A quick update, as my mind is VERY occupied with our garden and I don't get a lot of quiet minutes at the moment.

Had a great weekend - our friends from Ipswich region came down on Sunday. We went to the Currumbin Valley market together, had a look at the rock pools, which were absolutely crowded, due to the heat. We only stayed for a few minutes and then spent the rest of the day at our village pool.

The kids and I locked ourselves out on Tuesday. We had gone for a cycle and coming home, we went out of the garage, the door locked and our keys inside...luckily one flyscreen was not locked and we could get in through a window...phew. We just had no car or bikes yesterday and today.

The last week and weekend were very hot and luckily yesterday it was clouded all day and quite cool (low twenties), so great for a walk. A french family is just housesitting here, the mum's name is also Tanja and they have three children. We spent all day with them yesterday, which was great. They are staying at the only house with a pool in the village and the kids had a lovely swim. A Kookabarra visited later and on our way home we saw 12 kangaroos on one block.

Lots of photos attached....

Lucille had some more milestones, if she wants something, she points to it and really goes aahhhh..... she does some signals, for hot for example and mouth signs, exactly what i do. She copied some oga postures today. She found a fridge letter magnet and brought it to the fridge.....she has the steps down sussed totally and is flying down now...she goes all on her own into our garden space to be now and it spins me out when I suddenly see her somewhere I hadn't expected her :-).
She also loves to give hugs and kisses, steps into everybody's shoes at the moment and finally also likes to have a hat on.

Ok, everyone's awake and we are going swimming now.

And these are some of the questions we are still pondering over until meeting tomorrow morning (Martin is helping us now to get up and going. With the other two designers and landscapers, we have been missing some things and the plan they have come up with is not that crash hot, as it makes us dependent on getting them in to help us...costing then lots of money, whereas we want to do most ourselves...also, most of the questions below hadn't been considered or offered to us by them...so, a new road again, and unfortunately a bit of an expensive learning experience....), to give you an idea, of what is involved in designing a permaculture garden and why my brain is sooo full :). (Have been reading 'Smart Permaculture Design'by Jenny Allen - great book!!! and started 'Secret Life of Plants'...I had never known how alive and aware plants are...why don't we all know this???? Why would we ever think that plants don't feel our emotions or thoughts???
Have also been listening to a recording of a BodyTalk course I did last year May with John Veltheim, of which PlantTalk was a part...great to hear it again, with a different perspective now and I had forgotten many things from it.)

so, here we go:
Garden Design List

Must consider:

Visual corridors for neighbourhood watch
Social connectivity
Drainage (tank overflows etc)
Services (power,water,recycled water,gas)
Height for solar access
Safety – fire, universal design, planting too close to the path.
Environmental factors (sun paths, angles, prevailing winds, fire risk etc)


May consider:



Maintenance
How much time do you have to garden?



Access
Resource ecosystem
How self sufficient in productivity (food, resources)do you want to be?

Sustainability.
Do you prefer native landscaping?

Do you prefer productive landscaping?





Suggestion list (tick boxes): Do you envisage your garden having…



o Threshold or entry arches trailed with fruiting and flowering vines

o Gates

o Interesting or unique forms for entrance ways – create a welcoming ambience, provide form, colour, and/or shade (entrance to the home, entrance to greenway)

o Signature feature trees or plants

o Favourite plants with striking foliage or unusual seed-pods for colour and interest

o Permanent bike accommodation

o Visitors bike accommodation

o A big shade tree over an outdoor table setting

o Relaxing swing seat

o Hammock under a deciduous tree

o Sheltered meditation area surrounded with fragrant plants

o Sunny seating areas for winter

o Fire circle

o An outdoor roofed day bed

o Outside shower

o Garden drinking water tap

o Fenced area to secure little children

o Kid’s snack track

o Giant outside drafts or chessboard

o Sand pit

o Grassy patch for playing (kids and adults)

o Special tent spot for camping sleepovers

o Big climbing trees for children

o

Vege Garden

o Raised vege bed,

o rotation system,

o incorporate poultry

o ‘Chicken tractors’ – can be moved around to help mow and weed the gardens

o Compost heap/ worm farm

o Ducks

o Guinea pigs

o Goat

o Fish farm/pond

o Potting area

o Propagation/seedling area



Themed gardens or garden areas

o (Asian inspired,

o Mediterranean,

o Medicinal/healing garden

o Bush tucker/ bush food trail

o Tropical

o Rainforest

o Herb Garden

o Herb spiral

o Mandala garden

o Night blooming and/or heavily scented plants outside or beneath bedroom windows or in feature areas like entries.

o An aphrodisiac garden with scented trees, flowers and herbs

o Fruit tree orchard

o Trellis trailing with fruiting and/or flowering vines

o Food producing wetland

o Water pond

o Water fountain

o Lotus or water chestnut pond

o A story or poem garden

o A bowl on a plinth for floating flowers and candles

o Sculptures or a sculpture garden

o Rock stacks (consider safety)

o Feature rock walls

o Outdoor dining and entertaining spaces

o Community meeting place

o A secret garden area to retreat to

o Yoga or stretching areas

o Love seat



Habitat areas –

o frog breeding pond

o bird attracting plants

o butterfly attracting plants,

o honey bee hive

o native bee hive



Paths. What is your preference?

o Gravel

o Grass

o Wood mulch

o Stones

o Concrete

o Wood

o Wide enough paths for wheelbarrows

o Meandering ‘hidden’ pathways lined with aromatic plants and sections of stepping stones



o Close your eyes and imagine you are in your future garden. How does it feel to be there? Describe the look and feel of your future garden.





Plant list: Do you currently eat?

o Blackberry

o Blueberry:

o Currants:

o Tree tomatoes/ Tamarillos

o Pepino

o Brazil Cherry

o Grumichama

o Jaboticaba

o Panama Berry

o Lilly Pillys

o Native Raspberry

o Passionfruit

o Jamaica Berry

o Barbados Cherry

o Grapes

o Kerriberry

o Cape Gooseberry

o Raspberry
o Strawberries

o Elderberry

o Blueberry



o Fruit trees:
o Abiu

o Acerola

o Apple (tropical)

o Banana:

o Black Sapote

o Casimiroa

o Carob

o Carambolla /Five corner fruit

o Citrus

o Chinese Raisin tree

o Custard Apple family (Rollinia, Pink Mammoth, Cherimoya)

o Feijoa

o Fig

o Grapefruit

o Guava (indian)

o Guava (cherry)

o Jackfruit

o Kumquat

o Lemon

o Lemonade

o Lime

o Lychee

o Longan:

o Loquat

o Mango

o Mangosteen

o Mamey Sapote

o Mandarin

o Monstero deliciosa

o Mulberry

o Nashi Pear

o Nectarine

o Olive

o Orange

o Plum (tropical)

o Peach

o Pear (Tropical)

o Persimmon:

o Pomegranite

o Plum:

o Pawpaw

o Pummelo:

o Rose Apple/ Jambos:

o Sapodilla:

o Soursop:

o Tangerine:

o Tangelo:

o Wax Jambu