Retaining it all - Part One...

Quite a while ago work began on retaining the boundary of our property and creating some paths down each side of the house. It was an absolute mess when we moved in!!!

So we engaged Ben and his team from Daviscapes to assist us with the retaining walls. We found Ben through "Service Central" when we posted a job to quote on our concreting. He responded, quoted on the concrete (didn't get that job), but Cam liked him so much that we decided to get him to quote and subsequently engage him as our hard landscaping guy :)

This is the side path with the sleepers in.

  

The join between the front and back. Sleepers are behind the gate and brick rendered retaining wall out the front as it looks nicer.

The put plastic on the backside of the sleepers to protect them a bit more (even though they are treated pine). 

They they filled it up with rocks for drainage. (not yet done in this pic)

Backfilled and then stained. In this case it has one coat of Merbau stain on it. I stopped him short of a second coat as I dont really like merbau and our decking is all gorgeous spotted gum.

It was capped with aluminium in Colourbond Monument (same as out gutters, fascia and garage door). They also filled the gap between the wall and the path with pebbles (which are a little bit dirty in this pic). My brother ferried wheelbarrow upon wheelbarrow of topsoil, compacted it and then added another layer. He's a gem!

Finally Lachie and I planted some vegies and herbs to enjoy. We have climbing beans, baby carrots, tomatoes (my boys eat cherry tomatoes like they are going out of fashion!!!) rocket, coriander, basil, thyme and parsley.  All currently tended to by Lachie (with Mummy and Uncle Cammy's help of course). Since this photo the vegie garden has gone nuts! The plants are so tall. It must have been great soil :)