After years of drought and tough town water restrictions, many of our mature trees were becoming stressed and a lot of plants were dying. It became very difficult to keep edibles growing, so we had a contractor sink a bore on our block. They found a great source of water, but we were left with hundreds of metres of trenches, rocks and even more rocks when the job was done. Many bare patches of dust made it look like a lunar landscape.

BUT…it’s amazing what one man and one backhoe can do in one day! All the trenches were filled with soil and the rocks removed. Some were used for a retaining wall at Gardening Headquarters (GHQ) Twelve months later, the grass has almost grown back. The “lawn” is green and starting to look good at last. The backhoe driver promised me “that by next Autumn you won’t even see where I have been”

Today, Purple Splendour Callistemons, a Red Callistemon and a Hakea were transplanted into the Boundary Garden. A Westringia Jerri’s Gem was planted alongside the water tank. It should do well there it will get a small amount of run off from the workshop roof.