Rebecca Widds

I think you may be right Jane, as I believe said owner did work on the railway...

Sarah that looks so good! Arches are so pleasing to the eye.

Thekla that's such a great idea, I hadn't thought of trading them for stuff or labour! I really appreciate your suggestions, thank you.

Spent the whole renovation budget on getting the foundations and roof redone - we are on a DIY budget now, or a "save and wait"! I really like to upcycle and there is always lots of wire and mesh at the local dump so I was thinking of gabions. The examples here have been great to get me thinking, I'm very thankful for this thread.

I was considering an outdoor kitchen with a rocket stove already, so the gabions could make a great base for benches for food prep.  I could put it on the south side of the house so it's not just a heat trap in summer (I'm in Australia).

Water is a big limiting factor out there too so I'll revisit my books to see what I could build with rocks that could conserve/better harvest water from rain and dew.

Sorry, I should have been more clear. The house is my grandparent's old house, in the country village where I grew up. I know the land well and the oldies nearby have known me since I was a baby!

Instead of saying "no idea" I should have said "we've had lots of ideas but none of them seem to make sense other than that we were told by the neighbours he was given the material for free and just liked it". It's black rock that is not local, it's something you would buy from a landscaping or road building place. They are in rectangular blocks with railway sleepers for edges that mean to walk through the yard you effectively have to go through a maze.

It's on very flat land on a large village block in a very dry climate.  It's hot for much more of the year than it is cold.

I'm an ecologist so I know it provides habitat, I will be leaving the ones that aren't in the way of using the yard, and aren't right next to the back door.

Great thread, very helpful!

My project house has several "beds" of these rocks. I have no idea what the past owner put them in for, but in a hot climate they add way too much heat too close to the house, and make every type of building and maintenance more difficult as you have to clamber over them. I just knew Permies would have some ideas as to what I could do with them - I was sure they could be a resource for some purpose!

Used old bathtubs to make raised beds.

Apparently they are "unsightly" and they don't like "looking out over a junkyard".

I suppose it's all a matter of preference! I think they look sweet. Just wait til I really get going with the upcycling......

12 for now, but I have two Mr Lincolns which I propagated from cuttings from my old home.
Just last April I moved in with my partner. A very formal garden but devoid of colour and scent. I adore roses for fragrance and beauty, as well as herbal uses, so I put 12 in last year. There will be more going in this year!

My sister is a heritage rose fanatic and she has definitely educated me! I still love the hybrid teas for cut flowers and nostalgia, but I love the old fashioned ones for their history, shapely bushes, toughness and long flowering times.

Shrub roses along the front driveway:
- Sarah van Fleet
- Reine des Violettes
- Heritage

Hybrid tea roses in their own bed specifically for cut flowers:
- Blue Moon
- Paradise
- White Ensign
- Rod Stillman
- this is also where Mr Lincoln will go

Climbing roses along the fence between the pool and the back of the block:
- Blossomtime
- New Dawn
- Clair Matin (she is the happiest rose I have right now - we are having a very hot summer with repeated heatwaves and she is right on the edge of the bioseptic flow!)
- Russeliana

I tried General Gallieni but he didn't like me going away for a month in early summer! Or the competition from the surrounding couch grass.

Oh and we also have a Double Delight that came from my old home - my partner took some cuttings when I pruned it years ago and just stuck them in the ground - and one took spectacularly. Such a great rose - hardy, giant beautiful flowers with a gorgeous fragrance.

Backed, and used the opportunity to grab a hard copy of A Year in an Off-Grid Kitchen as well. That book gave me far too much joy to just live on my Kindle! Congratulations and good luck, Kate!

Broad bean tops as a lightly cooked green. So tender and bright and delicious! Superior to the pods, in my opinion.

The table makes a lot of sense to me (and I thought "oooh that's really useful!")

For context: I am an experienced sourdough maker but taught myself 14 or so years ago from a teeny magazine article and lots of trial and error.

Some great products in here… I’m excited to read How to Bake Without Baking Powder. Just the mention of using kitchen chemistry has me hooked!

I’m also interested to read Celery Wine. It sounds like an interesting story, and it’s winter here… I need some interesting stories to get me through to Spring.