Jean, always with the treats...
Marlene, that is very artistic. Do you know the story behind it? Are they dancers, maybe? Well choreographed and photoshopped.
Elaine, love the hammock.
Hope everyone has a fabulous day.
Karen
This message was edited Sep 21, 2010 8:53 PM
TEA ROOM # 73
Karen I was sent the pic in an email...don't know the story about it.
My Epiphyllums are healthy but I only have a few flowers. *so sad*
Here is a pic of Epc. Siam Jade ...one of my favourite small Cattleya orchids
Good morning everyone. Need I say it ? Another showery morning. Yesterday started out like this but ended up quite warm. I had my jumper off while we were in Hamilton .
I saw some magnificent cameelias flowering over there. The camellias, rhodos and azaleas seem to love it there. I wish they would grow like that here. We are only half an hour away , but even a small distance can really make a large difference in microclimates.
I guess we all have to resign ourselves to only growing what we can and knowing we are probably growing something other gardeners can't.
Colleen , I hope all your cacti are doing well. I am still hoping to get over to Mt Gambier at the right time for the blooms in that large cacti garden we found. Should look fantastic if they flower at the same time.
Hope Brian is feeling stronger and enjoying his plants too.
Elaine, that hammock looks inviting. I think I would fall out if I tried it.
Marlene, lovely orchid.
Hello Karen, you can eat all you want here with no calorie worries.
Chrissy, GHA still has all those buds. I thought they may fall off but new leaves are popping out now also. I just hope the sticks out the front survive.
Hello Louise, I see you are having lots of wild weather in places over there too.
Give those furry darlings a pat from me.
I have to get out and and pot my 2 new broms today. Yes more. I must stop, but how can you when there is just that one more ?
Hello Kat, Leisa, Sue and everyone else.
Try some of this delicious Ginger Spice Cake with your cuppa today.
Happy gardening
Jean.
Jean thanks for the smile I have thinking of you and the hamock there is a art to getting on a hamock I still smile thinking about the first time the dog made a flyng leap up he landed and fliped it over he just sat looked at it now he waits till I lay then jumps on and lays next to my feet ---elaine.
Don't talk about dogs. This is my how my visit to my granddaughter Kylie with my daughter Heather went on Monday.
Visit to Kylie's
Heather telephoned me and asked if I wanted to go to Mt Mee to visit Kylie as it was her day off. She wanted to show me the beautiful view from Kylie's rented house. I was a bit put off when she said she was taking the two big dogs with her. However it was raining I didn't have anything better to do. As we got closer to Mt Mee the fog was so heavy and we almost missed the turn into Kylie's driveway. The dogs panted and dribbled all the way. The house was nice but as for the view....because of the fog I could barely see Kylie let alone any view. Kylie has a dog too and as it is only a pup it jumped on Heather's dogs and then the fight was on. The house has all tiled floors and the fog was so thick it came inside too making the floors very slippery.
With dogs racing through the house and skidding on the wet floor and bumping into the walls one could say there was entertainment. I couldn't enjoy morning tea as Heather was constantly up with a tissue to wipe dribble from a dog.
I wonder if Kylie will ever invite us again???????
Good morning everyone. That sounded like a "fun" day Marleneanne. Jean the cacti are doing fine and now I'm just waiting for the blooms. I need to do some weeding in the cactus but might wait for the boys to give me a hand. They like the cactus too. I planted the Butterbomb in the garden after all the talk of amalgamating them into a cottage garden yesterday. I have 4 in the garden now. Still room for more. Maybe OSA will be okay in there too. I'm trying to shade them from the afternoon summer sun so I can't just put them anywhere. I have a bit of a story to tell. The youngest, Cameren, is a published author. The schools had to write pieces for the new The Mary MacKillop Praybook for Children and Cameren's piece was selected to go in the book. Guess what though? They spelt his name wrong. on instead of en. ah well. This is the piece that he wrote. " Dear God. Thank you for making Mary MacKillop nice. Help me to be nice and share my money with little kids. Amen" That should start your day off well. lol Colleen PS this is the clown of the family.
This message was edited Sep 23, 2010 8:58 AM
Marlene, next time stay home with a good book. They don't dribble on you and you can enjoy a peaceful cuppa.
After a few "mishaps "going out with others, I only go in my own car ( with or without hubby) . I know I can escape at any time then. Politely of course.
I once knew a person with a St Bernard. She carried a towel everywhere with her, Ugh. When it shook its head, make sure you were standing way back.
I love dogs , but there are some that should never leave home .
I know its not nice, but it did sound very funny .
I was imagining the scene of dogs, slippery floors and cups of tea all together. Just like one of those comedy skits you used to see.
Elaine, many years ago, the kids put up a hammock and were quite adept at getting in and out. Even the cats could do it, but I rolled out every time. Never been near one again.
Now put that scene together with Marlenes comedy of dogs and fog and we could have a movie. Ha ha.
Heres my new Coelogyne cristata orchid, just for something pretty to look at
Jean.
Marlenean I think you will be invited but not the dogs.------elaine
Gee we were all pushing is together then.-----elaine.
Yep sounds like a comedy alright, I know people will hate me but much as I love dogs ...they don't belong in cars or homes. I had the pets inside when the children were young sometimes but I did not like it. Ticks fleas etc.
A lady was killed just around the bend here not all that long ago because she was distracted by her pet dog who was jumping around in the car.
So as well as unsanitary it can be dangerous.
As to the fog in the house and tiled floors, we actually could not walk in my home one January when we had a "fallen cloud" enter our home, you would slide just like you were on ice, it was scary.Everything was wet ...even the walls. It was like being in a sauna.
Elaine ...I just can't imagine you resting ...let alone in a hammock, not with all your little projects looking at you .
Jean I would not dare even try a hammock, I just know I would go straight out on the other side, I would be hopeless, I broke my toes not all that long ago and it just would not be pretty if I tried to jump into one of those things, good luck to anyone who can manage to do it.
Colleen isn't that lovely ...a shame they did not get the spelling right but they all know who wrote it, you must be proud and he must be chuffed.
Enjoy your morning everyone out there ...Christmas is not far away,
start potting up plants as gifts for your gardening friends. They love them.
This message was edited Sep 23, 2010 9:56 AM
oooh, Marleneann, you all know that I love my dogs, but I would not tolerate that scene for a minute! And I would never invite someone else along to put them through it. Our dogs travel in their travel crate, and most people don't even know they are in the car. They know to be quiet and still.....they were trained that way when they were young puppies in Florida, as we took them on long day trips from the start and took them out to walk at various points, so they are quite content to be very quiet in the car. I don't go for dogs jumping around loose in cars.
Enjoy your day everyone!
Jean, the Coleogyne was such a great buy.....isn't it beautiful......
Marlene it must have been a madhouse for a few minutes...I love big dogs but I couldn't manage a dribbly one......that's the only reason I didn't buy Newfoundland....they wear bibs....
Matilda wears her seat belt and happily stays in the car if we visit.
Cameren's little poem is lovely Colleen....that is something to treasure and to show to him, if he gets stingy later in life...lol
I am about to have a cuppa so Jean's cake will go down well...
Dianne
Just stoped for a bite to eat then I have to water a little-- all morning I have waited for the showers we were going to have looks like they have gone to other gardens .my dog is a inside dog when he gets bored he will go sit in front the TV and watch the blank screen waiting for the people to come talk to him.---elaine
I found 2 pots up the side of the house I had forgot I put them there must be a good spot for them they have turned a nice red and flowering .------elaine.
Another hippy flowering
This one is "Double or Nothing"
and "Adriana"
night meetings!-back soon,anthony
Now I do love those Hippies Marlene. Colleen
Marlene, those double hippys are absolutely stunning!
Are your epis budding up yet? Mine aren't, apart from one, maybe 2. But my friend Ria's are absolutely plastered with buds. Her plants get good sun where as mine are a bit too protected.
Karen
Good morning everyone. I won't say what sort of morning it is except to say, Elaine , I can send you rain.
It is definitely feeling warmer though and I look forward to not being rugged up in jumpers and vests.
Marlene, they are very beautiful hippies. I love them and this year I am growing mine in pots so I can move them around. I had lovely red ones here that I brought with me and they all rotted away in the ground. With pots I can put them a way in winter out of the rain. They are not common to buy down here so I have to resort to eBay and they can be very dear.
My roses are all budding and have lots of that lovely red new growth. I'll have to watch the rosellas as they tend to come in and bite the tops of the shoots.
My epi buds are getting bigger. I can't wait to see the flowers. I was looking around the fern house yesterday . There needs to be a bit of a shuffle around and clean up in there after winter. There are a few dead ferns and some that think they are giants. My clivias are flowering. Th eyellow is lovey and I have a pale apricot orange. Most of those in the garden are the common orange. I do have seedlings from reds so am waiting to see those. It will be another few years yet. Its a shame they are so slow to grow as they are easy to grow from seeds.
I see quite a few seedlings of the naked ladies out in the garden too. They also grow easily but I never bothered to check on any seedlings.
Lots of alstomeria going to flower . I like it as the tall stems blend in nicely with the salvias.
Have a good meeting Anthony.
Hello Louise. Lovey to hear how you sensibly care for your girls when travelling. I still get mad when I see the farm dogs around here just loose on the back of vehicles . Thats okay on the property but not out on the road or in a town.
I saw a little terrier leaping madly around inside a car driving along on the road when we were in town. . One wonders about what would happen in an emergency braking etc.
That person I mentioned above, with the St Bernard, used to have him in the back seat of her car and he would be leaning over to the front with all the "you know what " all hanging down. That towel was very busy. Let me tell you, I never got in that car.
Colleen, I am so pleased to see all my prickly babies have come through the winter . I never lost a single one.
Hello Leisa, Kat, Sue , Karen and Brian.
I am off again to be domestic. Have to watch that, I don't want hubby to think I like cleaning etc.
I love my washer and dryer.......
Try some of these Date Squares with your cuppa.
Happy day and its FRIDAY..
Jean.
A very good morning to all The Sun is out a beautiful day here .
Chrissy I need a little help a couple of plants not sure about repotting the olly"s are in bud is it O.K. to repot . and not damage the buds.----and I think the Brugs might need to go in bigger pots getting new leaves on the trunk whate is the best I was going to do 50-50 potting mix and river sand . Thanks ------elaine.
Karen...no my epis are not budding. They are healthy plants but no flowers. Maybe the plants have to be a bit older before they flower. I will contact Steve and ask what the problem could be.
Morning everyone ...running late because it's Spring and I have limited time before my brother arrives (I won't have much time then) so lots to do.
Marleneanne gee Whizz!!! what stunning Hippies!
I only have singles but they are only just snaking out of the ground now ...very late this Spring. did you know it does not harm them to let them show off their bloom inside the home?
Jean I love date squares, love dates in anything.
Elaine I thought your brugs were dead ...providing you make sure you have good drainage it really does not matter, I like the river sand because it does not cause the roots to rot. I usually (for a potgrown brug) put a paper towel over the bottom holes, then aged manure (cow)
a good two or three inches then make sure there is a sand layer over that of at least 3/4 inches then sit the plant onto the sand and back fill with sand. Water it in with Seasol According to directions and leave it a week or two to settle in. By then you should see active growth. After you see this growth going on ...use a good fertilizer of choice, I use whatever I have like dynamic lifter or organic life plus a little fish emulsion as directed.A little blood and bone if the plant looks hungry, they tell you, you are a good gardener so just treat them like you would treat a tomato plant and yes repot ^_^
Waving to everyone ...must scoot ...it's Friday!
The orchids are doing well now that I have them out in the garden.
This is Den. lindleyi
Hi everyone. Managed to get out and ran into a friend, had a nice chat. Home now and exhausted but all is good.
Marlene, Ria's epis get good sun throughout winter and spring and I think that is why hers flower so well. However, she can't move them around, and I've seen some of hers burn in the worst of the summer heat. I just don't get winter sun here, the trees cut it out. Not anything I can do though. Just have to hope the buds will still come a bit late.
Jean, I love dates too. They have a taste that nothing else can match.
That yellow orchid, Den. lindleyi, is so beautiful.
Karen
YIPPPEEE!!!! It's Friday..but, more importantly, I have finished marking!!! I am on holidays anyway but now I can feel like I am. Over the past week I have read 618 essays! Does that explain why my brain feels like mush and I have been leaving at the crack of dawn and getting home in the dark? Just home and I checked the epies. Letty May, Arturo and Bold Venture have a few buds..but poor old Bold Venture looks a bit withered as does Ackermani or whatever it is. I just haven't had time to give them any TLC and those in the less desirable spots get a bit frazzled. Poor things!
Hi Kat. Glad you will now get some time for yourself. I am not giving up on epis yet, but if they are going to bloom this year, they had better get a move on. I must look up Arturo and see what the flower looks like. I don't have that one.
Enjoy the time you have now.
Karen
I inherited some from a gardener who had passed on ...the daughter wanted them out of the place so they could sell the home.
I was shocked to find them growing in cement pots in full sun ...cement pots sitting on cement so it was a very hot situation.
I bought them home and they bloomed their heads off.
I had to move them to a more sheltered position a year later and they have only spot bloomed since.
So I think they need some heat and I would say morning sun, but then I don't know much about epies. I have some huge flowerless ones now.
hello everyone,im off helping organise 2 garden tours[with dinner]tomorrow .,'fundraiser for the showgroup',.back home in time for the football,'i hope',.,..stay safe!-anthony
Good morning everyone. I won't mention the weather. All I will say is, I'm not going outside.
Hello Kat, glad you now have some time off and can get out to see what your jungle is doing.
Chrissy, I have a huge epi here that was in one of the gardens I was looking after. When the old lady died, her daughter gave me her pot plants. This epi was in shade and hadn't flowered, so when I bought it home, it sat out in the sun for a while.
That first year it had 2 huge flowers . It was in a narrow concrete pot too. I trimmed it a bit after flowering and just repotted back in the same pot with some fresh mix. It has lived on my veranda in morning sun and flowers profusely every year.
I have found with my epis that most like to be really potbound before they will flower . I have most under shadecloth and about 100 just under a tree while there are several that have to sit in sun all day. Aside from making the branches change color, they don't seem overly affected by the sun. I think some shade is essential in hotter places though. Excellent drainage and smaller pots seem to be the way to go. Of course smaller pots means the darn things get top heavy so I have bricks along the front of the benches to stop the silly things jumping off. The rest support each other. Its a real puzzle when they flower, trying to trace a long branch back to the proper plant to see who it belongs to. They like to be dryer more than wet but with a well draining mix, they all sit happily in heavy rain here.
Sorry, I got a bit carried away there, but I like to share experiences in hope of helping someone else as I have been helped.
Hello Anthony, I do like those pretty daffs you just put on the flower thread.
Karen, let me know if you want to swap for any epis later as mine will need a trim again.
Arturo is a Clown cross apparently. Looks like Clown too.
Hello Elaine. Are you out in that hammock enjoying the sun ?
Hello to everyone else, Colleen, Brian, Sue , Leisa and Teresa.
Louise , what are your forests looking like now ? They must be very pretty in their autumn colors.
Better go and check on lunch. Yes, lunch. I know its only early but I had the slow cooker on overnight . Makes lovely "bowl food "as hubby calls
Enjoy the weekend and try this Carrot and Walnut Cake.
Happy day, Jean. .
Hi Jean. I did look up a pic of Arturo and wow, she is gorgeous. I think Marlene and I are in the same boat. We bought our epis around the same time, and with mine, they haven't yet had their first flower. It looks like they aren't going to flower this year either. They are just under 2 years old. However, at least one is in bud, and UNK. There are other "bumps" that I can't tell yet if they are buds or new growth starting. They are growing too slowly, whereas the real buds are propelling ahead, growing daily. I am always happy to trade, but it may take another year to find out what I've got.
Karen
Grand Final day......let's hope the Saints thrash the 'Pies....yeah....they probably won't.
Love walnut and carrot cake, Jean...I will take a slice to have while the footy is on.
Marlene, what a pretty orchid...you must have the knack with them.
Had a look at your Epis, Kat.....beautiful colours.
My Epis won't flower this time, but next year, lookout...
Have a good time helping organize the garden tours Anthony...hope the weather is fine for you.
Charleen, where are you?...we miss you...Hi Louise.
Just finished planting four Camellias each about 120cm high....they were going to be thrown out...people are crazy.. or maybe I am, my garden will be impenetrable within a couple of years....oh well.
Have a lovely weekend everyone.
Dianne
Good morning everyone. Lovely Spring day here. It was lovely yesterday too. Yes, I hope that the saints win too Dianne. We have a Barmera boy playing his second year in there. Sam Fisher. Very talented fellow. We're going to BBQ at son's home for the grand final. He has one every year. I'm not that interested in footy actually but there's always heaps of kids there for the boys to play with. They don't know where they are going yet so that will be a surprise to see the little cousins. Micheal has 2 kids, Giaan 6 and Tarkyn 4. They live in Berri about 9 miles from here, so not too far to go. Well the pollinating job has been done on Sanguinea with Arborea pollen which Alistair so kindly supplied. The boys and I made out we were hawk moths last night. They were really excited, so I hope everything goes right and we get some fertile seeds. fingers crossed. I have quite a few buds on the epis so am looking forward to seeing the flowers. My Hippies are only about 6" high here Sue. They usually flower around Christmas and after. Here's a pic of the boys being little angels last night. Back later. Colleen
a great day!
Good morning everyone. Yesterday turned out quite cool but no rain so I went t out to tackle a few weeds. No sooner had I started, when a large dark cloud came over and rained on me. I think the man upstairs wants the weeds to be left to grow.
Anthony, I hope your garden tours are a success. A great way to raise funds . People love looking at gardens.
Hello Karen, my epi buds are growing overnight. I am happy to trade any of my epis but not for more epis. I have enough now. Gee, did I just say that ? Must be that rain getting on my brain. No, really, I just cant fit any more epis in. I need to sell a lot to make room for all the growing cuttings.
Hello Dianne, lucky you with those camellias. They are lovely plants and move very easily. I am not interested in the footy, but as long as anyone can thrash Collingwood, thats great. My oldest son has been an avid Saints supporter all his life , so I will be hoping they win.
What a finish though. A draw. I think the two teams should just share the honour instead of playing again.
Colleen, I hope you had a good day out and that the boys had a great time playing too. My new hippie bulbs are showing leaves now. I will put them out in the sun . Hmmmm, what sun,
Better get off and go be domestic. Its sooooo difficult doing the washing now. Ha ha. I love my machines.
Hello everyone else. Enjoy whats left of the weekend.
Heres a lovely Butterscotch Almond Cake .
Happy gardening.
Jean.
Good morning everyone. Wow what a good game of footy yesterday. Even I got a bit vocal at the end.. Everyone said they were just going to camp at Micheal's for the week and do the BBQ thing all over again. I think Micheal had other ideas though. lol The boys had a great time and were ready for a shower and PJ's when we got home then I let them stay up and watch Big Momma's House and then off to bed. We going to get all the camping gear ready this week. John is coming up to take us camping for a couple of days. Yes we're going to try again. Just hope there's no rain during the week because we can't get to where we want to go if there is. Then we pray there's no rain while we're there because we can't get out. lol fun and games. Have to see the neighbour and see if she will look after the animals for me. Ben will be coming with us. Hope he doesn't find any snakes. They will be on the move this time of the year. Hope we make enough noise to keep them away from us. I have to be a bit domestic this morning too. Will get the washing done first then see what we can do about getting the camping gear sorted. Must go. Be back later. Colleen
Hello everyone! Enjoyed reading what's going on in your worlds! I think it was Jean who asked me to share some fall foliage shots with you, and since it is just beautiful out there today, I took a few to share with you. Today is supposedly our last warm day (meaning that it got up into the 80s today) and tomorrow forward it will be more fall-like. Jean, this will also show you how our forests are looking now.....so, so pretty that it's hard to think about packing up and leaving!
I just noticed that one of my posts (a long one) never actually posted! Ugh! I had said to Colleen how much I love her Cameren's published piece. It was so lovely for a child to write, wasn't it? I also had told Dianne that we will be leaving in a couple of weeks now. We've had so much company and fun stuff to do we are just now starting to think about closing up. Today I started some of the "garden put-away" tasks. If only I had those great washers that Jean has! Things might go faster! I do like to wash all the comforters, etc. before I leave so they are nice and fresh when we open up. I actually store my bedding in my dryer when we leave.
Colleen - I hope you have a lovely camping trip! Fingers and toes crossed that you will have great weather!
Here's the first fall color shot:
