Beds widened, important changes

I pick up the strings from the last post. 

First thing was to move the birdbath from near the garden gate which I did.  The bird bath made way for the rain barrel and went up beside the Allspice tree as planned.  The rain barrel [foreground] now shields view of the garden to some extent while creating some more space inside the yard.  See picture below. 

It was like this in March 2011.

A simple arch I had got done using construction steel some years ago was not being used.  I brought it in with a hope of growing tomatoes around it. In the picture below, the birdbath on the brick wall is in place. I had thought of a step wall, but this was more suited. Hollow bricks to hold a concrete slab [which was originally our cement water tank lid] on which the stone birdbath is kept.  

During this time, I have removed all the plants except a couple of tomatoes near which came the arch. 

Now that the bed width had shape had been standardized, it was time for laying the mosaic stepping stones in the centre pavement.  I had made the stepping stones myself [click] using little waste tiles [removed from our workplace floor - see another post]. These had been waiting for a proper use after they were removed during the last 3 years, reasons I need not repeat.

I embedded them.  Six in number.  In between the gaps, I put clay tiles.  

See the birdbath.  The bulbuls and other birds will find its new location soon.  The rain barrel is now placed conveniently, out of the way, but the outlet is accessible.  

The bulbuls were seen using the one which they did not use when it was done.  The round birdbath, now kept under the tap - see a part of it in the picture below [on the left edge].

I had already removed the Thunbergia plant and its roots to make way for Senecio confusus seeds about which I mentioned in the last post.  I sowed a small part [on 16.2.2014] to see if they germinate and start well in the summer months.  

I had made the area clear by moving the Evolvulus 'Blue Daze' - a ground cover plant to the other side of the birdbath at the foot of the Allspice tree. 

Picture above - I have already sown the seeds of Senecio after cleaning the soil reasonably of stones and adding a liberal amount of kitchen compost. The soil where the Thunbergia grew appeared to be nice. I have kept the plants in covers [for future plantings] around where I sowed, to keep the soil around also moist. Picture below is a close up view. I separated Fortnight lily seedlings from one cover into 5-6.  There are a few more I put in temporary soil near the tomato plant. 

So it will be thrilling to keep a watch on Senecio.  So much for this post. Almost all set now.  If summer sun beats on the other half, I am ready with another piece of shade net for plant protection.