Re use and Recycle making a vertical Garden with a broken outdoor Chair

Finished product

I having been looking for a way to screen my pool pump so taking some inspiration from the vertical pallet garden I set to work making a vertical garden screen.

Broken Chair

I have had this broken outdoor chair laying around for a while, and have been looking for a way to reuse it.

Screwed together and oiled

I arranged pieces of the chair into a L shape. The tall part screens the cartridge filter while the lower will screen the pump.

I then screwed some 75 x 50 mm Fence railing that I had laying around to the outside edge

I then gave the whole thing a coat of oil and removed four wooden slats so the plants could grow through.

Attach Weed mat

I then lined it with weed mat. I attached the weed mat with a staple gun. this is what will hold the soil in place and stop it from spilling.

I left the bottom open for drainage but in hindsight I should of also lined the bottom and added some holes for drainage

Screw back on

I then screwed some ply wood to the back holding it all into place and was now ready to be filled with soil and planted out.

All Finished

I set in place using by driving two garden stakes in the middle. I then filled with soil.

Trying to plant it out set up in place was a little tricky using a Stanley knife I cut a small hole in the weed mat  then carefully squeezed the seedlings in.  

As mentioned before I left the bottom open for drainage.

It would have been better to enclose it so I could fill with soil then lay the vertical garden down flat to plant.

This would have been much easier and I could have left flat for a week or so for the plants to establish themselves before setting into place.

I was really happy with the results Can you see the pool pump?

McAfees Look out to Gold creek reservoir

Ominously named Fire break

McAfees lookout is a great place for a quick stop off  on a drive up to mount Nebo or Mt Glorious to enjoy the views from the lookout.

You can also use this as a starting point for a substantial bush walk.

This is a challenging 17 kilometre bush walk with a total elevation gain of 727 meters.

Before setting off ensure you have a topographic map of  D'Aguilar park which can be obtained from the Walkabout creek visitor centre and plenty of water and food as well as a first aid kit.

Starting off at McAfees Lookout with a quick stop at the viewing platform to take in the views out to Moreton Bay.

Just past the viewing platform you will see an unsigned walking track follow this until you come to a gate this fire break is ominously named Hell hole break.

And this track lives up to its name with a very steep descent followed a very steep ascent.

On the descent down on some of the very steep sections I found it hard going as my legs tried to stop me from breaking into a run and falling over,

I was very glad to be making my towards Enogerra creek there is quite a nice section where it becomes almost rain forest and some large lilly pilly's form a nice shaded canopy.

I have done this walk a few times I usually make it to the creek then head back to the look out, but not today I crossed the creek and continued on my way to south boundary road.

The climb up was also quite challenging it was loose rock and very steep in some sections you could almost reach out and touch the track in front of you as you walked.

Once at the top it was a short walk to south boundary road.

South Boundary road is a popular fire trail with Mountain bikers and hikers making its way from Payne road at the gap all the way to Mt Nebo. This is a realitive easy section meandering up and down.

Gold Creek Reservoir

Continue down South Boundary road you will pass centre road on your left and  just after you approach a water tank to your right you will come to Gold creek road which will take you to the reservoir. 

It is all down hill from here except for a short but very steep climb just before you reach the reservoir.


Initially I had planned to walk around the reservoir but with two climbs ahead of me to reach my starting point of the lookout I decided against it on this day.

So I headed back the way I came and up Gold creek road When I made I way back to south boundary road I decided to return to the look out via Centre Road.

Its all down hill again for a while as you make your way down Centre road you once again reach Enogerra creek and then its time to climb again all up its roughly 197 meters in elevation back to the lookout.

Once you make it the top of Centre road you head to the left on a path that passes the forestry building and runs parallel to Mt Nebo which eventually brings you back to McAfees lookout.

All up it took me 4 hours and 40 mins to complete this 17 kilometre bush walk.

Strava map of Walk

Tawny Frogmouth

If you are lucky you may catch a glimpse of these beautiful nocturnal birds during the day.

They are very well camouflaged and spend the day perched in trees making them hard to spot,

I was lucky enough to happen upon this one at Woolowin one day trying to blend in with fence.

I have spotted them a few times at night along the kedron brook, and have also had seen a few in the back yard at night like this little one.

Lawn Mowing in The rain

Lawn Mowing in the rain

With the drenching Brisbane received yesterday and then again today with the rain from ex tropical cyclone Marcia, and with Brisbane's summers in general usually lots of storms, wet weather and the grass growing madly.

I thought it timely to talk about lawn mowing in the rain.

Is it possible to mow the lawn while its raining?

If you can avoid it and postpone until its dried that would be the best outcome.



Mowing in the rain is not a fun exercise, the mower clogs up with wet grass as it sticks to the deck it can not make its way to the catcher and ends up as a green sludge all over the lawn.



As the soil is wet and soft especially with the clay soils in some Brisbane suburbs the mower creates ruts in the lawn as its pushed along.

Its hard going on the mower as it bogs down on thick wet grass and is a miserable task for the poor operator pushing the mower.

You can always make a start by using your brush cutter to trim the perimeter of your property and do the edges then mow when its cleared up making it not such a big job, but if its unavoidable and you have to mow here a few tips to make it a little easier.

Clean under deck and make sure blades are sharp

1. Ensure the deck of your mower is clean, having a clean deck will help stop the grass from sticking to the deck.

2. Ensure that you have a new set of blades or that your existing blades are sharp, Sharp blades will cut the wet grass more efficiently.

3. Also very important is to make sure the catcher is clean.

If it is a cloth catcher you can hose it out making sure the fabric is clean.



With a plastic catcher also hose it out but make sure you also clean the mesh you may have to use a stiff Bristle brush to get it clear and clean.

A nice clean catcher will help improve the airflow helping the heavy wet grass make its way to the catcher.

4. Mow half the width, that is mow a strip and then overlap the mown strip by half on your your return pass. This way the mower wont bog down as much allowing the mower to work more efficiently.

5. Use your brush cutter on boggy or soft parts of the garden this will help prevent ruts by not pushing the mower through these areas.

6. Stop to empty the catcher more frequently than you would normally also give it a clean while you are stopped to help keep good airflow.

Stop frequently to clean underside of deck.

7. Also stop frequently and clean the underside of the deck this is a messy job but important to help the wet grass make its way to the catcher.

When tipping your mower to clean underneath always remove the spark plug cover and follow your manufacturers recommendations on which way to tip,

With my Honda four stroke mower I have always tipped on it side oil side down as per the recommendation in the handbook.

Speaking to a mechanic about my Briggs and Stratton powered mower he recommended always tipping mowers backwards so the spark place is facing the sky.

Choose a discreet place to stop mower

8. Choose a discreet part of the garden to stop the lawn mower when you stop the mower after mowing in the rain it will sometimes throw out a unsightly green wet sludge of grass.Also avoid any concrete or paved areas as the grass is likely to leave a stain

9. Do not use a mulching plug, Mulching grass can work really well when its dry by throwing the grass trough the blades a second time mulching it into tiny bits, this will not work as well with wet grass.





10. Make a coffee put your feet up and enjoy the rain and leave the mowing until the sun comes out.

Good luck

Brisbane Fungi

Phallus Indusiatus near Maiala Mt Glorious

One of my favourite things to do after a few days of rain is to check the mulch piles and ovals of my local parks to see if any interesting fungi have popped up.

I also at the first opportunity head to my favourite bush walks scouring the tracks on the lookout for any unusual and interesting fungi.

I love looking at Fungi reference books there are so many amazing fungi I would love to see one day, like the lattice or basket fungi, the earth star, the birds nest and any one of the illuminating ones.

Here are some of the Fungi I have come across in Brisbane.



I am a amateur when it comes to identifying Fungi madly flicking through reference books so I have undoubtedly misidentified some if you can help out with any misidentified or unidentified ones I would love to hear from you.  


Finding This Aseroe rubra growing on a ground up tree stump has been the most exciting Fungi I have discovered in my own backyard.

Aseroe Rubra

Some more Aseroe rubra at a local park.

Aseroe Rubra

Another exciting find was Phallus Multi colour growing in mulch at rafting ground reserve Brookfield. 

Phallus Multi colour at Rafting ground reserve

Phallus Multi colour at Rafting ground reserve

I spotted this Phallus indusiatus on a bush walk at Mount Glorious.

Phallus Indusiatus near Maiala Mt Glorious

Phallus Indusiatus near Maiala Mt Glorious

I found these Pholiota Malicola growing on the rain forest circuit at Maiala Mt Glorious.

Pholiota Malicola.

I quite often see these out and about on my walks these Scleroderma cepa were on the thylogale track at Jolly's look out.

Scleroderma cepa on Thylogale track Jolly's Lookout

Scleroderma Cepa on Thylogale track Jolly's Lookout

I spotted these at Enogerra greek at the Gap possibly Microporus Xanthopus ?

Possibly Microporus Xanthopus?

Fungi Yet to be identified 

I found this one at Banks street reserve I initially thought it was a bracket Fungi but there may be a stem hidden.

Unknown Fungi at Bank street Reserve

Also found at bank street reserve Alderly possibly Rainbow Fungus Trametes versicolor ?

Possibly Trametes Versicolor.

And Another unidentified one from Banks street reserve Alderly

Yet to be identified at Banks Street Reserve Alderly

Yet to be identified Spotted at Daisy hill Conservation Park

Yet to be identified 

The next to were found growing in close proximity on the banks of the south pine river at Samford Valley.

South pine river Samford Valley

South pine river Samford Valley

Yet to be identified growing in mulch at local playground

Yet to be identified

Found on pitta circuit Boombana

This Shovel was in a customers garden I'm guessing it hasn't seen much action lately it has severel type of  bracket fungi growing on the handle

Jolly's Lookout to Boombana

Jolly's Lookout

Jolly's lookout was named after Brisbane's first lord Mayor William Jolly.

It is a great place to stop off while on a scenic drive up the mountain to take in the views

If you have a little more time you can base yourself at either Jolly's look out or Boombana and combine the two short circuits at both picnic grounds with the longer Thylogale track that joins the two, have a picnic or barbecue and make a short detour to the nearby Cafe and you can really make a day of it.

Jolly's lookout has great views of Samford valley, you can also see North pine dam and all the way out to Moreton Bay. facilities include barbecues, tables and seating and toilets.

Barbecue with a view.

At the bottom car park you will see a sign for the Egernia Circuit and Thylogale track.

Egernia Circuit

The Egernia Circuit is a nice easy short walk only 1.5 km

It takes you through open eucalypt forest on a short loop where you descend down before climbing back to the starting point.

It has some lovely moss covered stone steps and wooden bridges to add a bit of interest and the ever present wide range of birds chattering away in the trees.

On my trip I was lucky enough to encounter swarms of Blue Tiger butterfly's, reference books have them as rare in Brisbane except for every few years when they migrate in large numbers, 2015 must be one of those years.

Blue Tiger Butterfly Egernia circuit

Thylogale Track

The Thylogale track is a pleasant walk through rainforest that is lined with native gingers, cordylines and ferns it zig zags its way crossing south boundary road and making its way to the Boombana picnic ground.

Keep an eye out for some spectacular birds nest ferns in the trees, along the walk you will encounter many different animals , numerous birds , bush turkeys and lace monitors also keep an eye out for the tracks namesake the red necked pademelon (Thylogale thetis) you will often see them dart across the track then crash off into the bush .

2 Birds nests ferns along the Thylogale track

Boombana

Once you reach the end of the Thylogale track you reach the Boombana picnic area

Boombana Picnic Area

There is a small picnic area with seating , barbecue and Toilets.

There is also a fire pit , I recall reading somewhere this wasn't to be used but I am unable to find this information, there is always charred wood every time I have visited so some one is making great use of it.

From here you can start the Pitta Circuit, this is a great track to explore with the kids as it is only 1 km long, it starts in open eucalypt forest then makes it way through rainforest and you are guided along the way with educational signs.

Educational sign Pitta Circuit

You then reach a board walk surrounding a spectacular 300 year old strangler fig.The board walk allows you walk right around The Strangler fig taking in its impressive stature, its now only a short walk  

300 year old Strangler fig

At the strangler fig before heading back to the left you will see a set of stairs if you follow this track you can make a quick detour to the lovely Boombana Cafe for a bite to eat or in my case coffee and scones with jam and cream.

Stairs leading to boombana Cafe

View from Boombana Cafe

Brisbane Butterfly's and Moths

Blue Tiger At Mt Nebo

I am loving all the butterfly's  and Moths out and about at the moment, it seems to be perfect conditions for them, every where I go in Brisbane at the moment they are flapping about in abundant numbers.

Perhaps I am just noticing them this year but there seems to be more about than usual

Here are some of the Butterfly's and moths we have encountered recently.

Common crow Butterfly.

Common crow Caterpillar

These caterpillars have been a wonderful addition to our Garden. It has been a very timely visit as my son is currently learning about life cycles in science.

And so far we have witnessed the caterpillars, pupa and butterfly's.

If you have a Fig tree or a oleander tree have a look and see if any common crow caterpillars have taken up residence,.

Common crow caterpillar

After munching away for some time the caterpillar attaches it self to the underside of a leaf or stem hanging upside down it is slightly a paler colour.

It takes it position curling up in a ball.

Common crow pupa

They have the most amazing silvery gold pupa it looks like a little Christmas decoration hanging from the tree.

The gold eventually turns to black before the butterfly then emerges.

We currently have four pupa on our fig tree we are really hoping we are around when the butterfly's emerge.

Common Crow Butterfly

Blue Tiger Butterfly.

Reference books have these butterfly's only visiting Brisbane every few years or so and 2015 must be one of those years, I have been seeing about in the suburbs and up at the walking tracks at Jolly's lookout they are currently there in huge numbers.

Blue tiger Butterfly at Jolly's Lookout

Blue tiger Butterfly at Jolly's lookout

Granny's cloak Moth.

You will quite often see these lovely moths with there eye spots in Toilet blocks of all places, in the wild they live in tree hollows and caves, The toilet block at Boombana picnic ground seems to be a very agreeable habitat indeed as they are there in very large numbers 

Granny's cloak moth at Boombana

Evening Brown.

I spotted quite a few of these large brown Butterfly's along the Kedron brook there flight wasn't erratic as other butterfly's  and they rested frequently making photographing them a little easier than some others.

Evening Brown at Kedron Brook

Blue Triangle.

These butterfly's are quite common, they are very active making Photographing them a little tricky.

I recently followed one around our backyard for some time but was unable to get a photo as he was too quick.

I happened upon this poor little one along Enogerra creek at the gap, he seemed to have a piece missing from his wing,

It didn't seem to affect his flight though and was quite active but he did have to rest frequently allowing me take a photo before he took off again

Blue triangle at enogerra creek