We inherited a very basic concrete jungle backyard when we purchased our little renovators dream of a cottage and we've been hard at work putting our mark on it to eventually create a little haven.
New soil, loads of lupin mulch and lots of new plants (and three gorgeous mature olive trees) with a limewash to the parapet wall and back step, a new raised paving area and garden shed... we can now see things looking a lot more inviting!
The recipe for the lime wash we used was:
5 parts Lime (grab from Bunnings in the trade section)
1 part Table Salt (can buy it by the kilo at Woolies for around $2)
Water added while mixing with a stick to a pancake batter consistency
Use a thick bristle brush and slap it on. We altered the thickness and wiped back with a wet rag in some sections to let the brick show through. Wah lah! We expect that over time it will gradually age and show through more brick which is the look we are going for. The bonus is it lets the brick breathe still.
So here are a series of photos taken of our work so far. At the bottom you can see the gorgeous state it was in at the start. Wow its such a wonderful feeling to look back at old pictures and then see where all those hours of effort have gone.
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| One of our olive trees and some nice natives |
We haven't touched the front yard yet so our neighbours must be concerned that the drab front and the pile of rubble and building materials everywhere will stay there forever....but never fear that will be the next stop.
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| My new garden potting shed |
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| The lime wash wall and paved raised area |
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| The vegie bed chocked full of winter goodness |
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| Some old farm gates to bring some character |
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| Concrete Hell! |
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| Before we got our hands on it and I got very busy with a hand saw demolishing and pruning |
