A landscaping plan begins to solidify

 Days are pretty hot but we've been out and about watering, pruning and planting, digging and sawing, mulching and weeding, and every other thing you need to do in summer in a big garden. Sweaty stuff.

We're planning a citrus orchard in the space below. The cherry tree died so that came down; it was about where Mish is standing. She's laid out potted trees we've bought in rough locations so the help can dig up the area and get some organic matter into the sand and get the site ready for planting in April. Orchard! 

So far we have a mandarin, cumquat, lime, Seville orange, and we'll be moving one of the dwarf  oranges from another part of the garden. There will be marmalade. The camellia on the fence will get the heave ho then (grow your own mulch!) and the electronic gate will be moved down the drive about 10 metres. 

Next, looking at the front door.The plan is to have a water feature on the left,  a small tree for shade on the right, and wide platform steps in the middle going up to the front door. Wisteria is just starting to colour (nights are cool, about 10 degrees at the moment, so autumn is underway).

We're about to hire a concrete cutter and have a go at dispatching some of the acres of asphalt here. That'll be a first for us, driving a concrete cutter. Should be ok. The neighbours will be thinking: NOW what are they doing?

Will try and cut paver sized blocks so we can reuse them somewhere. We'll be using wire cage gabions again to give us a sense of enclosure and entry, but this time it'll be river rocks not rubble. 

The tree for the right side of pic is an advanced ornamental cherry. That'll arrive in autumn and be instant effect. 

Looking across the back yard, I call this: squirrel with bird bath and corn.

And right at the back western corner, tackling a rotten stump to start prettifying this area. The neighbours used to put buckets of kindling from their pohutukawa over the fence and onto the stump for the previous owners to collect and burn. But, that fire is broke and gorn, and the pellet burner is installed and ready for winter, so the helpful stump has had its day. We have chats over the fence which is nice.