Garden shopping ....

... and about $1000 later, I'm ready to start digging ...

2 cu yards of stones, 2 cu yards of high grade top soil, 2 cu yards of bark mulch - $400 - think I've been "done" and will shop around next time.

One new wheelbarrow (because Old Favourite Brit wheelbarrow's wheel fell off, literally, and we couldn't source a new inner tube in the same size or a similar sized new wheel - and time is of the essence here remember - winter is around the corner, haven't got time to travel to the big smoky city hunting down an inner tube!) - $160 - seems a lot too - but when I worked at the garden centre earlier in the year, too many of the cheap wheelbarrows came back with broken wooden handles, crap design - so we 'upgraded' slightly - and I justify the cost by the fact that at the end of the spending, we will still have a funky blue wheelbarrow. Seems fair to me.

Three new trees - Caragana "Sutherland" in case you are interested (I love the fan shape and bark) originally priced at $190 each - now 50% off at the local garden centre, because they don't want to be left with lots of stock (because summer is over, remember) - $285

Two more rolls of the black weed suppressant fabric stuff - $32

Pegs to hold it in place - $16

One new shovel - $15 (and at that price, I suspect it may not last very long)

Timber - lots of treated 4x4 in varying lengths, to act as edging strips and dividers and fence posts, plus some other 'shaped' bits of wood with which to build a raised veggie patch area - $340

Box of 12" galvanised nail thingies - $80 (nearly choked at that price)

Three new grasses - also in the end of season sale - $40

Husband's dropping jaw as he loaded up the minivan - priceless

(And I haven't even finished yet - shopping that is .... )

Tune in next time to witness my Popeye biceps which will morph over the next week or so as I barrow this lot round the back of the house ....