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"Our Garden" by Purpleshade


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Purpleshade   
Don't argue with idiots, they'll only drag you down to their level and then win by experience


Real Name: Lesley
Lives In: Rockingham, AU
Member Since: May 27, 2005
VT Rank: 769

 

Purpleshade's Albums
Title [Click to view]Travel YearPictures
MY DEAR JETHRO- 8
Our Garden- 8
My Pet Frogs.- 8
Wildlife in and around our garden.- 7
Creativity- 7

Page Views: 1,759            

Our Garden

by Purpleshade - last update: Nov 9, 2006

The garden we live in.

Looking out into the garden
My husband and I spend a lot of time in our garden.
Actually, we spend more time outdoors than in.
This is what we see when we're enjoying sundowners under the pergola.
The beginnings of a pond

Frog friendly garden.

Frogs in Australia are diminishing in numbers because their natural habitat is being used up for houses. So we made our garden frog friendly and built abig pond and dozens of them have come.
Most are tree frogs and can climb, they like it on the pergola by the mozzie zapper where they can catch lots of insects.
For details of a frog friendly garden click here
To see my frog photos
click here

The rockery, pond and sunken patio.

Looking down into the sunken patio behind the pond and waterfall. We built all this ourselves. My husband shifted the rocks, dug the pool and laid the paving, I did the planning and the planting. (think I got the easy job!)
It was designed to be out of sight from the house and very tranquill. Feeding and counting the guppies in the pond is very relaxing.
Is it a wall or a patio?

Disaster

Earlier this year the back wall had an identity crisis and decided it wanted to be a patio.
All of a sudden, my beautiful secret garden was not secret any more, and the pool was more public than the Aquatic Centre!
The never-to-be-seen-again view.
It took months to sort out the insurance and get it rebuilt, during which time we came to appreciate the openness and the view.
Looking across the garden.
We had it rebuilt with a colorbond (powder coated steel) fence set on top of limestone blocks, more in keeping with the feel of the rest of the garden and reducing glare.
For those from cooler climes who may not have seen one before, the thing in the pool is an automatic pool cleaner, often known as a creepy crawley. ('Creepy Crawley' is actually a brand name, ours is a 'Barracuda'). We bought it last year and I wrote this little poem about it.

The Barracuda
It glides slowly around the pool, it's big blue mouth trembling as it sucks along the floor, it's long blue tail trailing far behind. Hour after hour it goes back and fore, never slowing or even pausing for breath.
The floor of the pool gleams as the bright sunlight reflects thfough the ripples on the surface, inviting me in.
It's wonderful to have a pool, but so much work to keep clean-it's even more wonderful to have creepy crawley.
Under our pergola

The shade garden

When I emigrated I was surprised to find that all the plants I had grown indoors in UK would grow outside in Australia. Most of them are shade plants.
There's an old plastic roof on the pergola which we have hidden with branches trimmed from the Canary Island Date Palm in our front garden.
Passion fruit growing over the pergola.
I've always enjoyed gardening and when I came here I found I could grow things I'd only dreamed of - I'd never even seen a passionfriut flower before.
This year I've picked bucketfulls of fruit.

Purpleshade's Albums
Title [Click to view]Travel YearPictures
MY DEAR JETHRO- 8
Our Garden- 8
My Pet Frogs.- 8
Wildlife in and around our garden.- 7
Creativity- 7

Comments for Purpleshade about World
buffybird Sat Oct 31, 2009 11:56 UTC
 Great to see your coming to the meet, looking forward to seeing you again. Luv H
wise23girl Tue Oct 20, 2009 04:11 UTC
 Just hope you are OK. If you do not like photos I will delete immediately. The thread is wondering where you are? Marg
MikeBird Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:34 UTC
 Your frog page is just superb Lesley. Loved the idea of relocating moaning frogs for a bit of peace and the idea of frogs in your bird feeder - identity crisis? Terrific stuff. Mike
madamx Sat Oct 10, 2009 17:18 UTC
 Hi Lesley!!!!!!!
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