Closing Down the Back Garden.

 This week we have been up to Brisbane and back, staying overnight with my niece and dropping off a pair of chairs that I purchased from the op shop years ago. I was going to do it myself even had the fabric but as my nieces partner is an upholsterer, he is kindly going to do it for me. My sister sent some photos she quickly took to show him on her visit, I forgot to take some.

Foam needs replacing and wood refinshed.

Fabric is cream with black writing.

Brisbane means visiting my RA specialist. Finally he was able to feel every joint so see how I was going as the blood workup wasn't brilliant for inflammation. I am in active rheumatoid with an inflammation reading of 13 which is quite high. I was surprised and as he said "the body gets used to the pain". That is not saying I couldn't feel it as I did, but not to that extent. So now I am on steroids(prednisone ) for 3 weeks, to try and calm it down. Still taking the injection but has upped my methotrexate medicine to double ie. 20mg. 

Oh well such is life, but I am "upright and walking" like my dad used to say. In fact now that the Prednisone has kicked in, feel I can do anything so while I have the chance 3 grandchildren came to help me yesterday. It was overcast so I asked Miss P to start her fortnightly help, but the twins wanted to come as well. Miss V is a good worker and got a dollar more than her brother who disappears regularly, but this may teach him though, the intricacy of working hard.

This is how overgrown with weeds the back is.

After the first weeding, another garden, left some rocket.

Before

After.... Finding Rhubarb, Strawberry and Blueberries.

Basically to shut it down, I will leave the permanent things, but  the round  and side beds will cover with black builders plastic. This will sterilize all the seeds, and hopefully nut grass. We can spray some poison on the pathway and I will get it concreted over as well. I always look to the future sale of this house and feel that the front beds will be gone as they are portable, and grass can go down, but this area is permanent and would make a nice little garden for veg. or flowers for a new owner.  So making it easy to weed on the path is the best thing. It has been 2006 since we improved it originally. As we get older, little things like this will make it much easier, for me.

The twins carted all the weeds up to the front, which is a bit of a steps climb, onto the veranda, then out to the front, haul. Saved our legs a lot. By morning tea, it was hot and we changed over to the verandah and sorted out the junk there, threw out gloves, many, many pots,old plants collected for seeds, empty bottles etc. Miss V dipped all the Heucheras and  Rex Begonia collections into water, watching the bubbles, they were so dry. I have had to change the pot stand as the one I had rotted. Still a work in progress and the verandah is still covered in stuff but both the green and red bins are now full, to the top for tomorrows collection. A nice feeling. 

 We worked hard and after I took them home, I had to have a lie down after lunch. It is a good feeling to know we have started. It has been raining most of  yesterday afternoon and last night, which the garden needed, there has been a fair bit of drying wind. 

Today is Valentines Day and I wish all the couple a Happy Day, and hope you make an effort to celebrate.

 

Till Next Time.