Tropical Landscaping...

...otherwise known as pruning the Bougainvillea to make room for Sangrias at Sunset.

I just happened to be looking out of the window and thought we (meaning I) really need to trim back the neighbour's Bougainvillea in the back corner before  it gets completely out of control...

It's actually quite an old and well established Bougainvillea, a plant that we both love but over the 12 months prior to us moving in it was allowed to get a wee bit out of control, taking over the back left corner of the block (and it stretches into the other two neighbours yards too). Kate wanted to plant one of these 10 years ago in the yard of our first house in Townsville, but I pointed out that if they aren't strictly maintained, they can just go haywire. Which is exactly what this one has done.  When in full bloom they are stunning but once the flowers begin to die off, you are left with a thick blanket of brown mushy leaves that start to rot.  Not so nice.

There's actually an old concrete slab in the back corner from a garden shed once upon a time (I imagine). That innocent looking veggie patch thing on the right is another project on the 'Things to Do' list... I mean who builds a garden bed to hold grass clippings right.next.to.the.pool... I mean seriously?!

However, with a good pruning back we can put the slab to good use (for now) and maybe have a little area for a wee Sangria on a hot summers day, and perhaps enjoy the, now easier to control, greenery and flowers as the Bougainvillea resumes its growing adventure ;-)

Unfortunately I (Kate) didn't get any footage of my impersonation of the human hedge trimmer, walking along the top of the masonry breeze-block wall playing duelling banjos with Mother Nature. My lumberjack friend (Eugene) in Pennsylvania would be so proud!!

Of course, no picture will show at a distance just how thorny an issue it can be when these botanical beauties get themselves established...

However, I managed to whip out the trusty phone and take a picture on why there's a good reason for wearing long sleeves when pruning ol' Mister Thorny McThorny...

I even managed to get Sherlock Holmes in on the job to get to the bottom of this dirty task. Sadly for Kate there was no Benedict Cumberbatch on the scene to help out (thankfully as far as I'm concerned, I mean ladies...really??).  

I did a few trips to get all the pruning round to the front. It ended up being a full trailer load (I'm talking full to the brim trailer with a cage on top), and there were a few more minor casualties to come. At the green waste facility, I manged to step on an established branch (about 20mm thick), right at the point where a sturdy thorn achieved optimum entry angle, and it went straight through my work boot and well into my foot - thankfully there were no little old ladies standing by to hear my eloquent surprise expressed verbally. I also returned home to see that Sherlock had received a mention in dispatches, with two thorny adversaries causing a flat tyre *sigh* more work ahead...

But, SHUT THE FRONT DOOR, check out the result of all that hard work. Well done that man, hand him a cheeky Sangria!

Well, maybe another day, as I was just too done in to move and as Chief Sangria maker in our house I wasn't moving for anyone. I had a shower, grabbed a James Squires, and went down back to give our Jack & Jill Chair a test run in its new spot. (Kate found this seat in an Auction House and it took pride of place by the pool at the last place - Kate and I sit together and watch the kids swim - and affectionately this is known as our Jack and Jill time).

But that's one of the bigger outdoor jobs done for now, next will likely be getting a shed built behind the house, as well as moving that mound of garden bed (more work for Sherlock) and paving that rear area where the grass (read - weeds) currently grow. 

Looks like a nice place for a couple of sunbeds if you ask me.

Cheers, Col