April 2014

Another month has come and nearly gone….time is just flying by – a sign of age no doubt.  Oh well at least looking back to this time last year when the front garden was just being planted I can see a lot has changed.  I have only lost a few plants and that was only because of some careless NBM workmen who didn’t realise that plants like their foliage above ground and their roots in the soil.  Apart from that everything has done well – some better than others but overall it is growing to plan.

I was unsure whether to trim back the natives in the front garden in the hope that they will bush up and thicken out.  I heard on ‘Gardening Australia’ that natives are used to having their tips pruned off by animals so yesterday they all got a little trim – by me rather than a wallaby.

The back fence is now standing tall and with its new supports etc. it shouldn’t be blown over again.  We have been having veggies from the garden - red leg silver beet, kale, zucchini and the old favourite snowpeas.  We had or first corn cob last night – delicious – funny thing is that I’m not keen on the bought corn but love home grown.  It is not a huge crop this year but hopefully next year will be better.

My very large 20 year old begonia was looking really straggly and so I gave it a trim and have popped some cuttings in to see if I have any luck getting them to strike.  I have always really liked ‘hares foot’ fern, a few years ago I bought a ‘rabbit’s foot’ fern and I’m now the owner of a ‘kangaroo foot’ fern – didn’t even know one existed. 

The other major job this month which Pop helped me with was cutting back the hebe.  It has needed doing for a while but it is always home to so many little wrens and grey fantails I didn’t like to disturb them.  All seemed pretty quiet so it was pruning time.  It looks a bit sad but it will grow and it can only get better. 

My new 'kangaroo foot fern - with a dendrobium orchid sharing the basket  

the rabbits foot fern

and the original hares foot fern

my new begonia - not often found for sale - but they do well in my shade house

the un picked corn  - I wasn't sure if it was ready to pick but we had a bad storm which blew over the plant so I decided it was ready!!

some of the ingredients of last nights tea

what is left of the hebe - a few trips to the tip needed to get rid of the prunings.

the top front garden

the other side - the nearest grevillea is more than waist high.

most things have doubled in size - some three times - it has been very rewarding to see the garden taking shape and growing as planned.

March 2014

The poor veggie patch looked very neglected on our return.  The snowpeas had not been picked and looked more like broad beans, the zucchinis had not been picked and continued to grow to the point where they are no longer their tastiest.  The tomato plants looked really sad and now had rust so it was time for action.  The tomato plants were the first to go followed closely by the snowpeas.  I gave the veggie beds a good weeding and a spruce up and suddenly it looked productive again.

The fence is still down waiting for response from the neighbours and quotes from fencers.

I managed to get a lovely pot to replant the osmanthus – I loved the look so much I bought quite a few of them.  It was impossible to match the green of the existing pots so I went for an ox blood red to compliment the green.  I’m really pleased with the result.

Another leucadendron died in the same spot (even though I had replaced the soil and done everything I could think of to make them happy) and so I decided to move the bird bath to fill the spot.

This is the only thing in the vegie garden to have done really well this season - Red Legs silver beet.  We both really enjoy the taste and it is quite colourful in the grden.

This is the before photo - my plan is to clip this plant into a cone shape.

the blue wrens are very happy with the native shrubs and the bird baths in the garden.

These pots are near the back door next to our garden swing.  I wanted a plant that was hardy, didn't mind wind and hot afternoon sun and this 'Rhaphiolepis indica' called Springtime was recommended.  It will have pink fragrant flowers in Spring.

This is the 'Osmanthus' in its new pot.  This is also on the deck near the back door.

Another collection of pots, and my favorite watering can my Sis gave me..

This is on the corner of the deck facing the river.  The plant in the large pot is another Raphiolepis - 'Snow Maiden' it will have a white flower.  The clipped circle shape is a tiny flowered fuchsia  that I moved from my big group of clipped plants.  It looked like it needed a change of soil so I did that and gave it a new outlook as well.

A dear friend gave me this succulent recently.  It is doing really well.

My new grouping  of clipped plants.  

I took out the old lavender from the back corner and replaced it with a 'Garrya elliptica'.  It should grow well in this spot.

I also planted two of these fast growing shrubs.  I will need to keep them under control as they will grow very tall give the chance - but they will provide some privacy for the back yard now that our lattice has gone.

February 2014

February – a quiet month in my garden this year. 

A beautiful orchid bloomed.  The tomatoes are getting bigger but still a long way from bearing fruit – oh well. The snowpeas are producing well and we have had a few meals from them.  The zucchinis have also reached the picking stage.  I steamed some the other night and served it with some cheese and sweet chilli sauce on the top.  Pop’s favourite way.

We had some friends stay with us for a week.  It was a lovely time.  Unfortunately there was a really bad wind storm one of the days and the back fence was blown over.  Thankfully it went backwards and didn’t do any damage to my garden or the neighbor’s as it leaned on their retaining wall.   The only other damage was the pot holding my osmanthus was blown down the steps and the pot broken.  The plant was undamaged and the soil just sat in a neat ball.  It was carried into the shade house and kept moist until the next day when a new pot could be bought. 

My friend gave me two lovely plants and we had great fun potting them up and having some time out in the garden.

The next week I was very busy getting some paintings done and then the last two weeks we spent on the mainland visiting family.

my beautiful orchid - the first flowering