Where are you in AU .

I am from Hungary.

A Country from Central- Europa.

Live in in the Capitol :Budapest.

Have two gardens in a 50 km cirlce from Budapest.

Am an enthusiastic fun of australian,hungarian flora and mediterran plants.

Could chat about plants of Hungary,Australia..etc.

Replies are welcome.


BRGRDS,

Peter Halmy

Hi Peter and welcome. What kind of Australian plants do well in Budapest?? Do you have a meditteranean climate? Sounds like it. Post photos of your gardens if you can. An Australian garden in Hungary would be fun to see!

I am new to this site - from Traralgon area - Gippsland, Victoria Australia. I am passionate about Aussie plants and have grown nothing but (excluding fruit trees and vegie patch!) in the last thirty years. We have had a good year re rainfall (unlike some - poor gardeners in some areas) however natives are a great choice to conserve water. My block is 2770 sq metres of sandy loam - some untouched endemic plants and most planted with a range of other natives - and it does take a bit of work. I came across this site as someone was wanting a photo of Grevillea "Sylvia" and I was able to oblige.

A quick follow-up. The photo I submitted may have been misleading - it is one of the many other Grevillea hybrids, not Grevillea "Sylvia". This image is of Sylvia taken yesterday. It is a superb plant.

mazda87,
Welcome to Dave's Garden! I live very near to you, in Churchill. Yes hasn't the rainfall been great for once. I grow a lot os Australian plants as well, but I have a lot of others as well, but the Australians do cope much better with the conditions we have had for the last ten years,

Kennedy

Nice to see this pop up again.....hi to everyone....m ...I like your grevillias ...I grow some too as well as all different kinds of things
I live in Luddenham NSW and our very heavy clay does produce amazing results if you work at it......I am in a Market gardening area and Luddenham is known for it's strawberries and christmas tree farms.....also horse breeding and equestrian stuff (a lot of problems at the moment with the horses around here in "lockdown"
We have just been told that the water restrictions are here to stay
....it is going to be anothe interesting Summer!
Come on.... any shy lurkers out there come on in......:)

Oh well, anyone recent on the aussie forums already knows about us Chrissy, we're the serial DG girls!
I'm from sunny Coffs Harbour, (just north actually) and have interests varying from tropicals, to succulents, to cottage garden and vege plants. Not yet ready to embark on the native plant route yet, but studying horticulture at Tafe and learning a few native plant names/IDs along the way.
I also love photography and dogs, and really like visual and sensory stimulation in the garden! (and in the discussion forums, although not alot of sniffing going on)
Sue

ha ha ha Sue you are so M'c Clouds Daughters !......you are just a chicken! nice to see your happy face.....you are having fun ....and the puppies too!

Hello all and it's great to read all the new posts.
I am posting a pic of one of my epiphyllums for jay92. It looks very similar. I too have the Queen of the Night epi. I bought a small piece as a trial and after about 10 mnths now have a large basket full of giant hanging leaves. I am hoping for first flowers this season. I also have 2 other pots of pieces that fell off when I moved the mother plant. They are showing new growth already. Talk about grow fast. Says a lot for epis and their hardiness because it sure has been cold here in western Victoria so far.
Yesterday was so hot I was just in shirtsleeves (and pants of course) Today we are in by the fire. Typical weather for here.
I hope this forum does keep going as it is really all about gardening and plants for us here in OZ. Free too, although , I may take up a subscription if it only small. I too am on a limited income. It can be frustrating. I do a lot of my genealogy online and find the same problem. Everyone wants money these days. Hooray for DG.

Good on you 77 ....nice to see the activity here too although we seem to have lost some poor QLD folk for now... due to the terrible damage caused by the "freeze"....hoping they will be back when the plants recover....Just in case you are lurking any shy ozzy people you don't need pretty ...perfect plants to come in and chat...come and talk with us! :)

Picture of my edible sage ...I love it!

Hello Everyone, Some will know me a little as I have done some VERY successful trades. I have been estatic with the plants I have received and I hope people are happy with what they received in return.
I am a widow and have two children and 4 G/Children.

I would just like to say to those who think that subscription is to high that you do not know what you are missing. I would also like to add that I am a cancer survivor and have to manage all bills including rent on my own. I just went without some things for two weeks and that paid my membership. It is the best investment I have ever made. I can't even get a credit card but I joined PayPal and paid that way.

I love this site AND the people here (and from oversea's) are such wonderful, knowledgable and sincere people, talking to them keep me sane when I feel lonely.
Thanks Everyone,

Debi

P.S. I am sorry I forgot to tell you where I live, lol. I live about half an hour from Brisbane in a place called Ipswich, Queensland. lol.


This message was edited Sep 26, 2007 8:46 PM

G'day mate....Yep you are so right....love the site ....love the people
so nice to meet you :)even if you call me names*giggling* in the other forums!.
Since you read the other forums you know all about me already....nice to know about you.....you do it hard with a smile ....no need to feel alone....ever!
Sending a big hug !
chrissy :^)

Thanks Chrissy,
I never make fun in a nasty way, that's not me. So, I am truly glad that you have worked me out!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahahahahahahahahahaha.

I would take the p**s out of me before anyone else, mate.

True friends are hard to find and I feel like I have made some friends here.
All in positive digs and you are welcome to have a dig back, he he he, I miss laughter so it is probably my way of having a laugh with you, not at you.

Love Debi

Hello people. We are being blown away again here today. No rain, though it does look black on the horizon.
Great to read about you Debi. i'm so glad you are positive about life. Been down the same track but was lucky to find a new man 7 yrs ago. He makes up for the previous woes. He even washes dishes, and likes doing it too.
Keep gardening. It can be healing as well as relaxing. I'm with chrissy in sending hugs.
It is so great to find like minded people here to chat to.
I love my gardening but being in a rural area there aren't many people to talk tp and they are not mad plant people like those on DG.
I have just been planting out a few more seeds . Why !!! I had them and had to plant them . I don't know what I'll do with them all if they grow. There were some bottlebrush. wattle and maple seeds.
I have also planted out a lot of mixed canna seeds and yellow clivia seeds. I will have lots to trade later.
This area was the centre of the merino sheep farming for the early settlers and it must have been a beautiful area once. There are still pockets of the original old red gums dotted around but there was way too much clearing done. Some of the existing trees are so gnarled and have personalities of their own.
I take photos when we go out so I can paint them. Posting a painting I did of the Glenelg River just near here. It has some lovely trees along the banks.
Am going to finish a painting now and then plant a few more irises.
Happygardening all.

Wow 77 that painting is wonderful and you live in a very historic place like me....and like me are garden mad... while the folks around me grow just veggies (don't get me wrong that is great!) but they would think me nuts to see stuff you grow for your soul... and not just to make a quid or to eat...Why can't we have the best of both worlds?
All around me are stud farms ...pony clubs and the Luddenham showground...they still have blue ribbons for various veg...flowers and knitting crochet and .....cooking. Real old fashioned country stuff
I love it!......I don't mind being alone a lot....have always enjoyed pottering reading...music...good books and good music...a radio going in every room......now some good mates on the computer thingy (computer...only started less than two years ago)
I would give much to be an artist.....(I am a little artistic.....used to do beaten copperwork and handpainted feature tiles ....but that all went out of fashion so I forgot all about it till now.....)
Well it's very warm here still.... and it is dinner time soon so catch up later

chrissy ;)

I know what you mean about it being lonely on property. I have neighbours relatively close by, but I'm lucky (or unlucky as the case may be) to see them once a month. Luckily for me in my work I talk to at least 4 people a day, and work in their gardens, so see different plants every day too. But I'm always on the lookout for those kindred souls. DG is good for that, but also my classmates at Tafe. We talk gobbledygook and botanical names at each other and sound really intelligent!
Sue
Oh Jean, your painting is gorgeous! Almost as gorgeous as all the new babies I've got! Thanks! , and Chrissy, you should see all the treasures sunset has bestowed upon me. I will be posting a pic very soon! Also, I just inherited a whole heap of copper and all the paraphenalia that goes with it, so might have a go at copper work myself one day!

ha ha ha remember the 70's when it was all the rage? I used to do Egyptian stuff mainly ....and zodiac signs....big wall hangings in beaten copper......oooooh babies whoopee heh?.....I might have a bit of a go again myself....my grandaughters work has toured the country......lino cuts....she was chosen for her HSC artwork by Art Express....a set of 6 works

Wow Chrissy,

You must be very proud of your beautiful G/Daughter......................

She is a very talented young lady, hey.
Thanks for sharing her work, great stuff.

Debi

Oh Debi I am a proud Nanna...sorry about the boast....can't help myself when it comes to my grandchildren of course......like all nannas......listen Debi I am posting some stuff off tomorrow ...would you like some snail creeper seeds and some bits....a welcome present?....if you do just D mail me and I will get them off to you.....I have to go out today I am preparing for a huge family gathering over the long weekend....but I will get back later...have a great day in the garden everyone...gonna hit 30 where I am ....so time to finish the Spring thing here I guess.:)

Oops after a cup of coffee I realized it is Friday ....so being a long weekend here.....it will be Tuesday.......sorry everyone guess that really was a nanna moment *blushing*

Good morning everyone. If anyone is there yet. I tend to be a very early riser. When it's daylight I'm up. I adjust very easily to daylight saving when it comes in.
What a lovely pic chrissy. The work is really lovely, so is your granddaughter.
So glad you liked the babies weed_woman. They will love the warm weather. It has been raining here. All day yesterday , we had WIND along with the rain. My greenhouse is still here. Luckily we did anchor it well or it may have gone on a trip. It is only a plastic one over a light metal frame but will be great for all my seeds etc.
Glad you like the painting. It is one of the lot I have in the Art Show coming up soon. The sun has just come out but I can hear thunder around. I hope we don't get any storms. The rain and wind we have been having has been along with sudden squalls which are not very nice to be out in.
Isn't it always the way too, just when lovely flowers come out, down comes the rain and lays them flat. All my Sparaxsis are horizontal now. The babianas are not bad as they are on shorter stems. I have some beautiful burgundy ones with the usual purple. This thunder is getting closer so I may have to turn off the computer. Happy gardening all

Hello everyone,

I live in Melton South, a small town on the fringes of total country. It is a nice little town and we live in a nice neighborhood. I have not done any gardening here yet other than buy a few plants. I have a nice bed out front with stones around it but right now it is covered in lavender and it has totally taken over the bed. I plan to get DH to get me to pull most of it up so that I can plant some pretty flowers there. Does anyone have any suggestions for a nice little flower garden? I am new here, only been here for 3 months so I am not really familiar with the flowers here and do not know what to plant. Any suggestions would be great appreciated.

Jesse

Oh first of all hi Jesse.....welcome to our happy place....I know you will make friends here.....I will come back later on your request.....I am expecting visitors and have to be quick....

77 ....oh my goodness you are generous to a fault!....what can I say other than a very big thankyou and I hope you will like what I send you.....
Next thing you know I will be a succulent person!!!! bought one today..so I am starting to collect....you have given me such a great start thanks again mate! back later....after visitors have gone.....:)
chrissy :))))))))

77,
Did you check out my trade list to see if you liked anything, I have added some more plants.

Catch Ya soon,

Debi

Welcome Plantcrazii,

There are soooooooo many wonderful people here it's incredible!

What's your plant preferences????

Debi

I have had the hardest time finding the right kind of soil for different kind of plants. I finally did find some soil for containers and some for succulents and cactus but I cannot find anything for African violets. What I used to do was to mix two thirds perlite with one third African violet soil. But I cannot find either of those so what would you all recommend? I only have 4 little plants at the moment because of not having any money because we just had to pay customs $2400 to get my stuff that we had shipped over here. Then we have to file for my permanent residence visa which will be $2100 which we will do on Tuesday I think, but then we will be able to breathe a lot easier. I know that we will eventually be able to buy some nice plants and put them in containers and put them on the front porch. Is that what that is called? I have never seen a porch that big and I am not sure what it is called. Anyone know the official name for it or is it just a porch? Anyway, if anyone knows what I can use for the Africa violets, please let me know. Thanks so much.

Jesse

Hi Jesse,
Please have a look at my plant trade list of what I have and let me know if like any and I will post some down to you, to Welcome you to Australia!

If African Violets like well drained soil, I would pot them in Cacti & Succulent mix.
The brand I use will good success is "Debco" Cacti & Succulent Potting Mix.

I hope that helps.......................

A new friend,

Debi

Hi Jesse, see if you can find a produce store near you, that sells stock feed e.t.c. They usually carry bagged soil mixes, pearlite and vermiculite as well as many other things interesting to us gardeners, and usually at a better price than Bunnings or other big department stores.
Veranda is a good name for a porch, or a deck if its made from timber planks, but we all know what you mean when you say porch! And I'm an ex-kiwi, and still understand!
Most of the Australian garden magazines are based on the Melbourne climate, so would give you some good ideas of whats in and whats not (in the plant world) And depending on water restrictions, you should be able to grow almost anything. Which direction does your porch face? and is it protected from wind and rain?
Sue

Hi Plantcrazii, welcome!! I'm an ex-pat myself - from the US. I grew up in Chicago but spent the last eight years in Dallas which is where I picked up most of my gardening skills. Where are you from?? Might be worth looking for a local gardening club both to learn more about your local gardening conditions as well as meeting new friends!

As for your violets; I know Bunnings sell small bags of African Violet mix which might be all you need -that is, if there is a Bunnings near you. If not, Sue is right - find your local feed store or a CRT (I think that's what it's called) aka: Country Rural Trader store. If you have to make it up yourself, I would use a premium general potting mix and add perlite or washed sand for extra draining ability. I think succulent mix is too free draining unless you can add a bit of peat to it. Good luck!!!

Good luck with your visa also. I got mine before moving and it took about six months and lots of $$$ and I basically downloaded all the forms from government websites!!

I just got back from filing my paperwork for the visa and we happened to get lucky. There was a lady there that handled walk-ins and she did our interview and she was great. She did not care about all the petty details like the paperwork said. All we have to do is get my health assessment done and get a couple other papers for her and I will be well on my way to getting my Visa. We were really blessed with getting her.

Jesse

Great to hear, Plantcrazii.

77,
I also want to tell you just how generous I also think you are. I recieved a wonderful surprise package and it was full of wonderful healthy plants.
I am so very grateful for your generosity...................................................

Thank You,
Debi
P.S. This only a few of them............................WoW!

Hi Plantcrazii,

Wow, you really were blessed!! I guess you were meant to be here!! Congrats!

No problems Debi, I like to share and the little fellas will do better up there.
Just come in from shopping all day and there has been rain and wind again so I'd better go and check everything .
Happy gardening all.

Hello everyone, I have found this all so interesting, I feel as though I know 77sunset and Chrissy, through their gardens etc,.
I live in Cockatoo, edge of the Dandenong Ranges, and have a 1/2 acre of garden. I had to clear some trees, to get some sort of light in to plant anything much. I have a natural fernery, but it has suffered badly in the drought. Have now installed tanks, so should manage to get it back the way it was - hopefully.
I lost a few treeferns, its really strange, I have some at the back of the house, facing west, in full sun, they get all the hot afternoon sun, and they are growing like weeds, yet the ones in lovely deep soil, lots more water, have struggled. maybe I should be more ruthless and threaten them instead of cosseting them. It works with the car when it plays up LOL
I have just spent the afternoon sitting here at the PC as we have received 30ml of rain in about 30 minutes.!!!! Its wonderful!!!!! tanks are overflowing, and the roses have taken a battering, but some deadheading will soon bring them back with new flowers.
I have included a picture of my favourite rose, "Albertine", growing over my dear little garden shed my DH Joe built for me.
He couldn't understand why I didn't want it painted, and cleaned up, he doesn't understand "old" and "rustic". Anyway, this is one year after the rose was ripped apart by a falling tree. My garden has been flattened (and on two occasions, part of the house) by nine trees over the years, that have fallen from our neighbor's place.
Amazingly the shed was spared...........
As you can see I have a tendency to ramble on a bit, just like parts of my garden.......

Hi weedsandall, we love ramblers! Roses and poeple! LOL Welcome to the forum.
Sue

Hi weedsandall! :) ...how lovely that you have popped in to say hello I wish more "lurkers" wouldn't be so shy
Welcome!
I love your Albertine ...meet my Lamarque ...this was taken before all the rain ...here it is romping away with a Tango Supreme boge
the perfume is from this lovely rose is heavenly ....tell us a bit more about your garden ...I am so glad you got some rain I hope that means 77 did too, what great news :)
chrissy

Good morning to you all. Hello weedsandall. I used to love Cockatoo as a child. My parents used to rent a house up there for the Christmas holidays. That was back in the old days when it was a cheap way to holiday away. I remember us being caught in a bushfire. There was fire everywhere. It was frightening and I have never remembered how we eventually got out .
It's great to hear that some of you had rain. Melbourne apparently got mine. We had about 10 drops or maybe it was 12. There is none on the horizon for our area and the forecast is for up in the 30s on Thursday.
Just the day I have to go out . I am going to pick up, yes, more iris. Also some dahlias from the botanical gardens in Portland, which is about an hours drive. The gardens have huge dahlia beds and sell off their excess after planting.
Today is windy again and cold enought o wear a jumper. i love your roses chrissy. I have 2 climbers at the front over archways. One is Gold Bunny, a lovely yellow and the other which does really well is Bantry Bay, a gorgeous pink. I also have 2 white Icebergs which grow a bit more sparsely but still look good mixed with a jasmine.
Picture of my newest baby. This one is orange and bright purple striped . Doesn't show up well in photo but really beautiful.
Have a happy day everyone.

Hi 77 and all ...gee you didn't get the rain I am so sorry:( and so soaked! with still more to come! seems a bit unfair to me. It is confusing ...hard to imagine that while we are soggy you still have the drought ...gosh I was hoping it mean't the drought was over.
Blowing the rain towards you (((((((((((

Well, hello to all the regulars. and esp. hello to Plantcrazii,
I've been away from the PC potting up cactus and succulents that we were given end of October and we are still going!! did a couple more today and then took photos to catalogue them all. Then the battery on the camera died which has given me time to browse through the journal entries here. I'm with Debi, great lot of people here and hopefully we can all meet sometime as we get the chance to more around this great country. Plantcrazii, we are just up the road from you, so to speak. In Central Victoria. tell us how your gardening is coming along. best way to see what will grow there is to take a walk around the neighbourhood, esp with camera in hand. most people happy to share their knowledge if you show an interest. we have unexpectedly recieved many bulbs, cuttings and seeds by stopping to chat or knocking on the door to ask if we could take a picture. Happy to share some of our collection of succulents with you.
pity the rain is such a distant memory but we are changing our gardens to suit the dry and luckily for me with 20 years in South Australia, I know some pretty good plants that can tolerate less moisture.
I'm now on the lookout for geraniums, esp. named varieties, so will do a google to see if there are specialist growers so I can get a list and prices . if anyone knows of a good grower could they let me know ?? thanks in advance.
Tropical 3 mentioned a restriction of knowledge base from this forum, what I have done is join a forum which specialises in my particular interest and sign up for their newsletter. that way the information comes through daily, in my case, and is very specific . no chit chat just pure information which I can copy and paste for reference or delete as the case may be.
This Aussie forum though is very friendly, "share the moment and enjoy " while helping others who may be new to gardening to enjoy their gardening experiences and swaps.
speaking of which, thanks to those whose plants I now have a share of and those who have swaps from my garden I hope that they are thriving also.
Must go have a look outside and see if anything needs some extra shade. also some cactus flowers about to burst forth and they can come and go within a couple of hours so I'd better get out there..
cheers for now, Lois

Hi, i am shelly and have only found this site a week or so ago. i am loving it and cannot believe the welcome packages that have come my way from 77sunset and chrissy100. they are truley special people.

i have just started gardening in the last 3 months... and i am totally addicted! i am doing a cottagy garden but with lots of natives as well.

garden4grace - i love geraniums too and have a lot growing at the moment from cuttings. i found this fabulous site the other night that is australian.. its has 100's of geranium cuttings for sale ... http://www.ozgeraniums.com.au - have fun picking! i was totally amazed at the variety of geraniums.

i live about an hour from you garden4grace - in the middle of Bendigo and Melbourne on the great dividing range... near Kilmore.

shelly xx