Some Tidying up Around the Yard....

This is how the entrance to the house looked when we got here in October. There were ferns and trees and weeds all mixed in with some really nice stuff that also needed dividing and pruning and cutting and cleaning up! Hidden under the mini-jungle I discovered a defined planter bed outlined with rocks. I worked for many days to unveil the beautiful things in this small area. It still isn't completely how I'd like it, but it is much better.

See all the stuff? There was leaf debris up to the tiles and the dirt is at least a foot below. Leaf debris is great, but not when things need dividing and flowers need removing and when there is total chaos and plant wars going on!

Here I've got the area a little nicer. The gingers have room to breathe, the begonias are divided, the ferns removed, the corn plants relocated and some organic matter put in. Now you can see the stairs when you pull into the carport!

This is to one side of the driveway. There are oranges and the house on the other side up a slope. You can maybe see Jeff to the left with the weedwacker trying to tackle vines and grass that are over his head. A year is a long time and we didn't have any idea what could happen. This whole area to the left is now clear and we are digging it up and putting in vegetables and fruit trees. We have planted papaya trees from seed, parcha (passion fruit), bananas (relocated from other areas of the yard), coconuts (relocated), yucca (relocated) and tomatos and peppers etc.

After a while things started looking more manageable (until we started working on the upper hillside). To the left is a now-clear-grassy area we are digging for a garden. To the right you can see a couple of the 13 orange trees we've got. The gate is at the bottom of the driveway.

This is a photo of a couple of the orange trees that are loaded with oranges. The house is behind them, and you can't see it. I have been doing some harvesting/pruning and the view is totally different now! We drink a gallon of orange juice every few days and still have at least 4 bags ready for juicing at all times. I have only pruned 5 trees so far but the difference is astounding. I even skeletonized one of them and it sprouted new green leaves after we got a little rain.

This is the top of the stairs - the main entrance to the house. The coconut that nearly bonked me is in the background. It is a lovely little house and the view changes daily as we continue to clean up and move plants around!