Saturday 11 May 2013

Fortress Wallaby

Those who read my blog over the southern summer will know my battles for produce with wallabies and that the veggie beds I currently have are temporary ones.  Well now I have a permanent place to put my veggies and it is behind what I hope to be a wallaby-proof fence -  it's called Fortress Wallaby.


Fortress Wallaby is no ordinary piece of  fenced off ground, it's beautiful  (if a fence can be beautiful - I think it can). Fortress Wallaby was made by our neighbour, I'll call him Woody - I don't think he'd object, and Woody as you might expect  is very handy with wood (and fences).


The strainer posts and stays are cut from fallen or dead trees on the property - ones that if not already fallen, needed to come down as they were too close to the house.

The wood is so beautifully red  where it is newly cut and so grey  and lichened a patina where it has weathered the weather.



In places, the fence looks like a mythical animal - perhaps a little like  old Nessy of Loch fame without the abundant water and trapped behind chicken wire.


Fortress Wallaby contains quite a sizeable garden area that will be home to veggies and some fruit trees too. I will never again be allowed to comment that I don't have enough space.

The first beds are being formed from old bridge decking and more fallen wood along with cardboard boxes, piles and piles of manure of all sorts and yard muckings, lucerne and mowings.


I'll take it one bed at a time.


This concoction will be allowed to stew  for as long as I can stand it and then gradually I will plant up, first with things that need to go in over winter - raspberries, asparagus and bare rooted fruit trees - what else should go in in winter? And then the plantings for summer.

I have some pretty wonderful views from the new patch to keep me musing while I plant, manure and weed.


Finally we are under way.  With such a beautiful fence line I had better grow some pretty wonderful vegetables!

While we are pretty sure that this fence will keep the wallabies out, it appears that the chickens are not at all deterred!


I have warned them that they might look nice stuffed and mounted as fence sentinels if they are not careful!


Watch out Muriel....

I am very glad that wallabies can't fly.

12 comments:

  1. Sweet. Perhaps the chooks are hoping to add a little more manure to the ground for you? Hope Fortress Wallaby is a success. I am not sure how you get any work done with that view?

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    1. Their manure is most welcome, but not their naughty beaks and feet! Yesterday they decided to polish off three cauliflower plants!

      When you are tired the quickest reviver is to put your head up and gaze.

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  2. Well that looks wallaby proof to me - but what would I know? I've been out on slug patrol today. Got to keep the little buggers away from all my seedlings that have just moved out of the hotbed into open ground.

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    Replies
    1. It's an exciting time when the plants go into the ground! Hope they grow well for you.

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  3. I have no idea about what keeps wallabies out (Melbourne girl here!) but your photo of the chooks makes me feel VERY glad that I followed my instincts and put a 6' fence around my veggie gardens! It looks a bit utilitarian, but I've never had a chook fly over it!!
    Happy Mothers day!

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    Replies
    1. We are pretty sure the wallabies will be excluded - the neighbour who built the fence has a similar one that does the trick. But chookies are another matter!

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  4. I too think fences can be beautiful. Love yours and love the wood. Great views you have there.

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  5. Wow all so industrious. And all very beautiful too. Good to see some perspective views too. What a great spot you' re blessed with

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    Replies
    1. Perhaps but the fence is all other people's industriousness. I cant wait to build more beds and get them stewing.

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  6. Oh my! I am glad we don't have too many large mammals that eat vegie gardens here! I know that in the Cape (I be in South Africa) they have huge baboon problems, and they are very hard to outsmart - so vegetable gardeners there have to completely cage-in their vegies! I have more of a problem with the local birds destroying our tomatoes and figs :)

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  7. this post was written a while ago - how did you garden grow? keep out them wallabies? what height is the fence? do they go under? thanks!
    bb

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