottage was previously completely open to anyone passing. This feature has resulted in some rather comical experiences. One day while at work in Brisbane, our front door camera alerted us to the fact that we had been invaded by a herd of cows who had escaped from a neighbour's field. Of course, potentially more lethal than escaped cows are the wallabies and the rabbits who have had unfettered access to the treasures of the garden. So a few weeks ago, we had a wooden fence built at the front of the cottage.
Of course, the three wooden slats offer no protection against the local wildlife, so our first major project was to attach chicken mesh to the slats to keep rabbits and wallabies out. If you look carefully you will see the result in the photo. First we used our new fencing skills to tension one piece of fencing wire along the length of the fence at the top of the middle slat and a second at ground level. We were then able to attach the chicken mesh to these wire strands using a fencing staple tool.
With a fence in place we decided a new garden bed located at the bottom driveway would really enhance the approach to the cottage.
As the soil around the gate and adjacent to the rock wall is mostly clay, we adopted a strategy that has worked really well in the main garden. First we use old fencing posts to mark the area, then we fill the entire area with a really thick covering of horse manure and finally we cover it all in another thick layer of wood-chip mulch. The organic material tends to bring heaps of earth worms to the top of the soil and the clay breaks down quite nicely. The only downside is that you need to wait about a year before the bed is ready for planting. While you may justifiably claim that this construction was not a particularly major project, we also managed to finish fencing the northern boundary at the same time. This involved attaching chicken mesh to an existing fence and means that the area is now totally protected from marauding marsupials.
The next project was to construct a set of three compost bins using old pallets donated by our neighbours and a few used star pickets. The idea is to have a large bin where we can stockpile the endless supply of thistles and other weeds (particularly onion grass) and wait for them to dry out. We will then mulch them using a wood chipper (yet to be procured!) and move the resultant material to the second bin. By the time the organic matter hits the third bin, it is nearly ready to be used in the garden.
The pallets are actually quite heavy so we had to enlist mechanical help. The end result is a bit ragged but serviceable. We will revisit the problem at some point in the future to see if any serious revamping of the composting system is required. Right now the need to have a place to compost weeds is absolutely paramount.
The final project took us back to the scene of our previous setback, the orchard. We decided to finish attaching the fencing wire to the strainer posts, but being careful not to tension the wire. To our relief this proved to be a most enjoyable task as we found our skills at tying strainer knots and using gripples were much improved. We managed to attach the required four strands of wire between each of the strainer posts meaning that come February it will be relatively easy to tension the wire and attach the chicken mesh to deter intruders. Even more satisfying was the fact that we also hung the gate with minimal fuss and bother.
It was a pretty tiring but very rewarding four-day boot camp. I think that both Cath and I felt really happy with the effort we put in and also with the results. It comes as no surprise that this weekend, with Cath now back in Brisbane, I have felt the need to relax a little.
As an aside, I have had a great couple of nature experiences this weekend. While taking Pepper for an early evening walk along the banks of the Huon River, I saw a young male elephant seal basking on the pontoon of the Huon Rowing Club. It was a surreal moment. Pepper and I were quite alone with no-one else in sight and we could enjoy a leisurely private audience with our seal friend. Interestingly, we saw our mate again today at a different location, so obviously he likes hanging out down the Huon too!
Then this morning, while eating my breakfast Weet-Bix, I was treated to the gorgeous sight of a magnificent white-bellied sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) circling low over the surface of the Huon river. We often see wedge-tailed eagles (Aquila audax) high above the eucalyptus-covered ridge at the back of the farm, but this was the first time I had seen a sea-eagle so low over the water. Unfortunately, my beaten and bowed iPhone 8 wasn't able to snap a photo ...
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