Outdoor area.

[NDevon]

Shocking, I can't believe you put work and your livelihood before your tortoise enclosure. Get it finished!!

They are going to love it when it's done, how many are you considering taking from your friend or is it just for your existing herd?

 

[Anyfoot]

Shocking, I can't believe you put work and your livelihood before your tortoise enclosure. Get it finished!!

They are going to love it when it's done, how many are you considering taking from your friend or is it just for your existing herd?

I'm assuming you looked at an old post of mine regarding the friend. She had 10reds. I took 3 off of her.
So this is for my existing herd.

 

[NDevon]

Yeah I've been looking up various things today and found your Hingeback threads where you talked about them. So how many will live in there?

 

[Anyfoot]

Yeah I've been looking up various things today and found your Hingeback threads where you talked about them. So how many will live in there?

I have 10 adults/sub adults. 3 are Brazilians though. So at some stage I need to split them up. Total area I have for reds is about 1300sq ft. (300sq ft indoors).

 

[NDevon]

Lovely herd, I bet you can't wait to move them in now. When are you hoping to get them settled in?

 

[surfergirl]

looks great! it is giving me tons of ideas for summer projects.

 

[Anyfoot]

Not much difference on the eye, but I have kept working on it. I repositioned the pond elsewhere in the garden.
I keep adding soil to fill it up.
On the front of our house we have an old lawn that we are taking out, so I've cut this into sods and used it in the tort area. Lots more to do. I'm going to add some more grass sods. I've also decided to order some topsoil too. About 4 ton I think. I'm trying to end up with different terrains. Grass, soil and mulch. Heavily planted out with plenty of weeds. The grass sods already have plenty of weeds mixed in to the grass, so thats a bonus.
Still not sure about the outdoor water source. Either simple water trays scattered around or a purpose built water feature. I'm leaning to keep it simple.
Need to but some sort of barrier on left hand side of steps too.

What are your views on stones, do I just put some random flat rocks in so they can walk over them keeping toe nails down. I was originally going to put some decent size rocks in, but they will just take space up and scratch the plastrons.

 

[Rue]

I'm totally jealous. See? I'm green!

I like the idea of flat rocks, or slate. Maybe have several 'slate' ( 3? ) stations scattered throughout?

 

[Yvonne G]

I just love this! You're doing a great job.

 

[Anyfoot]

I just love this! You're doing a great job.

Thanks Yvonne. I'm going to put a trellis up some of that old wall, this wall is in the shade quite a lot of the day. Any ideas what I can grow up this wall that can cope with shade (and idealy tort edible).

 

[Yvonne G]

Blackberry?? Fushia?

 

[Pearly]

Craig it looks great!!! I can't wait for another sleepless night to get caught up on this thread. I just looked at the pics now... Awesome!!!! I wish I had your skills

 

[Anyfoot]

Blackberry?? Fushia?

Ah, I was just thinking blackberry. Grows like wildfire in our garden. Fuchsia is a good idea. I wasn't aware these are edible, and I get to pop the flowers open. . My mum used to go nuts at me for doing that.

 

[Pearly]

Ah, I was just thinking blackberry. Grows like wildfire in our garden. Fuchsia is a good idea. I wasn't aware these are edible, and I get to pop the flowers open. . My mum used to go nuts at me for doing that.

I'd kill you or have you wear restraint mitts if you destroyed my fuchsia

 

[NDevon]

Looking great, I can see loads of progress - I think when you are doing it things always seem slower and you don't really notice it evolving but each time we see a pic it looks better and better.

I would put flat stones around that they can bask on, won't take up the space. Maybe put some under cover, so some kind of hide over the top, they get options to be on stone out of the sun too then.

I had a very strange dream about an outside tortoise enclosure the other night, it wasn't my garden, not sure where it was, but it had been done like a miniature town. There were roads, houses, buildings, a park, a pond and loads more and the tortoises were walking round the roads, working traffic lights, zebra crossings, it was great fun. I think you should do that!

 

[Anyfoot]

So this weekend I only got in the garden today, as yesterday we had a cold snap rain/sleet and snow falling(April showers). Today was in 70's.
Done top half today, finished off grass sods in this area,put a ton of top soil in, planted, a hardy palm, hibiscus, dandelions, plantain, strawberries and some bitter cress. Also spread some red,white and crimson clove seeds, dandelion seeds and in patches alfalfa seeds. So I'm hoping over time this top end will get dense in foliage that they have to walk through to get to the more barren area. There's a plum tree up there too. The sun shines on this area virtually all day.

 

[Anyfoot]

Almost forgot, Is Lemon Grass ok to use?

 

[kathyth]

This is fantastic!! I love everything you're doing. What lucky Redfoots!!!

 

[Pearly]

So this weekend I only got in the garden today, as yesterday we had a cold snap rain/sleet and snow falling(April showers). Today was in 70's.
Done top half today, finished off grass sods in this area,put a ton of top soil in, planted, a hardy palm, hibiscus, dandelions, plantain, strawberries and some bitter cress. Also spread some red,white and crimson clove seeds, dandelion seeds and in patches alfalfa seeds. So I'm hoping over time this top end will get dense in foliage that they have to walk through to get to the more barren area. There's a plum tree up there too. The sun shines on this area virtually all day.
View attachment 170620 View attachment 170621 View attachment 170622

How wonderful!!!

 

[Yvonne G]

Looking great, I can see loads of progress - I think when you are doing it things always seem slower and you don't really notice it evolving but each time we see a pic it looks better and better.

I would put flat stones around that they can bask on, won't take up the space. Maybe put some under cover, so some kind of hide over the top, they get options to be on stone out of the sun too then.

I had a very strange dream about an outside tortoise enclosure the other night, it wasn't my garden, not sure where it was, but it had been done like a miniature town. There were roads, houses, buildings, a park, a pond and loads more and the tortoises were walking round the roads, working traffic lights, zebra crossings, it was great fun. I think you should do that!

Happy Birthday to you!!!! @NDevon