govt. house rotation - wk 2

It's my second week here at the Government House gardens and on the job's list today with Mick is designing an irrigation system for a bed near the Japanese Pond.

The fused multiple trunk of the Cotoneaster Tree (Cotoneaster frigidus).

We head down to the bed which is triangular in shape and start to measure it and sketch it out. I ask Mick if it is alright for me to do a plan of the plants in the bed to help design where the irrigation should go and what the particular plants water needs might be. It also becomes an excellent exercise for my memory.

Mick finalising the measurements of the bed.

The plants in this bed are a mixed collection with lots of popular plants from the bygone era and newer additions to spark things up.It includes Rhododendrons and Azaleas, a large Camellia japonica, a selection of small trees including Maple, Cotoneaster, Pyracantha, Photinia and Magnolia, a other shrubs like Pieris, Acanthus, Japanese Laurel, Erigeron and Daphne and a varied selection of ferns from Dicksonia antarctica to Asplenium bulbiferum - the Hen and Chicken Fern.

Acanthus mollis

Another plant growing here is Choisya ternata.

Not all the plants are particularly thriving here which may be indicative of not having a regular watering system installed. We decide to complete a soil test (see 'understanding soils' post here for the full report) and determine that the soil here is quite old and tired with not very good texture to it. It has also become quite hydrophobic and needs much more organic matter applied to help improve the structure and water retention. We decide a top dressing of compost for the bed is definitely in order and head out to the steaming compost pile. Mick teaches me how to drive the tractor (fun!) and I make sure to ask him to run through all the safety features such as having the roll bar up (sometimes this is used in the down position to get underneath low trees without damaging them) and using the seat belt. The controls are easy and before we know it I have a bucket full of lovely compost heading back to the bed.

First load on it's way - the FE loader is so handy for a garden this size.

Nice view of Govt. House from the tractor.

As we are unloading I notice how hot the compost mix is straight from the heap and Mick assures me as soon as it spreads it will cool very quickly and not burn the foliage. We are also very careful not to inhale the steam as it is being shoveled into the wheelbarrow because we both decide Legionnaires' disease would be a bad way to go! After much raking, shoveling and spreading we can almost hear the plants sighing in appreciation and the effort of this task feels highly satisfying. We do two more loads covering most of the bed before it's time to pack up for the day. Next week it's time for the irrigation to be installed!

A lovely top dressing of compost means for a very happy bed.