Curb appeal and path maintenance

  I have been cutting back overhanging branches and overgrown bushes and shrubs to allow light in.  I don't want to cut back branches of the lychee tree as I want to be able to harvest as many of those luscious fruit as possible come harvest time.  Removing the rhoeo was a good decision, as the pavers were lost under the vegetation.  They are still mildewed and I am working on getting them cleaned.  For now it has just been bleach and elbow grease, but I am wondering about one of the leave on products like wet and forget.  Does anyone have any advice about that?  A bit of sunlight would be good too....
 The grass does not do well without sunlight and we also try not to walk on it too much.  I weeded and mulched the bromeliads and found the best way to do this was to just pull everything up, remove the pups and plant them back in with some mulch.  Now it is easy to walk along the stones, giving the sodden grass a miss.  We have big brown patches forming - not sure what is happening, it has something to do with the wet I am sure - some sort of fungus?

Just across the path from the birdbath the red firespike has started to flower and the honey eaters and sunbirds love those.   There is an olive backed honeyeater on the side of the birdbath in the previous photo.  All my zoomed in shots came out very blurry - they move pretty fast.



Even though I cut back so much excess growth this path still looks as though it leads into a dark cave. 



The pavers out front look nice, although hubby questioned why the pavers lead right towards the side gate to the garden.... I originally wanted to follow the edge of the garden bed with this path.  I am in fact looking for a "welcome" paver that will fit in the stones leading to the front door.  That way visitors will have an option - front door or garden?  which would you choose? 


At any rate it looks more like an inviting entrance now I think.






Comments

  1. SamiFri Mar 28, 02:02:00 PM

    Your garden looks so lush and green! In Perth with the heat and because I don't water the grass over summer it all goes brown until the rain starts. Your path to the entrance looks very inviting!

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    Replies
    1. africanaussieFri Mar 28, 03:02:00 PM

      Sami,
      thank you,
      sometimes I feel ashamed of myself complaining about all the rain. :)

      Delete
  2. AlisonFri Mar 28, 02:03:00 PM

    Oh My, the Bromeliads in gravel are marvelous! I am always so amazed at what you can grow in the ground.

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    Replies
    1. africanaussieFri Mar 28, 03:05:00 PM

      Alison,
      Yes we are lucky here. they are so prickly though that trying to weed between them was dangerous. They have been pretty neglected, and these are new pups so hope they reward me with some flowers. :)

      Delete
  3. KimFri Mar 28, 07:39:00 PM

    Oh how lucky you are to have a lychee tree. I have always wanted one ,but it is just not tropical enough here.

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    Replies
    1. africanaussieMon Mar 31, 12:52:00 PM

      It was the only thing in a garden of grass that was here when we arrived. It provides lovely shade and lots of leaves for the compost. Unfortunately being so high we can only harvest about halfway up. i am hoping for a good harvest this year.

      Delete
  4. UnknownFri Mar 28, 11:25:00 PM

    I simply love your tropical garden. Its so lush with many layers of interest. I once planted this broad leaf bromeliad. After three years of non-flowering I had it tossed out.

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    Replies
    1. africanaussieMon Mar 31, 01:09:00 PM

      Stiletto,
      Oh so is yours! Funny my bromeliads are all pass-alongs, and sometimes they will reward me with a beautiful flower and then others just seem to sit there and do nothing. One of the reasons I culled them is to take away the older ones and keep the pups in the hopes that they will flower....The broad leaved ones are supposed to get some sunshine....

      Delete
  5. Dewberry / AmanitaSat Mar 29, 06:02:00 AM

    I'd choose garden :)

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    Replies
    1. africanaussieMon Mar 31, 01:11:00 PM

      Dewberry - right on, some of my best friends always come around the side gate knowing that they are more likely to find me pottering around the garden than inside.

      Delete
  6. VirginiaCSat Mar 29, 08:51:00 PM

    All your hard work has paid off once again and I'm happy that you were able to get some more maintenance done in your garden...it's always an ongoing chore isn't it? So beautiful when it's done though.
    Love your fountain on the patio table....is it battery operated?

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    Replies
    1. africanaussieMon Mar 31, 01:13:00 PM

      Virginia, you are so sweet. It is all the rain that makes things grow so fast.... I bought that fountain ages ago, and it is electric, so a pain as we dont have an outside plug. It just sits there - I suppose a battery one would be a good idea.

      Delete
  7. Miss LindaLeeSun Mar 30, 01:36:00 AM

    Just plain beautiful. How I long for a beautiful yard again. We left one up in NH nine years ago, and have been fighting with this soil down here ever since. Little by little though, and the work you've put into your beautiful yarn is certainly paying off. Nothing like a wonderful day in the garden. You have a wonderful week.

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    Replies
    1. africanaussieMon Mar 31, 01:25:00 PM

      Hi LindaLee,
      the thing about tropical gardening is that it is year round. I bet you had a wonderful winter break with your garden in NH. That seems to be refreshing for both the gardener and the garden. Our soils can get quite depleted with all the the rain. I have noticed that my incessant adding of compost and mulch is eventually paying off.

      Delete
  8. JacquelineTue Apr 01, 01:27:00 PM

    Lovely, Gillian... really enjoy 'visiting' your beautiful garden off-and-on to see the treasures you have and be amazed at the effort and planning you've put into it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. africanaussieTue Apr 01, 01:40:00 PM

    thanks for your comments Jacqueline - we have the same sort of climate and I love to see what you do in your garden as well.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ummey RezwanaWed Apr 02, 08:30:00 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  11. acetypes65Thu Apr 10, 03:24:00 PM

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