Rescuing The Neglected Garden

Description: Tucked away in a corner of the property is a garden that has not seen much love besides weed control. The area was unsightly, shading the house and difficult to maintain. The oversized vegetation growing near the house was shading solar panels on the building and filling the gutters with leaves. Branches from an old Mellaluca (Callistemon) viminalis were touching the building creating a runway for animals to enter the roof.

Challenge:  Some of the vegetation had become very large, cleaning it up involved; 

1. How to avoid damage to the building on the property and how to not damage vegetation to be kept.
   
2. The area had become difficult to maintain and large branches meant the lawn near the garden could no longer be mowed with the ride on, requiring timely hand mowing.
3. The large quantity of green waste created.
4. 30 years ago when the house was built this area was covered in black weed mat and was the dumping ground for building waste, which over time has become covered in roots, leaves and dirt. The entire area needed to be racked and the plastic cut up to remove.
5. A large Alphitonia excelsia (Red Ash), had been allowed to grown in the area.  previously it has been incorrectly pruned, encouraging dangerous epicormic growth, now the tree has large branches with tendency to break off.  Due to its location near the house and where people frequent it is very dangerous and needs to be removed.  Removal is difficult as the tree is weighted so if it falls it wall hit the house.

Method: 

• Area was surveyed and plants identified to workout what can be kept, transplanted and removed.
• Branches pruned, small trees and palms cut out to create space.
• Larger palms removed.
• 30 cubic metres of green waste was created, this decision was to move the waste to a pile on the property for later disposal. 
• The large Alphitonia excelsia was dropped with the assistance of guide ropes into a clearing. Useable wood was salvaged and the remaining waste was added to the pile for later disposal.
• Area was racked and historical waste disposed of at the tip.
• Remaining vegetation and the salvaged vegetation was used to make some low lying feature gardens.

Result: 

• A beautiful endemic native bush garden has been created, with endemic rare flora highlighted, including; Ricinocarpos speciosu (Springbrook wedding bush) and Orchid...  Alpinia arundelliana Small leaved ginger, Asplenium australasicum (Birds nest fern), Dianella caerulea (Ble flax lilly). 

• Maintenance time has been reduced and the area is now sustainable.