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Discussion Topic
garden inspection
Posted on 06/09/08, 12:08 am
Hi, I'm new here, btw. Nice to join you all. :0)
My partner and our baby and I are renting a house in a country Victorian town (Australia). We- my boyfriend especially- have done a lot of work in the garden here. When we came here a year ago there was a lot of potential, but also piles of branches as high as our five-foot back and side fences, there were hundreds of pieces of kids' toys and broken kids' cups and plates etc. There was trash. And an old cloth-covered couch outside in the weather. There were motor parts strewn around, and old pots (some were salvagable). The lawns were patchy, the weeds had been sprayed and left where they died. It was quite a pitiful garden. We've thrown out all the toys, trash, crockery, branches, etc, etc. The only thing that's still left is the couch, and we have finally been given a tip (dump) voucher from our real estate agents to get rid of that. My boyfriend (Greg) and I have planted a port wine magnolia which is taking off happily, and lillipilli trees, and bulbs and we've started a nice built-up vegie patch with a compost heap at the end of it. We've totally cleared out all along our side and back fence, especially around the aviary, and there were cement paths under all those branches and all that trash. We've pruned the trees around the aviary really beautifully, pruned a gorgeous big boganvillea, a once out-of-control jasmine vine and two happy wanderer vines, plum trees, the once-espaliered apple tree, the big Californian lilac tree (it had tons of dead branches in it), the banksia roses on the front fence, and we've thinned out the agapanthusses along the driveway. We've rejuvenated part of the back lawn. And now we've been told after our first annual house inspection went well, that we didn't pass the garden inspection so we have to get it inspected again in a week and a half. !! The real estate lady didn't even set foot in the garden except to walk to our front door. Apparently the owner did a drive-by and didn'tlike what she saw. I think maybe she didn't see how the last people (with five kids) left the garden. Sigh. So Greg is outside now raking and pruning some more. I just thought I'd let you know about our garden. I'll update you on how the garden inspection goes.
My partner and our baby and I are renting a house in a country Victorian town (Australia). We- my boyfriend especially- have done a lot of work in the garden here. When we came here a year ago there was a lot of potential, but also piles of branches as high as our five-foot back and side fences, there were hundreds of pieces of kids' toys and broken kids' cups and plates etc. There was trash. And an old cloth-covered couch outside in the weather. There were motor parts strewn around, and old pots (some were salvagable). The lawns were patchy, the weeds had been sprayed and left where they died. It was quite a pitiful garden. We've thrown out all the toys, trash, crockery, branches, etc, etc. The only thing that's still left is the couch, and we have finally been given a tip (dump) voucher from our real estate agents to get rid of that. My boyfriend (Greg) and I have planted a port wine magnolia which is taking off happily, and lillipilli trees, and bulbs and we've started a nice built-up vegie patch with a compost heap at the end of it. We've totally cleared out all along our side and back fence, especially around the aviary, and there were cement paths under all those branches and all that trash. We've pruned the trees around the aviary really beautifully, pruned a gorgeous big boganvillea, a once out-of-control jasmine vine and two happy wanderer vines, plum trees, the once-espaliered apple tree, the big Californian lilac tree (it had tons of dead branches in it), the banksia roses on the front fence, and we've thinned out the agapanthusses along the driveway. We've rejuvenated part of the back lawn. And now we've been told after our first annual house inspection went well, that we didn't pass the garden inspection so we have to get it inspected again in a week and a half. !! The real estate lady didn't even set foot in the garden except to walk to our front door. Apparently the owner did a drive-by and didn'tlike what she saw. I think maybe she didn't see how the last people (with five kids) left the garden. Sigh. So Greg is outside now raking and pruning some more. I just thought I'd let you know about our garden. I'll update you on how the garden inspection goes.
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Reply #1 06/09/08 12:10am
Oh, I forgot. We also planted day lilies and red hot pokers, and native Australian irises. -
Reply #2 06/09/08 9:27am
Any before pictures to show the owner how much you've done?
It sounds like it's well on the way to being a beautiful oasis. Post pics if you can. -
Reply #3 06/10/08 4:12am
We talked about taking some pics, but never did! Grrrunt! I'll get some pics when it's sunny and my baby's sleeping. :0) Thanks for your support!
>^~^< -
Reply #4 06/19/08 4:11am
I just posted a bunch of pics in the gallery. Hope not too many!! Enjoy them. We were supposed to have our garden inspection today, but the lady never showed up! Now it's raining, and will be raining tomorrow too. -
Reply #5 06/20/08 4:54am
The garden inspection lady came today, and said our garden is beautiful. She took some photos to show the landlady. It all took about ten minutes. She took photos of our front gate and front side fence and will see if the landlord will pay to have them fixed. She was really pleased with the work Gregie has mostly done. Whew! I haven't planted the window box yet, but it is all emptied out and cleaned. It is rotting in the bottom, so Greg and I will fix that before we put soil in it again. It should be really good! I posted photos in the photo section here, and there's a pic of a cool new succulent we bought for the window box. At this stage I think it will be all mixed succulents. That's easiest with just one type of soil, and low maintenance. I love succulents.
Thanks for your interest and encouragement! I appreciate it! I look forward to hearing and/ or seeing what-all you guys are doing in your gardens. Keep inspiring me and the others here!
>^~^< Catstiptoes. :0)
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Reply #6 07/08/08 5:51am
Wow I know things are different in places but a garden inspection. I would have thought the landlord should have had all the mess cleaned up. My hats off too you for all your hard work. Do you all have any pest that invade your garden. In North Mississippi we have deer that eat our peas and corn okra. The racoons love the corn too. -
Reply #7 07/16/08 12:12am
sounds like you have a beautiful garden -
Reply #8 07/17/08 1:06pm
Glad that it passed. Sure is different here. I have never heard of any kind of inspection when renting.
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