Burners' Backyards: Veggies, Gardening, Landscape & Design

Mr Crudley

Glock in your sock
Plant some clumping bamboo, it'll be a good screen, grows quickly and will keep the panda happy.
We have some in the backyard. So far, so good and it had only grown new shoots in the same clump.

Soon as there is some wet but warm weather then it grows like crazy.
 

cammas

Seamstress
Plant some clumping bamboo, it'll be a good screen, grows quickly and will keep the panda happy.
Yeah been thinking about them or a few nice big bird of paradise, along front fence not sure if we go with some magnolias or be different and screen it out with hedge made from waterfall trees
 

Labcanary

One potato, two potato, click
Yeah been thinking about them or a few nice big bird of paradise, along front fence not sure if we go with some magnolias or be different and screen it out with hedge made from waterfall trees
I've got Acacia cognata along my back fence. It's fast growing, looks nice and has blocked out the view of ferals being feral in the court behind.
In the front yard I've got some hopbush and those seem to be even faster growing than the acacia. Even in the shitty clay soil I have here.
 
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cammas

Seamstress
I've got Acacia cognata along my back fence. It's fast growing, looks nice and has blocked out the view of ferals being feral in the court behind.
In the front yard I've got some hopbush and those seem to be even faster growing than the acacia. Even in the shitty clay soil I have here.
Yep that’s the one Acacia Cognata, how tall are yours? everything around here seem small but apparently it can grow tall
 

Labcanary

One potato, two potato, click
Yep that’s the one Acacia Cognata, how tall are yours? everything around here seem small but apparently it can grow tall
Mine are about 3-3.5m tall and are approx 5 years old. I wanted to use the same in the front yard but couldn't find any at the time I was planting out. Settled with hopbush and I'm pleasantly surprised.
The front yard is mostly native plants, some for looks and some edible varieties. After two years I can see what works and what doesn't. I've got some work to do in the near future!
 

Freediver

I can go full Karen
Yep that’s the one Acacia Cognata, how tall are yours? everything around here seem small but apparently it can grow tall
Pretty sure you're on shallow topsoil sitting on basalt clay, very different to @Labcanary granite soil. If you're interested tell me what you want from your plants and I can put together a list of natives for you.
 

cammas

Seamstress
Mine are about 3-3.5m tall and are approx 5 years old. I wanted to use the same in the front yard but couldn't find any at the time I was planting out. Settled with hopbush and I'm pleasantly surprised.
The front yard is mostly native plants, some for looks and some edible varieties. After two years I can see what works and what doesn't. I've got some work to do in the near future!
Thanks, I think the ones I’ve seen here are the limelight variety which are more shrub like, so will need to make sure I don’t get those.
We are yet to decide on the hedge yet, the side garden has magnolia’s so may stick with them yet. Behind that we will be matching the Dragon tree in the middle with some palms etc so more of nook for Mrs Cammas to relax in, she’s not a fan of many of the natives so they don’t get much of look in.
First I need to get the fence built.
 

Labcanary

One potato, two potato, click
Thanks, I think the ones I’ve seen here are the limelight variety which are more shrub like, so will need to make sure I don’t get those.
We are yet to decide on the hedge yet, the side garden has magnolia’s so may stick with them yet. Behind that we will be matching the Dragon tree in the middle with some palms etc so more of nook for Mrs Cammas to relax in, she’s not a fan of many of the natives so they don’t get much of look in.
First I need to get the fence built.
Sounds like a great plan!
 

Cyclomaniac

Likes Dirt
I would not bother with the weed mat @cammas , it doesn't work. I have it here with a layer of pebble over the top and weeds everywhere if I don't spray. Dust and leaves land on top of it and weeds germinate.Thick mulch is a better option. I use a pre-emergant herbicide that stops weeds from germinating. It's called Spartan or Barricade. Not cheap but stops weeds for 6 months.
 

Freediver

I can go full Karen
I would not bother with the weed mat @cammas , it doesn't work. I have it here with a layer of pebble over the top and weeds everywhere if I don't spray. Dust and leaves land on top of it and weeds germinate.Thick mulch is a better option. I use a pre-emergant herbicide that stops weeds from germinating. It's called Spartan or Barricade. Not cheap but stops weeds for 6 months.
I'd say weed matting does work, especially when there is a seed bank in the soil. Weeds will still grow but if you look at comparable areas with and without matting there is a clear difference. It also stops your mulch from sinking into the soil.
 

cammas

Seamstress
I'd say weed matting does work, especially when there is a seed bank in the soil. Weeds will still grow but if you look at comparable areas with and without matting there is a clear difference. It also stops your mulch from sinking into the soil.
Yep agree I’ve used it on the side garden and yes I do get a couple of weeds but I can just pluck them out definitely better than no weedmat, I will be looking into something like the below which should help the roots etc whilst keeping the weeds to a minimum.

 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
I'd say weed matting does work, especially when there is a seed bank in the soil. Weeds will still grow but if you look at comparable areas with and without matting there is a clear difference. It also stops your mulch from sinking into the soil.
Like a lot of things, there's a big range of quality with weedmatting too.

In my experience - If you want matting to be effective under gravel I dug the soil level down - then used a good quality (but water-permeable) weed matting and put a chunkier rock layer on really thick so even if the weeds do sprout through from the little bit of soil that washes in from dust/rainwater over time they're easily plucked out.
 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
This is what I did when putting in a stepping-stone path at my previous house. Dug it down roughly 5"/125mm then rolled out weed matting. The type I used is like a woven plastic mesh (looks like 3k weave carbon fibre but cheap, lol), and has a thin geo-matting backing.

Me being me - I used black waterproof silastic to bond the edge of the matting to the concrete slab of the driveway to prevent weeds or grass runners growing through the gaps, and ran the weed matting under the garden edging on the other side of the path for the same reason. Then set up the supports for the pavers and tipped the rock in. Barely had any weeds grow through it in 2.5 years, despite the place having no front fence, a park the opposite side of the road, and neighbours that loved neglecting their yards and having them fill with thistles. What few weeds did germinate, were easily plucked out. On occasion if the green tips broke off the weeds and left the roots amongst the rock, you could flick some of the out of the way, pull the roots, then quickly reset the rock in place. Would use the same method if doing again.

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fjohn860

Alice in diaperland
Have had a clay pile growing grass in the backyard for 8 months or so, it was the dirt dug out by the pergola builders for the footings. Where the dirt is/was I'm playing an open air fire pit/bench seat thingy.

Today I moved the bulk of the clay 2m to a dead space behind where the bench seat will go to begin the construction of a small water feature.

Even drew a plan of sorts to convince the minister for planning and house works!
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Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
Have had a clay pile growing grass in the backyard for 8 months or so, it was the dirt dug out by the pergola builders for the footings. Where the dirt is/was I'm playing an open air fire pit/bench seat thingy.

Today I moved the bulk of the clay 2m to a dead space behind where the bench seat will go to begin the construction of a small water feature.

Even drew a plan of sorts to convince the minister for planning and house works!
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That snake must have been on drugs.
 

Freediver

I can go full Karen
I've been sent a topo of my block with 0.5m contours from surveyors that did it before I owned it. I need this as a CAD file and they quoted me $600 to convert it, is this reasonable? How hard is it? I haven't used any CAD software since 3D studio back in the 90's
 
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