Home & Garden Expo at Nambour

Well, I went to this yesterday and had a good time. Inbetween the homemade icecream, organic doughnuts (one with jam, one with chocolate) and a freshly made lime-juice drink (mmmmmm), I managed to buy some plants: a pink strongly-scented violet, a yellow jabotica, a neem tree seedling, a miracle plant (makes sour things taste sweet), two hedychiums, and an aloe ('fairy pink'). Nothing rare but all desirable! Plus a lead on finding a Michelia champaca 'Alba' and a Bolivian fuchsia at a Mt Tamborine nursery.

Oh, and there was a tree python hibernating in a tree by the toilets :-)

Sounds like you had a good time Cestrum. I had planned to go as a birthday present to me...my husband even offered to take me. I have been a few times before and have always enjoyed it but am a bit reluctant to be around crowds right now because of the risk of swine flu.....health is an issue.

cestrum ...that is a nice little lot of plants ...I am interested to see how you go with the miracle plant ...I wonder how true it is ...great for a diabetic with a sweet tooth!
I would not go into a crowd in winter ...I hate catching any *jimmy jerms* and even worse having to stand in line for a loo ...can't do that in cold weather.
Glad you had a great day though.

Catching the flu? Never occurred to me! And there was no standing in line for the loo. All very civilised ... Chrissy, have you tried stevia as a sweetener for diabetics? I've got some growing in the ground, but it's quite pungent. I think the 'green' flavour of the plant itself overpowers the sweetness. (Could be less than ideal growing conditions that have this effect.) Might be OK in tea--I keep meaning to try it this way but have never gotten around to it. I grow it as a curiosity ...

no I don't like sweet tasting anything much unless there is some tartness in it to counteract that sweetness, but my family and in laws are diabetic ridden ...so I have had a great deal of experience with catering for sufferers.My maternal grandmother was diabetic and passed away from a car accident at 93 so you can live a long life if you eat right and take your medications.She had 12 children and worked very hard ...and ate lots of home grown veggies, lean meat (no gravy but used homemade pickles (made with saccherine ...I liked it anyway) to flavour her meals and here is the shock nan and pop ate a pudding lunch and dinner ...sweetened with the dreaded saccharin. My husband's father was also diabetic and lived until 93, ate similarly and walked miles.
sorry waffling again ...yes it's really interesting.I use equal for my diabetic darlings.

This message was edited Jul 12, 2009 10:54 AM

Here's the webpage of the nursery that sold me the yellow jaboticaba, miracle fruit and neem tree:
http://www.forbiddenfruitsnursery.com/products/products6.htm
I don't know how much is charged for P&H if you order by mail.

I didn't get to go to the Garden Expo.
I am trying to keep well as I have to get a spot taken off my face on Friday.
The first time I missed it.
Oh well...there's always next year.