TEA ROOM # 89

Good morning , time for a move again. Here we are down by the river where its lovely to sit back and contemplate.
Anthony, you can think about all the new liliums you can buy. I think you need a tall ladder to stand on or we will never find you among those beautiful flowers.
Chrissy, lots going on in my garden. Mostly to do with weeds. I can hear the darn things growing in the night. I must get the Roundup out , rain or shine. Everything is so wet though. When its not sprinkling, its foggy. At least we have had no strong winds as yet, but I am sure there are some coming later. August can be blowy here.
Dianne, still the odd flower on the roses. I moved one the other day , to give it more room to spread.
Colleen, all the little cacti are doing well with new shoots . Maybe I'll see a flower this year.
Hello Elaine. I never get to a Bunnings unless we are in Mt Gambier , but they don't have much in the way of bargains. Bad luck for you not being able to get the things you particularly use.
Hello Teresa.. I hope all is well in your patch of NZ.
Better go and put up the new sign so people can find us.
Have a great day.
Jean.

I always forget the sign. No wonder people cant find us. We came from here.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1179223/
Jean.

No, I would lose you anyhow. I rather a bumble mule . I just blunder around til I find you.
but I'm always welcomed and that means a lot to me. Love you mates!!!!!

Good morning all. Overcast and quite nippy here this morning. John brought up a huge Hare's foot fern for me. I didn't break it up just put into bigger pot. Lots of bulbs, clivia tree fushia, pots. He's going to get some more potting mix this morning. The boys went for a motor bike ride yesterday afternoon. John takes them out to a quarry not far from here. They love it. Must go, be back later. Colleen

Sounds like you need more acreage Colleen. lol
Lots of lovely new plants. Any salvias ??
Heres my latest one out.
Jean.

OH!!-for an acre

Anthony. I have nearly 2 acres, but as the body ages, the acreage seems to enlarge.
Better to have a smaller space as it does stop one getting over enthusiastic with plants.
I should know....ha ha.
It does get a bit much so I thank myself for thinking ahead and planting lots of trees and shrubs as the main part of the garden. They can do as they like .
I just pulled out my pot of Christmas lilies from under the hebe.
Should I leave them in the pot or plant into the ground ? They have leaves ( about 8"high , but the roots are not out of the bottom as yet. I would love to see them grow well and flower.
Please, some of your sage advice, Anthony...
Jean.

Your garden sounds very sensible,Jean.....we downsized and I miss the space to plant but I don't miss the effort trying to keep a young garden alive during the long years of drought that we had...Our block was on a hill and even though it was terraced, it was hard work...we went back the other day to see what had survived, the things that we planted near the house were still there, but the lower gardens were bare except for the fruit trees and grape vines, all marvellous survivors......

You certainly have enough to do with your shadehouses, etc, and I bet there isn't an inch to spare in any of them...lol
Colleen, that hare's foot fern sounds nice, I like them and they last forever.....

Charleen, we need a long piece of string, so you can follow us and not get lost...

Lots of beautiful Calla in pots at Bunnings yesterday....chocolate, pink, apricot....very pretty....but I don't have much luck with them..they grow, but no flowers..I have a couple in the garden now, plenty of sun...still no flowers......oh well.

Dianne , join the no flowers on callas club. I bought bulbs a few years ago and had flowers the first year. Since then I have had one yellow last year. I am disgusted with them and they are all going out into the ground . That includes my black arum Palestinuim too. It didnt flower last year. The parent of the Palestinium lives way out in a paddock, so thats how I am going to treat mine. Out in the paddock they are going.
Not too way out though. Just along the irises , but in the open.
Jean.

They need to be kept pretty dry in the Winter Jean ...funny thing is that I threw seeds down from my original callas (now called that dreadful long z name) around and not only did they come up, but they bloomed like mad ...in sun.They don't like watering in the Winter and love heavy watering in summer.
My Italian Sister In Law just turns her pots of callas on their sides in Winter and she always has a beautiful display come Spring.
They usually bloom in the Spring but where was the Spring this year? like Summer it didn't happen really ...not here anyway, steamy grey stuff is all we got most of the time, plants need sun.

Hey Charleen yay you found us!
I hear it's getting hot is that right?
I can't keep up with things at the moment being in the house most of the day, so it's getting a bit wild out there,guess that will sort the tough things out.

Colleen and Anthony you two are still potting things up? it's getting a bit brisk ...but then bulbs love that don't they.
Better get dinner ready ...can you believe May is almost over !!!!
……..((((…….............((((
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oOO—`*´—OOooOO—`*´—OOo see you all later ....

Jean,.,.how big is the pot? how many are in the pot? how long have they been in the pot?,.,.if there are still green shoots there,hold out for another month, b4 repotting,til they die back,.ive been re-potting today!-my god,massive bulbs on some pots i completely forgot about,..,i sold many more potted liliums today. makes me very happy to see the look on a lovely old ladies face,when i can offer her a blooming tango lily,1 month b4 winter,..,,.and yes, i do have an acre,'' in the spine'' on most nights after working!!!!!!,.,.anthony

If you don't see me, just send me a d-mail to let me know. That would be a very long string , but maybe it wouldn't get broken.
Calla lillies in the paddock??? Horse Paddock. They should like it there!
Chrissy it is warming up supposed to be in 90's that's o..k. I'm not freezing. Old age can't stand the cold any more. I have a few aches too and 9 acres but lot of it in pasture. Thank God. But I have plarnty of space for plants. It can wear you out.
I have a Serindipty Brug with buds forming on it. I do have daylilies blooming. Here is a cutie!
You all have a great Sunday. Many blessings...

Good morning everyone. Its still dark outside. I feel like I am up in the middle of the night. Yesterday was quite mild so I managed to get some cutting back and tidying done. I am just carting all the rubbish down the back along the fence and under the trees. It will rot down by next year. I have built a bit of a fence along one side with all the dead wallflower plants . They are big and woody so dont rot so quickly. There was a bit of a gap so I lined up all the larger woody bits. Looks quite cute. It will all be covered in nasturtiums soon anyway. Noone can see my mess then.
All the softer bits get cut up as I go and just pushed under and around the plants.
Anthony, to answer your questions re my Christmas lilies...... They are in a large pot about 10"across. The leaves look like they have been coming for quite awhile as they were completely under the hebe. I put the 2 bulbs in the pot 2 years ago when I put it in the frenery. As nothing happened last year , I moved the pot outside and then forgot about it as the hebe grew over it.
I have noticed that the whole thing never seems to die right back. The flower stems grow ( and dont flower) then die back but by then more leaves are coming at the base. I have now moved the whole pot right out in the open .
Dianne, My callas ( zantedeschias) are going to go in the ground and they can just do as they like there.
Chrissy, I used to put the pots in the covered part of the shadehouse where the tuberous begonias spend the winter. Didnt make them flower. I I think the darn things just sulk.
Hello Charleen, I love the pic of Charley and friends. He always looks so friendly.
I have lots of daylilies here and the silly things are putting up flower stems now. One yellow one flowers all year.
My hellebores are starting to bud. There are lots of little babies around them. Naughty things are very promiscuous.
Hello Dianne. Our place is on a small hill so the slope makes it a bit hard in places. Most of the garden I really look after is close to the house and reasonably flat.
The slight slope does help with drainage in winter though, this being all clay soil.
Hubby tells me it is supposed to be fine all this week so look out weeds, I am coming with the Roundup.
I can hardly find my irises , which seems to be the worst area for the weeds. Probably because the irises like it open so there is plenty of room for weeds, where all the rest of the garden is so full of plants, the weeds cant fit in.
I had better get out in the kitchen and see what I can give you all to eat.
I hope you all had a great weekend and have some fine weather for the week too.
Happy gardening Try these good old faithful Lamingtons.
Jean.

lovely frosty morning here...
sun is now shining & I managed to spray all the weeds on the drive the other week so they are looking quite yellow & sad.
the rest of the garden is a bit soggy in places & my hellebores are looking healthy, I just read that I should be cutting the old foliage off to get rid of aphids & to allow the flowers to be seen...
the old foliage still looks nice though.
My new cyclamen are looking good & one of last years is flowering really well. not sure if the others will join in but the leaves are pretty anyway.
few years ago i would never have believed that such a delicate plant would survive outside in the frosts we have here, I am glad I discovered them on special & took the chance.
If the hellebores & the cyclamen are as promiscuous for me as they are reputed to be then my woodland corner will be something special in a few years.

Good morning everyone. I am so slow. Must be the cold. Trying to read through and catch up. See we've moved too. Lots of rain here, but can't complain, the ground needs it.

My Cooktown Orchid is in bloom. Lovely to see the flowers. The Zygocactus are literally falling over each other, trying to show off their blooms. Still quite a few with slower to open buds to come yet. Nice show though.

This pic is of my 3 orange zygos. I finally got the mess sorted out, and the right tags with the right plants. Subtle differences, but love them all.

Have a lovely day.

Karen

Teresa, like you, I am reluctant to cut the hellebore leaves too. Mine stayed nice and green all through our non summer. I will cut them though as it allows a lot more room for the new fresher leaves.
I have read that cyclamens dont mind frost and my small ones in the ground plus a large one in a pot survive very well outside. Your woodland area should be ideal for them.
I just went outside but came back in pretty quick. I would think it must have been nearly a frost here this morning. Lots of fog in the valleys.
Jean.

My hellebore are green year round too and I don't cut mine either. Charley , innocent Charley with the kind eyes and Onery butt but out there chasing Chickens a while ago. He is a handsone beauty but he will chase Chickens, dogs, cats anything gets in HIS pasture. They get to running and I get to worrying. I sure don't want to chase them, getting too old for live rodeo's. ☺ I've done a few when they got out. I leave their halters on for that reason. Yes, they are all sweethearts...
This is Izabelle.

Crissy, I have buds Girl....Serindipity

Good morning everyone. Charleen life sounds fun around you with all your critters. Mine have been my sanity point I think. A good fog here this morning. A nice mild sunny day now. Have been paying bills. Was supposed to go shopping today but couldn't be bothered. Have found a few sausages in the freezer and have plenty of veg so tea's set and will make some custard for sweets. The boys will have to have bread or toast for munchies after school but that will be okay. Have oranges ripe on the tree so their fruit is there for recess tomorrow as well. We won't starve. The cats and dog have plenty so they wont starve either. Had a nice surprise visit from son John Friday afternoon til yesterday afternoon. He took the boys motorbike riding and took them out to find a bug to put in the lighted aquarium that he brought up for them. He was after a big cockroach but none around here so he's going to go and get one in Adelaide. Grand-daughter is coming up next weekend so she'll bring them with her. They have ordinary garden beetles in there at the moment. It's keeping them happy. Well must go and do some more work. Be back later. Colleen

brrrr it's been and still is cold and windy with rain since last night, so not much to tell here☼¸¸.♥¨¯`♥ ♥✿✿｡◕‿◕

Wet wet wet ...oh poor Sue huh I feel for her, never mind the garden looked gorgeous !
Charleen yes I see all the excitement going on over the pond ...that Summer is getting a bit hot isn't it?
Your blooms and long ears are darling.

Karen your pics are lovely ...lucky you Cook Town orchid beautiful, it would freeze to death here.

I love my Hellebores too but my leaves die down in the Summer usually, I live in strange temps here.

Jean good luck with your plans ...we have a few rotten days ahead, still more of the same as today.
I hope everyone enjoys their evening ^_^

Colleen it will be nice to have your grand daughter for a visit, mine is off overseas and I miss her heaps.

Anthony I suspect you have a soft heart behind that cheekiness :)

Elaine hope the weather isn't ruining your fun,

or anyone else's
Guess I had better go start cooking up a storm myself

one thing I do need to do is trim the old peony leaves, they are totally brown and dead.
Need to mulch the new growth to protect from frosts - down to -1C tomorrow, normally I use the leaves raked off the drive but they are long gone - blown away.
Should have kept the last lot of lawn mowings from under the trees - more leaf matter than grass so would have made good mulch but it went into the green bin & is long gone.

like a chocolate snowball,chrissy,.,..,,.everyone who likes liliums,,,,google up ,.,..,KUSHI MAYA lilium,.,.absolutely unbelievable!!!!!

Hello everyone!

Still sick with this bad cough.
Fred's sister goes home tomorrow so I may just take it easy for the next few days.

I will read all the posts then off to bed.

Hope nobody else has this flu.

You mean like this Anthony :)
http://www.hwhyde.co.uk/flowers/lilies/nepalense_hybrids/kushi_maya.htm

Hope you feel better soon Marlene

Teresa stay warm girl ...
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thats the baby,chrissy,.,.i will have one ;'';one day;'';.i have nepalense,to bloom this year,,but my word,what a liliy !!!

Hi everyone I came back to say that there is a special draw on BGI open to the public thread ...all you have to do is post 2 pics a day and two contestants will be drawn to win a supreme seed cross (magnificent Brugmansia cross-7 seeds) so if you want to have a go why not pop in and start posting, pictures of any plants in your garden, now that's easy with all the beauties you grow.

here is the link
http://www.brugmansia.us/forums/index.php?/forum/4-our-gardens/

Good Luck ...the pics need not be current.
☼¸¸.♥¨¯`♥ ♥✿✿｡◕‿◕

I hear that flu is now going around. Stay warm and safe, everyone. Doctor has offered me a flu shot, but I've never had one and am afraid of how I might react to it. Anyone have any reports of flu shot experiences?

Had a storm overnight, but was south of us. We got some rain, but that's all. I fear my broms might not be liking so much water in the colder temps. But all other plants and trees are thriving on the Autumn rain. Strange time of the year for storms though, isn't it?

Here is my Cooktown Orchid flower. It has about 6 flowers out at the moment and looks very happy.

Have a lovely day.
Karen

Good morning everyone. No rain down here but its freezing and there is a frost. I am not going out to look until the sun is up .
I managed to get all the spraying done yesterday afternoon. Now there will be plenty of room for the next crop of weeds . The iris are all losing a lot of their leaves now so I can spray right around them .
I have orchids coming out. Just in case you didnt hear me I HAVE ORCHID FLOWERS COMING .......
The one that flowered last year has 3 large flower stems and on that hubby bought for me years ago has on large flower stem. I am so excited. Maybe they have decided they love me after all.
Lots of jonquils opening. Some of the early wattles are nearly out too. My hellebores all have buds , the zygos are opening and my small gevillea has so many buds it is nearly falling over.
T e echiums are all flowering now so I wonder what they will do in spring when they are supposed to flower.
I am going to go mad with the hedge clippers today. The paths need clearing a bit, so look out any plants hanging about.
I hope Sue and everyone else up north are not getting washed away. It seems that there has been nothing but rain there for a very long time.
Chrissy, how is your garden faring ? Are you getting rain too ?
Hello Colleen. You definitely sound like you need some help there. I could send you a few elves but they all went on holiday after our carpet ride.
Anthony, you will get that lovely Kushi Maya bulb one day.
I hope my nepalise seeds grow to look like something like that beauty
Hello Teresa. I have some bracken fronds over my tender new salvias and cannas.
I was reading that the curly ends of new bracken are very good chopped up as a source of potash for plants. I told hubby, we need another trip into the bush to gather some.
I'll be doing the bush a favor by removing some of the bracken. It is a real pest around here , taking over lots of the bush .
Where once you could walk around and see small orchids and other native plants, now all one can see is bracken as tall as a person.
Hello Elaine, Karen, Pam, Dianne and anyone else out there shivering.
Hello Charleen . Hugs for Charley.
Louise we miss seeing you. Hope all is well at your place.
Have a warm cuppa and enjoy this lovely warm Gingerbread Cake.
Happy gardening.
Jean.

Good morning to all Have not been washed away yet I sure had a lot of rain yesterday this morning not so bad light rain but have a bit of wind starting.

Karen I have the flue shot every year only effect I have is day after sleeping most of the day really hard to move out of bed only lasts one day .-----elaine.

You all take your flu shots and lots of vitamine C. We are going to be in Mid 90's this week. Ain't cold now!!!! ☺
Charley sends nuzzles to all.

No reaction to flu shots here, we have them every year....
Golly it looks cold up north...little Emma Freedman doing the weather on the Morning show looks as if she could be blown away.

That lilium sure has the WOW factor, Anthony......one day, you will produce something really special too.

We are a little behind you, Jean......no buds on Hellebores yet.....hundreds of babies though, boy they increase quickly, don't they...
I will throw a few Poppy, Cornfower seeds in the garden today....the Cyclamen are in flower and I'm waiting for the babies from 2 years ago to show their wares now.
Not a good year for Azaleas for me, forgot to spray in December...some are their usual beautiful selves, but others have been ruined by Red Spider.....I think because they are so protected by the ferns, they are prone to infestation....have to remember next year.
Cinerarias almost out...I love their blues.
Daphnes are out too.....they grow so quickly here on the peninsula, from 15cm to 100cm in 3 years, I have 5...... love them.

Karen, that Orchid is so lovely.......almost forgot....Jean...congrats on flowering the Cymbids......I know the feeling.

We have just had a very heavy downpour here ...still raining.

Jean you are getting orchids ? can't wait to see them. My garden is in full Winter mode here, making me very nervous about the real Winter.

That lily is a real beauty Anthony :)

Stay warm and dry Elaine it's not gardening weather at all, almost every Autumn leaf is now gone twixt the wind and the rain.

Lovely orchid there Karen ...pretty colour.

Dianne that all sounds very pretty it will be beautiful in the Spring.

Charleen nuzzles back to Charley, stay cool, some lovely iced tea may be in order.

Colleen how is all the potting going ? I can't even go outside it's that bad.


I hope I haven't
Marlene hope you are feeling a bit better.
Sue the trip around your beautiful garden was a real joy ...thank you, mine will never be neat like yours, congratulations on the show piece that your garden is. That's a whole lot of work you have put in there.

Well better go do some Housework ...sigh on a grey and wet day it's not very inspiring but someone has to do it and that would be ...me.
A big wave to anyone lurking ^_^

I am sorry to hear of the rains down south. Surely we've had enough water for a few months. Would be nice to get some time to dry out.

I forgot to say, we went to Bunnings yesterday, and I was surprised to find them selling EPIPHYLLUMS!!! Nothing that stunning, but to see them was such a surprise. Maybe all the best ones had been sold already.

I got this zygo beauty, one I'd had on my wish list. I treated myself to it, as I knew today was going to be a hard one. Dentist early this morning (extraction, ugh) and the hospital this afternoon to see the endocronologist. So, I figured I would console myself with this.....Zygo "Strawberry Fantasy"

Karen

This message was edited May 31, 2011 2:01 PM

For Anthony, Look what I found blooming. I instatly thought of you. It is a pale lemon that I planted from Seed. I was so surprised..supposed to be in mid 90's so got to hang out in shade when I go out...
Hope you all have a great day. Beautiful plant Karen....

God morning Charleen and everyone. Brrrrr, I must be the first up this morning because of the cold. Have the birds to feed, but actually, they haven't stirred yet either. There's been a shower already and the sky looks most unwelcoming. Will probably move some plants around again today and get some of the saturated broms back under cover.

Have a beautiful day, everyone, and keep warm.

Karen

Zygo "Sunburst Fantasy"

Dream on Karen! I was up before 5 (Hubby had to leave at 5.45 to go to Brisbane for the day.) I was waiting for my fingers to defrost though. lol Was planning on heading off nice and early ( to avoid the crowds) on Saturday to go to the markets at Gin Gin, but if it's anywhere near this cold, it won't be happening. I think we're making up for last year's very mild Winter.

Sue's gorgeous pics of her garden have certainly got us all drooling - I'm thinking you surely need a nice 'holiday' in Bundaberg, Sue? If your back's still up to hauling rocks, all the better. hehehe

Pam

This message was edited Jun 1, 2011 7:36 AM

Good morning everyone. Its very cold here and I would say we have a frost. I am not going outside to look either. I am sitting here with the small heater on my feet. When the sun gets up and starts to warm a bit, I may go outside. I am getting lots done around the garden after lunch each day while its fine. It takes that long for the grass etc to dry enough so one doesnt get all wet moving around. By about 4pm the night air is starting to come in and its time to get back inside.
The sun is so low here in the late autumn/ winter, that it is behind the trees most of the day.
Hubby has just come in after going out to see if there is frost. From our hill we can see across the paddocks and down in the valleys. He says it is very white everywhere. Luckily, most times, the frost stays outside on the slopes and not in the garden , but I have learnt from previous years, that even without the actual frost, the extra low temps can kill plants.
Charleen, thats a lovely lilium.
I am watching one with buds here . I bought it in mad moment and it was shooting . It has grown to about 2 foot high.
Hello Karen. Love your zygos. I am waiting on my newer ones to flower. Not a great year for flowers on them here. I do have a couple that have never flowered that are budding up. I think the low light levels with all the cloud we have had , are what is causing less flowers.
Hello Chrissy, Dianne and Elaine.
Anthony, I hope you are not lost among your liliums.
Hello everyone else.
Time I warmed my fingers on a nice hot cuppa.
Have some very decadent Chocolate Cake.
happy day
Jean.

OHhhhh!! don't like to hear of you having a bad winter. bless you my friends, I have a few months and we probably will too!!!Hugs and nuzzles to all.

Lol Charlene, I don't think our Winters here would qualify as that to you. There are very few places here in Australia that would be less than about zone 9a in your language.

Pam

I agree with you Pam. It is nowhere near as cold here in Aust. as it gets in those snowy places, but to we who live here, its B**** cold enough.
Hubby is trying to get a few fiddly things done in his shed but his fingers are cold so he keeps popping back in to the heater. and delights in telling me how cold it is.out there. I dont need to know as I am not going out there.
Jean.