Jungle Heights (The Restoration ) part 1

The first hump in the effort to restore some garden harmony has been achieved. There's nothing like a good spring cleaning in the fall! purge, purge purge. I decided to remove even more shrubs and trees from the garden since Ike had already begun the re-landscaping. The real plantaholic is truly revealed in the respect that for every tree and shrub I removed, I already have replacements on hand, in fact...too many. Spent some time moving the plants around in the pots before putting them in the ground. Having done that started freeing up space in the garden, and the deck. I move several large items off the deck in an effort to open up the seating area a bit more.

Here are some photos I took today. I finally was able to restore a bit of order to the deck area. I have quite a bit of plants and accessories packed back there!.

Pond are, with fern tree. Still growing like a weed.

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Seating area opened up which features the fern tree by the pond, and the oak tree in the middle of the deck more clearly

You can actually view the back of the fence from the living room doors.

looking from seating area/pond towards living room doors.

good looking! is your tree fern growing in a very moist area? I lost mine after 3-4 years and can't really figure out why. I love Oct, hurricane Ike or not, it's the time of year I'm inspired to do some spring cleaning.

the art, lights, are all being re-assigned to new areas, or disembled and re-assembled into new...okay..yes..I'm having a good time..now that I can move around more freely and not tripping, snagging...etc.

In place of the brug and other items removed, I planted weeping Bottle Brush, Painted Bamboo. Varigate Eryithnia, Blue Gingers. Tropical Gardenia, Varigated Gardenia,
powder puff shrub and few other goodies I had laying around.

Big trash lamp in photo. Iron cage recovered, stuffed with red flower led string lights from ikea, hung on a decorative Iron hanger

It is a very humus rich area. It can be damp during extended periods of rain, but it was pretty dry there. I do water it everyday...the trunk first, then spray all the new and old fronds.



The Manini recovered and is extending that leaf span.

very, very jealous

The front garden a bit more manageable. Brian is turning into a gardener I think. Wayne and I were pulling up to my house in his truck this summer, and Wayne put on the brakes, and my eyes were popping to see Brian with a new lawn mower he bought, just mowing away (a never before scene action!) Wayne looked at me and said, "are we in the twilight zone!?"
Since then he has been trimming and tidying really doing a super job (even though a precious plant or two fell victim to his new rechargable trimmers. Yesterday I said to Brian, it's very theraputic and artistic isn't it!? He quickly answered "Yes, it really is".

Still lots of work/art/therapy to do....but can be done at a bit more relaxed pace, so I can stop and smell the?????
Inca Sun Brug
Abutilon and other fun things.

Red pokadots in the blue vase....are LED pepper lights, gives a fun garden light effect.

I'm with vossner, veeerrry jealous of your garden. lol. And the fact that you are rearranging while I'm trying to bring in the max amount of plants with the least amount of soil to be used.

How very nice your garden is looking Rj, and what a lot of hard work you have been doing! It's going to be gorgeous again in a different way...what fun!

That was a huge chunk of fence you had to replace because of the wind, you really have got moving quickly!

Do keep us updated on your re-arrangement.

I spy a new edging and water feature in the front garden. Only a very few would ever know anything is missing. The new fence is great and I am sure will give you even more inspiration to cover it. hahaha It is really the only thing that gives a hint that anything is different....from a distance. Becky says you can have all the fish you want to replace what Ike took care of.

aloha,
PK

Gorgeous Randy...it is gorgeous!!!!

Randy, it really looks great! I love the new edging and water feature in the front! The pots hanging on the new fence looks great also! Really lookin good!

Randy, the fence appears to be 8 feet tall. Just an illussion?

I need to get some pictures of The Heights that lives in my backyard. You won't believe how beautiful they are.

Hope everyone is seeing the fullmoon. So bright and beautiful.

Time to chill on the deck.

PK

Too much cloud cover here to see the moon. Rain is in the area too though I can't tell if it's here yet or not.

I just came across this thread and couldn't wait to check out your "new" gardens.

Oh my . . . I looked at the first picture with my favorite tree fern and just couldn't believe it--it doesn't look like the same place. Everything is so open. Where's the jungle???? This is not RJ's . . . what happened to RJ's jungle????? LOL

You've really been doing some work. Are you enjoying rearranging everything? The progress looks great but I still have to feel a little sad cause it's not the same place I remember.

Yes it's wildly open now. Taking out the giant castor bean and the big pink brug really opened that area up too. It will be overgrown again I'm sure as I placed a weeping bottle brush tree where the pink brug was. The gian Bird of Paradise is now where the giant Castor bean was. It is languishing a bit, but might be okay..
Guess what's really blooming now..the rubber vine. I fertilized it like you said, and it's popping all over..only problem is the same as you..have to get on a ladder to photograph it.

Yes Christi..good eye...new water feature in front. I replaced the old one with a round lily pond Wayne gave me, then placed bricks at intervals in a sunray pattern around it filling in the gaps with pea gravel. it looks pretty good.


The insurance guy came tuesday, and as I suspected the next project will be a complete roof replacement.

Wow looking good ...watch the tree fern though comes summer it will need shelter ...oh ...I feel for what you have been through, so sorry for you and everyone that has gone through that ...but you know what ? every cloud has a silver lining if you look hard enough and knowing you like I do ...you will make it more beautiful than before.

So true,
Your right about the tree fern, It fried right after the Hurricane, it lost 4 brand new fronds - I have a tall umbrella that goes over it, and the deck height is just tall enough to cover itt, but I might have to figure out a shade cloth for next year as the fern will be too tall for the umbrella to cover.

Really looks nice, Randy...I feel the grit in your fingers and your tired back!!!!

OMG Randy....absolutely gorgeous!!!! I adore your eden...truly a paradise!!!

Thanks, I'm just happy not to be tripping over everything.
The lovely fall days are setting in, the clerodendrums of every sort are blooming, sahelangii, Wallichii, Calamitosum, Ugandense, Trichotomum, Paniculatum, Speciosum (delectum).
The Minahasse and the Incisum are the only ones not right now.

Love the garden (don't know how it was before) and fantastic decorations!
Lots of luck with your restoration project!
Alexandra

My butterfly clero you gave me is blooming right now. I also think the dombeya wallichi you gave me (isn't that some type of hydrangea tree) is fixing to bloom. I was checking it out yesterday while I was planting winter annuals. I can't wait to see what it looks like when in bloom. I loved your pictures you posted last year of yours.

The dombeya is the "pink cloud" -not sure about the hydrangea tree...hadn't heard that - there is the clerodendrum bungei- also known as climbing hydrangea.
This is the dombeya...and yes..I noticed it's got buds on it everywhere!

isn't autumn nice...?
Abutilon

Thungbergia shrub

more

the all red bleeding heart clerodendrum vine

Musuenda - related to pointsettas

orchid

bananas

Thungberia battescombei vine

September Rose Hibiscus

clerodendrum salehangii or Turkmans cap ..I think

overburdened Papaya crop

What is a strawberry papaya?

Lordy, Randy. No one would ever know your garden went through such trauma. If anything, it is even more beautiful than before. Do you see how green I am with envy?

Going to Mustang Island (Corpus Christi) for 11 days to stay right on the beach. Can't wait.

PK