Where are you in AU .

I love them too ...you know they have a lovely perfume at night right?

Yep ... I'm out there half a dozen time a night just to look at them and have a sniff. Such a sweet and delicate fragrance. I'm getting at least a dozen seeds a day, so could cover the whole yard with them if i wanted. I took a dozen down to the nursery lady who helped me id it today. She was thrilled.

Chrissy

I noticed in another thread you were talking about drying out your 4 O'clock seeds. Are they not ready for planting as soon as they pop out? If not, how do i know when they are ready for planting?

Cheers

Kerri

No I am drying out the Brugmansia seeds ...those folks in the American forum said to do that ...the 4 o'clocks are fine to go straight into the ground straight away. Believe me they will pop up pretty quickly ...warm shade and some water of course :)
chrissy

Sweet :D Thanx Chrissy

Kerri don't get too enthusiastic with the Four O'clock, They are a weed in some areas. I would stick to tubs / pots and remove the seeds. Impatience or Busy Lizzies are safe and easy to propogate and have masses of colours. I have a large one that is a great ground filler near the ferns and seems to flower all year.

Liz

Thanks for the warning Liz. I don't have very much room here, so don't want anything trying to take over too much. I do love them though. It's a real novelty to get the flowers at night.

I got 3 impatiens for free from a garage sale last weekend. I've trimmed them up and repotted them, and put the cuttings in a pot, so hopefully i'll have them going well soon.

It's so hard to know what to concentrate on ... there are so many cool plants around. I have no idea what my garden's gonna end up looking like. It'll probably be a total jungle, cos as i decide on a new plant to put in, i won't be able to bear to pull anything out to make room for it, so it'll just get squished in somewhere.

The landlord may end up regretting telling me i can do what i want with the garden ... lol.

Your landlord willprobably be pleased to haveyou there and wanting a garden, so whats to regret. So many people don't care because it's not there own place. I have noticed that someone who puts in a garden is more likely to stay put. Then landlord will smile. You sound like me ,many many years ago. I decided to grow whatever yook my fancy, the things I really liked I really looked after, so it all balanced out.
Mygarden was full of my favourite plants, it's all a learning curve,,, that never ends. I liked 4 o'clocks as well for a while. Thats part of the
curve to. As long as you have fun with your garden thats the main thing. happy planting. Lesley.

No Kerri_67, you're not the only sandgroper out there. Absolutely love the DG site - but how easy is it to get sidetracked and lost. The image is of the Indiana Teahouse at Cottesloe a few weeks back.

This message was edited Apr 13, 2009 1:52 PM

Hello everyone, isn't this a great site? I don't come here often, would rather be out in the garden!! I'm in Cockatoo, Victoria. As we're in a hollow, our seasons always seem to come later than everyone elses. for example, our daffs, start appearing when everyone elses have almost finished, and I have had my garden wiped out several times by falling trees from ours and our neighbor's properties. But hey! so far out of the 10 that have fallen, only one has demolished half of the house, so I guess we are very lucky. Only really depressing downside, apart from the messy cleanup and lost plants, is that we never seem to have any mature plants, and I have lost several of my beautiful maples.......I have been tempted a few times to have the remaining trees removed, but they are the reason we moved here, and so many new people moving in and clearing, are trying to turn us into yet another suburbia

I love David Austin roses but don't have a great success with them, so am gradually giving away the ones that don't do so well, and my passion at the moment is african daisies, as my aching joints aren't coping so well with 1/2 acre of garden any more and they cover so much area with such cheer and beauty.
I am one of those people you see regularly loading up my car with the bags of manure so kindly put out for sale by horse property owners. This, together with loads of mulch has helped to build up wonderful rich soil, over the years. Have even started my own vegie garden at last!! Oops, sorry, I should have warned you at the beginning, I tend to waffle on a bit LOL

gardening cheers to everyone
Margaret

Hello Margaret. I love to waffle on too so come over and visit us in the Tea House for a chat and cuppa.
we love to hear about everyones garden. Jean

Hi Jean, thanks for the invite, is the Tea House an actual place or a virtual chat thingy,? the only Tea House I know is in Warburton, for quilters (yes! I'm one of those too!) but as I will travel anywhere to meet new quilters, am only to happy to travel anywhere to meet fellow gardners too........

I have been buying a wonderful range of poppy seeds - every type, size colour imaginable - from Ebay. Lady in Wantirna. Anyone else a seed and plant Ebay junkie?. I've got some great stuff over the last few months. And met some great people when I've arranged pickup of some of the plants. Today, I'm actually going to leave my back garden (where all the action happens because its easier) and start tackling the front. Its full of overgrown Camellias, Rhodos, a few Azaleas huge gums, self sewn maples, and TONS and TONS of wandering jew and wire grass and sollya, and hardenbergia creeper all smothering each other to death. It hasn't been tackled for about three years now as I've been busy constantly repairing the damage and creating new gardens, out the back.

So a quick cuppa, another slice of freshly made bread and good old vegemite, and I'm off. I just hope I don't destroy any birds nests while I'm at it. Last year I trimmed back a very rambly rose and it had occupied nests in it that I inadvertantly exposed to the marauding currawongs, so spent a great deal of my time on security guard duty to help the parents protect their babies. OK so they were only blackbirds, but I LOVE my blackbirds......

I've even dug up a SLIGHTLY dated picture of me, and will show you my garden (the good bits any way) when I transfer some of my photos to PC

cheers
Margaret

Hello Margaret. I wish I was close enough to visit but way over here in west Vic is a bit far.
I remember Cockatoo from my childhood. We used to stay up there during holidays. Dad used to rent a house and I well remember one year back in the 50s when bushfires were all around us.
Our Tea House is a virtual one in the Aust forum. You will see it near the top, as I usually go in each day and put something nice to eat on there.
I got the idea from the US forums as a place to just chat and show pics of our gardens .
There are all the other threads but I thought it may be nice to have one regular thread as well. Come in and have a cuppa and chat.. Bring some flowers for the table.
It may be virtual but it's nice to chat and pretend we are there.
Love your pic too. If I put me up there,I may deter people .
Jean.

Hi Margaret, welcome to the nut house! Oops, I mean the Aussie garden forum, (wrong place for a minute) You sound as sane as the rest of us. lots of collectors here!
Drop in to some of the other conversations won't you? we're all very friendly!
Sue

Thanks for your welcome, actually - and very sheepishly - I must tell you that I HAVE visited the teahouse, ages ago when I first joined in '07. But seeing that I can't remember where I put the car keys, only about 10 minutes ago! I can't really be expected to remember that!!...
I have a quick question to ask, when I started this week to clear my front garden of all its overgrown-ness, I find that its full and I MEAN FULL!!! of those tiny little beigey brown birds with white breasts, madly building nests, so I can't do anything now. Now, question is - does anyone have a fair idea of when I can expect the babies (which aren't even laid yet) will leave the nest and I can start pulling stuff out?
Its such a thicket and bird haven, I wonder if I should just leave it, and it can stay as a real mess! its not as if I have nothing else to do LOL

Margaret

Hello Margaret. I know the memory thing, but I do remember you, so I'm not too far gone yet Ha ha.
The little birds are probably little wrens of some sort, unless they are sparrows.. If you want to clear any space immediately for plants, I would as the little things will just go and build elsewhere. They should be done in about a month but if they are sparrows. they can sometimes nest right up and into early summer. Pesky things. If they are sparrows, chase them away and clear. Put on a pic of sparrow. wrens are usually smaller . We do have really small birds here that nest near the ground. I call them Dots, but I'm sure they are some sort of wren too. They may be what you have .
Come back to visit in the Tea room soon. We love to chat. Jean

Thanks Jean, I found a nearby nursery having a clearance sale as they'd sold the property. I had a ball!!!!!! car packed to the gunnalls (whatever gunnalls are LOL) with ferns of all kinds, REAL ferns, not the fragile cute - die while you look at them - things for indoors, but treeferns of various kinds, birdsnests, creeping underground ferns - to me, there is no such thing as an invasive fern...probably about $300 worth AT LEAST, $60!!!! I have tons of water crystals, so will be doing a dig reworking of the soil in my fernery area, lots of compost, crystals and mulch, and then a wonderful time planting.
I also bought, through a mail order nursery, a huge box of solomons seal, one of my favourite plants, and am putting it anywhere I can think of. It grows so well here, and spreads quite rapidly in any conditions.
Also lots of daylilies, for which I am still finding areas to plant.
Its almost like being an alcoholic!! buy just one plant, and I'm on a roll, and can't stop buying....oh dear, there's worse things to be addicted to I suppose! ;-D

We just got home with three more 1000 litre water tanks on the trailer, (all we need is the rain to fill them), also got a Wisteria, so now my DH Joe, has to get busy and build me a pegola somewhere for it to grow, maybe over the cat run and part of a path that is SO BORING!!!!!

The little birds, no they're not sparrows, we rarely get them, minor birds are our big pest here, these are about half the size of a sparrow,( just LOVE all the aphids on my roses - bless their little hearts - ) and are a pale buffy/cream/beige colour. I thought they might be silvereyes, but they don't have that ring around their eyes.
I used to have a really good bird book, but loaned it, forgot who to, and well....you can guess.....

Now, I have a query that someone may be able to help me with, its only technically a garden question.
I am filling in my old fishpond, as the ferns have now caused it to be in shade all the time, it has a slow leak, and my new neighbor wanted fish for his new, beaut pond, and we went fishing, got all mine out, and they live happily next door now...
Its about 1 1/2 metres deep is a kidney shape sort of, and about 3 metres long and the widest point, about 2 metres.
I have been chucking in old potting mix, broken bricks, old pavers, all stuff like that to bulk it up a bit, but now have to get the "good" stuff into it.
My question is:
Should I use potting mix, as its sort of a confined area, or will garden soil be OK. Both will cost a fortune, whichever way I go.
I want to plant it with bog plants, as the leak is VERY slow, so will always be boggy.Astilbres will be a must if the shade is OK for them....
thanks heaps for any advice from anyone
Margaret

Margaret. You are so lucky to get those bargains. I wish, I wish. Finances keep me in control or I'd buy every plant I saw.
I am "trying" to concentrate on just a few. My Irises and Eplis of course and the lovely Angels. All else can just do it's own thing now.
The garden is in shock today with the heat after all that cold weather. Poor darlings, they will survive though.
Your pond sounds like a great area but being shady will limit you a bit. It would be a great place for the wet loving Iris, like Louisianas but they do like some sun Ive heard.
Come over to the Tea Rooms and chat. Someone will have advice for you. Jean.

Hello from Buderim on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

Hello Marleneann, its lovely to meet you. I have never been to the sunshine coast to visit, but went to Rockhampton briefly and that was when my son was 18 months old, He's 45 now!!

Oh, and Jean, I can't afford all this stuff either, but I have never let being on a pension deter me from spending. Fortunately my DH is quite happy (or resigned) to pasta meals or anything that is easy, quick and cheap. In fact, my only other BIG expense of boring stuff is the food for the animals. The dog is easy, he eats anything - as dogs do - but the cats have to have something different EVERY meal, and no cheap cat food for them!!!!!.
So, when its a new plant, or steak, ha ha guess what wins!!
I have one Angel. Plain white, but lovely....
I am going to have a play with photos now, and scan some and see if I can get them in for you to see bits of my garden, (mostly before the drought got at it though)
Margaret

Nice to meet you too Margaret!
This is the latest plat I purchased at a garage sale.
It's a Mickey Mouse Taro. It does have a llllooooonnnngggg botanical name.

Xanthasoma

Helloooo I'm on the East coast, on the Gold Coast. I have just started landscaping a large area lots of rock veins and clay soil. Has any one any suggestions for hardy [of course] trees and plants, native if possible. I love colour and form.
Thanks ever so much. Hope you punters had a good day at the TAB.

Hello nellylela, welcome to the nuthouse!
your soil sound tremendous! Good luck with that. LOL
tell us more about your conditions, i.e level/sloped, facing north/south, well drained/swampy, e.t.c
It might help everyone give you some answers to your questions.
I'm a little bit native ignorant, but there are some really good native plant lovers in the Aussie forum, so I'm sure you'll get some good suggestions.
Sue

Hello nellylela. Welcome. I am no expert on natives either and am at the opposite end of the country, but I do know there are some natives that you can't go wrong with anywhere.
Ask your garden centre or check your library or internet for your area for starters .
There are Callistemons (bottlebrush) that will grow practically anywhere from very dry to swamp. . I have great success with Grevilleas and Correas in my heavy clay soil. You will find some that will like your warmer climate.
We are lucky that our natives are so very hardy . There are lots of lesser known ones that you may be able to get if you look around.
Try eBay, as there are sellers of native plants and seeds on there.
This is one of the Alogynes (native hibiscus)
Good luck. Come and chat with us in the Tea Room. Jean.

G'day
Michelle from Tea Tree Gully in the Adelaide foothills. Presently re-inventing my garden due to water restrictions and trying to give new life to my elderly fathers garden which has suffered too from lack of water. Looking for water wise ways to get him back into the garden and rediscover all those wonderful positives that go with being in your garden such as gentle excercise, chatting with front yard neighbours, passerbyes and the of course a bit of vitamin d!

Hello Michelle. Come over to the Tea Room and chat to us all anytime. It is certainly getting to be a problem with water for our gardens. You will get lots of help and ideas from everyone.
show us pictures or describe what your father has and we'll try and help. A lot of the ladies (and men) are up north and get a bit more rain but I am in the far southwest corner of Vic and very dry.
Hope to see you in the other thread. Jean.

Thanks for the warm welcome ladies I am enjoying surfing around here when I get the gist of where everthin is and how it works I'll be posting more Have a great week looks like rain.........

Hi all. As Jean says "come on over to the Tea Room" and have a chat. Great fun.
Strange NellyLela. That's how I view myself. (only in a masculine way)
Cheers Steve from Cronulla NSW Australia World Galaxy Universe Beyond.

Lol I like that forward too ...mirror mirror on the wall ...
welcome ...nelly

Hello everyone. I live in Barmera in the Riverland of South Australia. It is very hot and dry here and we are on 4 restrictions with the water. I have just started a collection of cacti and succulents. I have geraniums, pelagonium, irises, hippeastrums, epis [strap cactus] and lots of other plants with roses in a cottage garden. I have a few fruit trees as well. Good to see a lot of new faces. Colleen.

Hi All and hi Budgieman - nice to see someone else from the Shire! I'm new to the forum and live in Jannali, South Sydney.

I have a small yard that faces south (cold and damp in winter - yuck) so I'm hoping to use this forum to get some hints on how to grow my veges and perhaps some plants that can survive winter without sunlight. So far I have cliveas and moss. The moss was uninvited.
On the vege front I have had great success with herbs - basil, parsley, mint, rocket, shallots etc Fabulous cherry toms last year, but this year the toms got mildew (bortytis, I think) and died.

I just purchased a Bokashi bin this weekend, so hopefully I can improve the soil (a lot of clay at present) and cut down on waste.

Thanks for letting me join :)

Thingymajig

G'Day Thingymajig, Botrytis is "Grey Mould" not Mildew which is probably "Powdery Mildew" and easy enough to control with dusting sulphur. I don't know how cold and wet your yard is but how about the Brassicas especially Brussel Sprouts they'll reach for the sky and produce all the way up the stem. Broad Beans are worth a try or leaf veg like Spinach etc.
Brian

Hi thingymajig, Welcome and join in on the lot! In our view anything west of Cronulla Police Station is not the Shire! LOL
Ooops that makes me outside the Shire!
We were close to buying at Jannali once.
Sounds like if your backyard is cold and damp then plant in the front yard! (sorry could not help myself)
Where we are is sand sand sand. Sounds like you are doing ok on the vege front. So try Azalea, Abutilon, Camellia etc. As for veges in the shade? Stay tuned the answers will come.
Cheers
Budgie

Hey Budgie,

Yeah the obvious answer is to plant in the front yard, but I live in a villa and we have a resident crank who will tell you off for letting your grevillia grow too high. She is a lonely and bitter woman with to much time on her hands. Every complex has one! So I keep my gardening limited to my backyard.

As for Cronulla, well I try to avoid it - it's too trendy for humble Jannali folk to visit. And you can never find a parking spot! I do hope that the nom de plume Budgieman does not refer to any kind of budgiesmuggler?????

Hi Stake -
wow, you honed in some childhood vege fears there!! My father used to grow broadbeans and jam them down my throat every year. I learned to hate them with a passion. I still tease him by telling him that at night I sneak down into his garden and pick all the flowers off...He offers broadbeans to me from time to time out of spite and I tell him that this will come out in therapy one day....I couldn't grow them out of principle, he would think he had won. Spinach, however, I love. I will definitely give it a go. Other Brassicas - would that include broccoli?

I'm investigating buying a 1/2 wine barrel and putting a Citrus Splitzer (1/2 lemon and 1/2 lime) on the front verandah so it will get some sun. I'm intrigued by a tree that is half half. Any thoughts?

Nah thingy. Breed Budgies for a hobby. Do wear smugglers on the beach but my kids and wife have told me it is uncool and I must wear boardies. I don't like to conform so not willing to change. As for villa 'bitter and twisteds' you are right in there being at least one in every complex. My mum had one at Kirrawee which forced her to move. She bought a house at Miranda next to villas and has another nark to contend with. No narks on this site.
As for your garden I guess it's small and limiting in plant numbers so it would be a challenge.
Head over to the Tea Room and let everyone know what's going on. Plenty of experience there.
Cheers
Steve

Hi all
Im Barry (Flatzie) and new to DG. Still finding my way around the site looks great with heaps of info.
I live on the northside of Brisbane, at Narangba, and love to grow the following...
Veges, Succulents which are completely amazing! Flowers in pots, and natives along a sloped eastern section of the yard.
Currently it just never stops raining here and have lost some plants just drowned in some less well drained areas.
Ho hum...well its nice to see so many Aussies on here and I hope to get to know some of you as time goes by.
Check out this pic of a new flower on one of my succulents, anyone know what it is?

Cheers
Flatzie

G'Day
The flower is a Stapelia but I can't tell what species need to see the plant itself.
Regards Brian

Flatzie,

welcome to Dave's Garden and hi from a cooler part of Australia. I am down in Churchill in Victoria (not that its been too cool this summer).

Your plant is the so-called Starfish Cactus or Toad Cactus - Orbea variegata, although it is not really a cactus: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/52942/

Kennedy

G'Day Kennedyh, I'm having problems with name changes in all plants but Cacti & Succulents particularly. Since Stapelia varigata is a synonym of Orbea varigata what is the difference between the Stapelias and Orbea?
At least Flatze now knows what his plant is.
Regards Brian