Thursday 13 June 2013

Reno - Week 1

Because Monday was a public holiday, the official kick-off date for our long awaited renovation was last Tuesday, 11 June. Not much has happened during the first week - a temporary power pole was installed into the front yard and because space is a premium over at the West End Cottage, the pole had to be positioned right up against the only tree that is left on-site - a frangipani. The said tree had to lose a couple of it's lower branches to accommodate the pole, but I suppose they will grow back.

And speaking of trees, I've had loads of time to figure out what sort of feature tree to plant beside our back terrace.




There is a space next to the semi-circular masonry wall which forms part of the terrace and is a perfect spot for a specimen tree. I want something that provides some much needed shade during the height of Summer, but it has to be deciduous so that it also allows lots of light and sunshine during Winter and I thought that an advanced frangipani was a good option.

Today I received confirmation that an advanced tree (3.5m high with a canopy of around 4.5 metres) is available.



The variety is called "Lei Rainbow" and the flowers look just like this:



Magnificent would you agree?

Now you might think it a bit premature to be discussing landscaping, but the tree will need to be planted sooner rather than later. In fact while the footings and foundations are being dug, I will arrange for them to dig out a hole for the tree. The tree will need to be planted before the walls are erected - otherwise there will be no chance of a crane getting access to deliver and lower the tree into position. Plus doing it now will give the tree a good 6 months to establish prior to us moving in.

So what's next? The asbestos removal guys are due sometime next week to remove what we think is AC sheets that line the verandah ceilings, bathrooms and soffits at the back of the house. The builder is also doing a bit of demo work and then,

We're Raising the Queenslander...


10 comments:

  1. How exciting that it's all starting Caroline.
    a mature frangipani will look stunning overhanging the new terrace. x

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  2. So very exciting!
    Those flowers are gorgeous.

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  3. Woohoo, you are finally off and only a few weeks behind us. How exciting! Love frangipanis. We have a massive one adjacent to the new deck, currently the kids are using it instead of stairs to get up and down. If you wanted something that grew taller, could I suggest my other favourite tree that grows spectacularly in our climate. Google tabebuia palmeri and you'll see what I mean. The council has planted these on quite a few nature strips- there are some spectacular samples up at paddington and also in west end. In bloom they are gorgeous and are deciduous too. Within months of moving into Betsy I had popped one in the front yard and I would love to squeeze one in the back too. mel x

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    1. OK, so I've Googled and I love! Pink Trumpet Tree, and yes, I have seen them around (I just didn't know what they were called.) And thanks to your suggestion, I can get a 4m high tree for half the price of a frangipani. Thank you Mel. xx

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  4. Fantastic !!! I cannot wait to see the progress xxx make sure you put a plastic boundary around the tree truck or it will get knocked and damaged on a construction site and that would be just awful !!!

    Congrats :)

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  5. Fantastic !!! I cannot wait to see the progress xxx make sure you put a plastic boundary around the tree truck or it will get knocked and damaged on a construction site and that would be just awful !!!

    Congrats :)

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  6. sooooooo wonderful watching all your hard work come together. just fabulous. I love all the dreaming and sharing and building! such joy and delight.

    Also, I wanted to thank you for your kind words over on my blog this past weekend. They were ever so sweet and caring. It meant a lot to me that you spread such kindness over on my side of the pacific. thank you, thank you. xxoo

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  7. Wow you' sound very organised!! Can't wait to see what you do with the house the tree looks lovely

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  9. We have a massive mature frangipani on our boundary fence (decades old), and our neighbour told us it is an evergreen variety so it retains all of its leaves all year round, whereas one across the road is not and does not. So maybe something to consider if you want shade all year round? And it's a good time to think about landscaping so that your decisions are made and you can commence the landscaping as soon as the project management and construction schedule allows.

    Good luck with the renovation!

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