The 'Backyard' Blitz

Today was amazing, exciting and overwhelming all at once.  At 6.30 the first landscapers knocked on the doors with their wheelbarrows and shovels in their hands, ready to start on the retaining wall.  It was still dark (and cold!) outside, so I turned on the back flood light so they could actually see and within the next half an hour about fifeteen more professional landscapers arrived with trucks, equipment and supplies on hand.

It was absolutely incredible to watch them work.  Martin had not only done an amazing job in designing our garden, but also in coordinating so many people at once.  They were all members of the Tasmanian Association of Landscapers and everyone was assigned to their particular area and it was amazing to watch them work.  If I didn't take photos every twenty minutes or so I missed something as it all came together so fast.

My brothers Eden and Jared and friend Sam also came along to help by digging post holes and building a fence. Martin knew just the kind of fence he wanted to tie in with the Japanese garden he had designed for the front.  Kobe had the best time having a go in the Bobcat with the operator Danny.

One of the most exciting things was watching the lawn being rolled out! It was such a dream to have some beautiful green lawn after just having an awful patch of weed out the back.

While all the landscapers were working hard on the outside, Lisa, Simone and Mum helped with getting morning tea organised (thank you to Andi and Nicole the amazing Cupcake Fairy, who also helped with feeding the hungry workers). Once morning tea was finished, they then cleaned all of my windows, inside and out. It was just a waste of time washing the outside of them before as they just got dirty and dusty all the time as we had no garden.

Martin had a great idea to raise up the cubby house that was built by students at Kings Meadows High School, over the sandpit.

They weren't impressed with my hills hoist clothesline that was taking up a lot of my yard, so they organised a new clothesline that is now up against the fence.  It isn't as big as my old one obviously, but it's nice and hidden away, and to be honest a family of four has a lot less washing than a family of six. That is one thing I have noticed a lot since Noah and Aaron passed away.

Another awesome thing was a sprinkler system that they set up to water both the garden and the lawn.  As soon as they went on the lawn Kobe was so excited and decided he had to run through it - clothes and all! He later on decided it was worth getting his bathers on for.


I'm so blown away that Aaron's cousin Tracey and daughter Jessi-Rose were able to organise such an amazing thing to happen.  To have my whole garden done in the one day, by so many professional people is just a dream come true. I was so happy today watching it all come together, but then so sad at the same time to know why it was happening. I wished things were different and would live forever without a landscaped yard if I could have Noah and Aaron back, but I know that's not possible.    So many people ask me how they can help, and I always say there is nothing that they can do, as it's true but this was definitely something that has helped me and the boys, and wasn't something I ever dreamed to be possible.

Because so many people and businesses had donated time, equipment and supplies to go towards the garden we knew it was important that they be recognised so tonight the Southern Cross news ran a story about it. They said it was nice to have a good news story to report on and I'm so glad that the Tasmanian Association of Landscapers were able to be recognised as they were so generous and kind in what they did for us today. Other businesses had also donated to help feed the volunteers including Coles and Boags. 


Martin thought it was important to have as much space in the yard for the boys to play, so we decided together to move the rockery that Aaron had built, and placed the flowering cherry tree over in the other garden against the fence.  They also extended the beds out that Aaron built and just added more plants into it, and it looks beautiful.


In one day the yard has gone from this...

To this!

Now to just get the builder back to finish off the rendering at the back, and the house will finally be finished!

I still need to paint the fence, but that will give me a project to do.

The Japanese garden in the front has special significance as it was designed to represent our family.  The Japanese maple tree was given to us when Noah passed away and has been there since then.  The maple therefore represents Noah, and the three rocks under him are the three boys,  They are facing the 'cradle rock' which represents me and the tree next to that rock represents Aaron as Aaron and Noah will both  be watching over me and the three boys. It was so beautiful of Martin to think of so many special things when designing the garden, and he also used the rocks that we got from Pop's river and included them in the front garden.

It's hard to actually believe that it's really happened, and there were a few tears today as the reality set in on what a huge thing they had done for me and my boys.  I'll never be able to repay them for being so kind and I know that Aaron and Noah would've been looking down today, so happy to know that so many people are showing so much love and kindness to us right now.

Tonight Harri was looking out the window and said 'it makes me really happy whenever I look out there'. Thank you so much Tracey and Jessi-Rose for being so kind and wanting to help us in such an amazing way.