Subtropical Backyard 2014

Kentia Palm on the left, with a Silver Fern in the foreground

The sloping site is good for drainage,
Cooperi tree ferns and birds nest ferns

Native grasses and Cabbage Tree Palms

Tree Ferns three years old
cooperi and dicksonia

Tree Ferns in Merewether NSW

Tree ferns in Spring

 Here is a Cyathea australis from 15 months ago and how it has established itself in a fairly shady section of the garden.

The chickens are completely at home in the dense undergrowth - they huddle like this when they are scared - I have only had these birds for a few months and have not handled them so they are virtually wild except for when they return to the chicken coop each sunset.

 Here is an example of how I have built up the base of the citrus so the organic compost and cow manure stays in place despite the attention of the chickens and erosion from rain and watering.  I place the manure underneath bricks and pavers and then back fill the gaps with broken sticks and branches so there is no exposed earth for the chickens to dig up or water to wash away.

Even here you can see how over time the mound around each citrus has built up providing valuable organic matter that is well drained.

Building the Chicken Coop Stage 1

Here is the basic outline of my chicken coop making.
I have dug trenches 300mm deep, placed chicken wire around the trenches with a 450mm skirt overlapping outwards to be a guard against foxes and vermin.

As you can see, I placed bricks in the trench to act as ballast to hold the wire in place. Then I put the vertical wire across the span and tucked about 150mm of wire under the bricks. Onto this I poured concrete and mixed it so that there was coverage across all the bricks.

As you can see, it looks pretty sturdy and I hope it is strong enough to hold out foxes.

SEO Website Promotion

It is a really pleasant spot for the chooks, about thirty metres out from the house and under tall trees so there is no huge heat during summer. Christmas Hampers.

Here's a view with the large Kentia I planted four years ago.