Bird nests are fascinating things. The little feathered creatures that build their own homes have an internal blueprint for how they need to build them.
Bird nest
This nest is a Blackbird nest. Notice the blue piece of nylon entwined into the structure, this is off the twine that holds bales of hay together.
This nest has been sitting empty since last spring, I didn’t know this one was there until the tree was pruned.
I have a few species of birds living in my garden. Blackbirds (introduced), Superb Fairy Wrens, New Holland Honeyeaters, Grey Fantails, Silvereyes, and the ubiquitous Common Sparrow (introduced).
The smaller birds have tiny, tiny little nests which I hardly ever find. Finding a bird nest is a delightful peek at the complexity of bird life, a reminder of their industriousness and the importance of protecting our native species.
How do you work out how high your work benches need to be? That depends on a few things.
A potting bench
The first consideration is what you want to do at the bench, are you able to stand? Or do you need to sit down? Are you a wheelchair user?
When you are standing at a workbench you will need to work at a level where your elbows allow your arms to be at 90deg and parallel with the bench surface.
If you are sitting down, or a wheelchair user, your work benches needs to allow your feet to be flat on the floor with your knees at, or below, waist height.
Sitting down
I guess the ideal workspace would have a combination of different height work benches, but that may be out of reach for many.
When designing your workspace list the different types of jobs you will need to do then decide if you need more than one work bench. The best workspaces will make it easy for you to get your jobs done without straining yourself in any way. Gardening is fun!
Australia has many plants which delight us with late winter flowers.
Winter Flower
We’ve turned the corner and now we’re heading towards Springtime, the soil will start to warm up and the length of day will become longer.
Banksia flower
Both of these things are catalysts for the awakening of the plant world, seeds will have their own requirements for germination and plants will have their own requirements for the production of flowers to begin their reproductive cycle.
Correa flower
Here in SW VIC we’ve had a bit of rain, but we do need more. With any luck Spring will bring with it the Spring rains. Fingers crossed.
Everywhere around us there are trees. Big, impressive trees and not so big, not so impressive trees that sit there quietly doing their thing.
Trees are homes, trees help our world breathe, trees are sometimes good to sit under quietly or, for some of the smaller humans, to climb up noisily shrieking with delight to get so high.
Stone pine?
I stopped at a small town called Inverleigh on a drive home, this magnificent tree catches my eye every time. I’m not entirely sure what it is as I haven’t got close to it, but from its domed shape I think it could be a Stone Pine. I’m happy to be corrected.
This tree has been there a long time, I wonder what has happened around it in that time, lots of humans living their relatively short lives I guess.
Date Palm
This beautiful specimen of a Date Palm also catches my eye when I pass by it sitting in its home in a private garden.
The birds love it and there are a variety of them popping in and out of the fronds to their nests almost constantly.
Trees are all around us, take the time to pick out a few that catch your eye, try to find a bit out about them.
It’s been a while! Life goes on, the seasons turn. It’s winter now after a very dry summer.
A bit of rain has freshened things up, but there’s still a way to go. Here are some pics from yesterday , as is so often the case here in SW VIC, the skies were beautiful.
CypressThe end of the street The end of the street, further away 🙂
When you think of accessible gardens, often the first thing you think of is raised beds.
Raised beds are not all created equal, there are lots of things to take into account.
A raised bed must suit the purposes and needs of the person using it, a wheelchair user has different needs to a person not using a wheelchair, but may have the need to use a walker for mobility, for instance.
Rough sketches of raised beds.
Some other things to take into account are the materials you will use, the height you will need, whether you need the bed to be moveable or fixed in position. The material you use will have a lot to do with these factors.
Some standard measurements for height and width are as follows, but remember every user will be a different height, so a bed for a specific person can be made specifically for them.
Height for a person standing: 750mm -900mm
Height for a person sitting: 600mm
Width for access from one side: 500mm- 600mm
Width for access from both sides:1000mm- 1200mm
Extremely rough sketch of alternative raised bed shapes.
Raised beds don’t have to be rectangular, they can be designed to fit any space or need, once again, the materials chosen will determine what you can do. The curved shape above, for instance, could be made with sheets of corrugated iron.
It’s important to make sure any beds constructed are safe and made by a reputable builder.
Depending on the type of raised bed you decide on, filling it brings its own decisions, but I will cover this matter another time!
Setting up an accessible garden space is the basis for setting up the ability to stay out in a garden space in your old age, or if you have differing abilities.
Setting up a safe space for gardening activities needn’t be an expensive exercise, but there are a few things to take into account.
Potted plants in an accessible space
The elements that are most important are: a safe, non slip, flat surface: a space large enough to allow easy movement for you, your support person if required, and any mobility devices: strong, solid workbenches at a good height for your needs.
This space is a bit cluttered
Generally speaking, a workbench for a wheelchair user would comfortably allow for the seat of the chair to go underneath, or be positioned close to the bench top, and it would allow the user to still comfortably use the armrests. This means the final measurements would need to be tailored to an individual’s needs.
A person using a walker would need to have a workbench that will allow them to get close to the workbench without having to stretch or lean too far.
The next thing to consider is what type of growing you are going to do, raised garden beds can be made in a variety of ways, but to do this on a tighter budget all you need to do is to use large containers that will not become too heavy and will drain freely without damaging the workbench or making the ground too wet. Polystyrene containers from your local green grocer are a good option.
More about container planting next time!
Black plastic pots make great tabletop planters for veges
Each accessible garden space needs to be designed to suit the needs of the individuals using that space, so a great way to do this is to record your activities for a while to get an idea of what your main needs are.
It’s been a while but I’m back to do this quick post today.
Things have been hotting up here, developing a ‘learning garden’ site, updating social media on the interwebs… it’s been go, go, go. On top of that, Xmas 🤶 is only a couple of weeks away (then it’s my birthday :))
Eucalyptus bark
The wetlands project is coming along too, some minor seepage has turned into a reconstruction of a wall, but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed.
Earthworks
As with everything, changes come, changes go as we work to sculpt our lives and our environment.
Hopefully I’ll get to pass on Christmas wishes here before the day, but if not, I’ll catch you on the flip side 👍🏻
This blog is another article from Grow! Spring Edition, 2024. Grow! Is a new zine for garden and art inspo in the South West of Victoria, Australia.
Community Projects:
Gardens can be more than the space surrounding your home. They can also be spaces for public use including parks, botanic gardens, community gardens, gardens in town spaces, and some curated natural spaces.
A community space
Many of the public garden spaces I have mentioned are imagined, created, and maintained by members of the community, often on a volunteer basis. Places such as community gardens are valuable resources for inner city spaces where people can build community whilst looking after their own wellness at the same time. They are also becoming more popular in regional and rural areas too.
Two community gardens I know of in my local area are Warrnambool Community Garden and Camperdown Community Garden. I’m hoping to get one up and running in Terang, but that’s a work in progress. (If you’re interested in getting on board with that, send me an email)
Flower at Terang College Wetlands.
Even if you have your own patch of land to work on, getting involved in a community garden project can be a great way to contribute by sharing knowledge and doing something to ensure food security.
A community project I’ve been involved with for a number of years is the Terang Community Park and Wetlands (TCP&W) on Foley St, Terang. It is across the road from the wetlands at Terang College, another great project I’ll explore in a later edition.
TCP&W was started as a direct result of a council call for information on what individual communities want and/or need.
The project is situated in a corner of the Terang Dry Lake, a volcanic formation that has had an interesting and varied history. It is pumped dry now, with various sporting developments on parts along with farming. The area was chosen as a place to increase parklands including a wetlands area.
This is an ongoing project, but with the input of community members it will become a place for future times people to come and marvel at the beauty of plants, nature, and wildlife.
Have a hunt around your community for ‘garden’ projects you can contribute to. You won’t regret it!
Well it’s been quite a while since I’ve posted anything on this platform, but now I’m back!
Over the past year I’ve been producing a quarterly zine focused on gardens and art in Southwest Victoria in place of posting here but this time the printing gods are conspiring against me. I can’t for the life of me get this edition to print in the usual format!
Not to worry, over the next couple of weeks I will be putting the zine on here while I get the printing issues sorted. Each section will constitute a blog post.
Front cover, Grow!
First cab off the rank an interview with a fabulous artist who is on the verge of opening a shop to sell her cute, colourful artwork. Meet Jess Fowler:
Jess is well known in the district as she has been involved with beautifying the streetscape of local towns with murals and even some extremely cute Christmas decorations.
Jess has loved creating art from a young age and she feels blessed to have reached a point where people enjoy her work enough to have it in their homes and their daily lives. she enjoys working with acrylic paints on canvas, but she has lately extended her accomplishments to be involved with designing book covers and illustrations, along with the aforementioned murals and other street art.
Superb Fairy Wrens
When asked what her inspiration is she replied simply “colour”. She expanded on this by saying “I tend to be lead not by the subject…but what I am drawn to, colour wise, at that moment”. Her bright, quirky subjects and colourful, often floral, backgrounds are created simply, with an aim to “make people smile”. “Life is full of things that are worrying, stressful…if I have an opportunity to create something that makes folks happier, then that is exactly what I will do”.
What higher ideal is necessary for an artist, but to bring joy to the world, and that is exactly what Jess does.
Jess is on the cusp of establishing herself as the next person to bring creativity to the famous Johnstone Court, Terang, ‘art precinct’ when she opens ‘Jess Fowler Art’ in September.
The opening of this new part of her art adventure is on Saturday 21 September from 9.30am to 2.30pm.
After this date she will have her shop open Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 9.30am to 2.30pm.
Johnstone Court, High St, Terang, VIC 3264
Please make the time to stop in to meet Jess, and hopefully find your own piece of joy.
The Flowerpot Pen 