TEA ROOM # 22

I'm glad no one took any offense at my comments.
Stake, I love good old Charlie carp and Eco-fish! You're right about exotic imports too. Some have poroved to be great assets to us, while others are dead-set nightmares!
Hi Colleen. I thought it was too much of a coincidence to have two people from the one area that appeared around the same time. Well, we won't hold it, (Stake being your brother) against you! LOL
Helen, you took the picture yes? How long ago, and thats in Thailand right? I would love to see some truelly exotic and tropical plants. the closest I've been is to the Botanical Gardens in Cairns, where there were alot of gingers and heliconia's. Mmmmmm. I loved it!
Chrissy, I don't mean to pick on your lovely plants! LOL. If not for my job, I would not know half of what I know about plants, so am thankful for the education, weeds and all (No, Not Margaret) And I have Easter Daisies, (which Jean warned me about) and am weeding them out everywhere! I have of course left in some for flowers in April. LOL
Steve, I had to oppose just to keep the opinions balanced! He,he. My friend in Kingswood has a beautiful large Camphor in her back yard, and is in the same dilema! This Year, she has decided it has to go, as the leaf litter fills the gutters, smothers the lawn, and nothing will grow around it. Also the roots have lifted the paving and one corner of her shed. I suggested she get a mobile miller and get some slabs cut from it! Imagine the furniture she could have, and the smell would be heavenly.
I also had a customer who had one cut down and mulched. The mulch killed almost everything in the garden, as it was used around all the beds, against my good advice! So word of warning, do not use camphor wood mulch in areas you want plants to grow!
On the other topic, Morton Bay Figs! I love them! Unfortunatelt too big, even for our acres, and apparently have a habit of dropping limbs. Hasn't that been an issue in Hyde park, Sydney? Bummer.
Jean, did I read right? Are you extending the Epi house again? Waa hoo! I must tell hubby, 'cause I have to keep up with you! (I'll go measure up now)
The garden centres here have adopted a new attitude, whereby they won't seel anything remotely weedy, but will offer an alternative, usually native, that will do the same thing, i.e. Screen, hedge, colour, hieght. Its great, because I know it will make my job easier in the future, in fact, I wish it would make my job obsolete! I'm not looking forward to going back to work next week, especially if this heat keeps up!
Thanks for the Lemon frosted cake too, it went well with my coffee. Marleneanne and Lesley will have to be quick if they want some, as I saw Lee stuffing his mouth full just moments ago!
We are thinking of heading down to the jetty for the carnival tonight, and they have fireworks at 9pm and 12am. If not there, we will be having a barbie at home and getting merry! (The fun part) But I will have to be careful not to drink too much, as a headache will make oiling the veranda even harder.
O.K, whats our next topic of discussion?
Sue
part of garden yesterday

Hi Mya, I took ages to post, and while doing so you got in before me. Lovely pictures. What are you doing to celebrate New Years?

This message was edited Dec 31, 2008 11:10 AM

Here's your red Steve. Anyone else , help yourselves, there's more in the cellar. Just watch the stairs

Cheers everyone beaut pics Mya and Sue!
here are the makings for our Champagne cocktails Jean.

I am wishing every one have a happy new year .
Jean seeds in the post. can I please have a few cocktails to drink now the arthritis in my right hand is making it impossible to use to-day over used the hand yesterday even taken pain killers this morning no party for me , gee they went down o.k.I think a few more might help me . hey stand still is thate your twin sister standing next to you?
I am going to have a rest it takes for ever doing this with left hand see every one in the new year 2009 --------Sammut.

Lets Party !!!!
Happy New Year!!!!

Hi All,
Yes, all good here. I'm conserving energy for tonight???Hmmmm???
Yes, Sue, the pic is just out of Bangkok, last October. I was only home for just over a week & took off to Noosa, Hervey Bay, then down to Sydney for a wedding!! I'm home in Wonnie for a holiday, Pheww!!!!
I love all tropical plants too, but no good down here on Bass Straight. Probably why I take so many pics. The date on all of them is wrong, can't get a handle on that bit yet?

I hope you all stay Safe & enjoy the Festivities, whatever you do?
Will find some more pics to post,
Catch you later,
Helen

This might be a Ginger plant?
Cheers Helen

I've made lots of these plates for later so noone drinks on an empty tum.
Have a happy and safe time
Jean.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Thanks Jean!
Nice pics again Helen, yes thats a ginger (don't know my species yet) I think a torch ginger? The one prior to that looks interesting. Is it a boardwalk by your accomodation or something?
Chrissy, those cars look like something your hubby might own, hmmmm?
I'm off to water blast the BBQ, ready for the festivities tonight! I spent about 2 hours waterblasting the rest of the deck and am buggered! Ooh! Am I allowed to say that? Should be, it's the Aussie forum, and we the aussies!
Hi Sammut, I'm with you, bring on the cocktails!
Pic is an arrangement made for another forum, but I'm sure it is welcome here in the Tea room!
Sue

Hi Sue,
We stayed on a Jungle Raft, on the River Kwai, overnight. It was beautiful!! Bit worried about the mozzies though!!!
Might keep the pics coming, just to see who knows what they are? I'm hopeless with plant names, you would have gathered that by now? LOL!!! Is this a Banyan tree??
Hey guys, save a plate for me? Thanks Jean. I had better try some, before the Cocktails come out!!??
BRB
Helen

G'Day 77 Sunset
Cuttings arrived today, Thank You. On checking I found that Opuntia microsphaerica is now Tephrocactus alexanderii. See my gripes in the C & S forum.
The other plant you sent labelled as Helianthocereus grandiflorus has been renamed as Trichcereus huascha and is now Echinopsis huascha read my gripes again. I don't think your plant is E. huascha based on the size of the spines. You can see from the photo that the spines are much longer and I suspect that it might be tha darker green plant in the back of the photo. If you want the red flowered one plenty of plants here.

Hi Mya, I love your Frangipanis! I have a cutting that has never flowered? It's been in the pot for years. I get leaves, then they drop in Winter & that's it. I've even given it Seasol, & still nothing?
Hi Sue, I forgot to say your Garden looks beautiful.
The pic is one of my pergolas.
Cheers everyone! Is it wine'o'clock yet? or is everyone having a snooze?
Catch you all later,
Helen

Hi everyone Just a quick visit to wish everyone all the best for the new year. Have a great night and will talk to you all tomorrow. Pic is of my son's geckos. I thought that they were really nice. cheerio for now Colleen.

Had a quick catch up, it is 11:42pm and there is a Neil Diamond show to see the New Year in with.. I am going to stay up and watch the show, Love N D. A glass of wine or bubbly would go down quite well... I am a fan for good music with good wine..
It has been a corker day today, 29c on the tv map but my gauge went up to 36c I think I dripped all day.. Party going on next door, boom boom boom.. Fire works going off down the road.. Tomorrow night there is a public fireworks display, I will definitely be going to that..
Mya I showed my babies the photo's of your plants they were very impressed,lol.
I wonder if there is sunscreen lotion for plants, I had the Aseniums out in the sun and spent all day worrting about whether it was too hot ,
worse than Kids
Happy New Year everyone.. it is now 2009.. Big Hugs to you ALL.. XXX Gee I could put away afew glasses of good cheer waiting
for the next time change 2-3hrs and by the time we get to you Lee the bottles will be empty.. Never mind Jean will keep a couple of spares in the kitchen behind the clock..:-)))

Hic! ...Burp! giggle ...
Happy New Year! ...it's the first day of 2009 ...
How does that song go
it's a beautiful dayyyyy don't let get away ...it's a beautiful dayyyy.
The Fireworks were excellent!
For you lee and any of our American friends ...look
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/gallery/0,22056,5036700-5010140-18,00.html
Talk to everyone later this morning ...if I can crawl out of bed ...giggling ^_^
chrissy

Hey chrissy and all, thanks for the link and I'll go to it but I saw just a glimpse on CNN a while ago. It must truly be spectacular.
Am running behind on everything today as I slept late and have several things to do, such a cooking the black-eyed peas for good luck in the New Year.
Happy New Year to all of you and it's been my pleasure in 2008 in getting to know all of you great people.
Lee

well what an interesting conversation about pest plants...
NZ has it's share of introduced pests - quite a few Aussies live here ;)
Possums & wallabies that is.
I am guessing that the picture way back earlier was referring to the fish not the child as a terrible pest?
There was debate hear about 'coarse fishing' & the rights & wrongs of introduced fish species.
Funny how salmon & trout are ok but carp are verboten.
Councils are the same the world over, my street the trees are terribly lopsided & I am sure one day a large branch will snap & fall onto the road.
Hope I am not under it when it goes!
All because they pay morons with chainsaws to clear the power lines rather than use a firm that knows anything about pruning & could reduce the trees properly & leave them a pleasing, balanced shape.
I'd rather my rates were spent on the trees than buying 'Ellerslie Garden Show'.
How daft is that - ChCh will hold a garden show named for a suburb in Auckland & paid millions for the privilege!

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone.
My wish is that everyone gets all the plants they want this year..
Very quiet here and the sun has decided to come out of hiding for a while. . The children ( magpies )have had their breakfast. A couple of tasty mice as well. I have never seen magpies with mice before . They are as fast to grab them as any hawk. We get a lot of mice every summer. Probably because there is a large hayshed on the neighbours place just next to our gate.
I did a bit of trimming yesterday with the new hedge clippers and will do a bit more today. Have to pull out a couple of winter wallflowers that are past their use by date. I will put a couple of new cuttings in their place. I find here that after 3 or 4 years , it's time to toss them out. They grow to about a metre and I trim them every year , but they do go woody.
Chrissy , I hope you are up now and saying hello to the Angels etc.
Happy New Year to our friends overseas too. Hello Lee. I hope you enjoy this year with your plants.
Dalfrye, have a great year and I hope your garden is doing well.
Hello Lesley, Colleen and Helen. Lesley, I notice there were no snacks left this morning. I hope you all enjoyed them or did Marleneann get in first ?
Sue thank you for the flowers, just lovely on the tables. Will you be having a bit of time off or are you right back into lawns etc ?
Stake, glad the little fellas reached you. The one labelled helianthocereus has been in it's pot since I got it in the epi lot. It was only about 3 months ago that I decided it was going to fall over so I took the larger bits off and repotted them all. The main plant is only around 20 cm tall but was a bit taller when the other stem was still attached. I think it is quite a few years old as the lady had her cacti for many years without doing anything with them. I will take a closer photo of the main plant so you can see it better. It looks like it will not grow like the ones in your photo above, I think it would be not as wide around the stems or as tall. The photo of yours look exactly like mine with the large white flower , I posted on the earlier thread.
As you say, with some plants you never know what you have with all the name changes.
Better get some food out and a few aspirin. Someone will be sure to need some. Have a great day all.
I wish only good things for everyone and another very friendly year for us here on DG
Jean.
Raspberry Ice Cream Cake to celebrate.
.

Good morning everyone. Happy New Year. I thought you might like some nice white fleshed nectarines this morning. I had quite a good crop on my little tree., but with rain hot weather beetles and rosellas there's not much left. Still nothing like sharing. The black birds got most of the cherries as well.The wattle birds got the apricots, so I wonder who will find the blackberries.It's cool and overcast here today.lovely. Well I wish you all a wonderful year full of healthy plants and happiness. Colleen.

Hi , I did it again I must not do things in a hurry I was aiming to drop in the Tea House in stead I ended in my garden I must look and not jump down to the bottom and check before I send .Again Happy New Year to every one .------Sammut

Still 34C here at 10 past 8 at night ...will catch up tomorrow because the net keeps throwing my posts off.
Happy New Year

Poor Chrissy...overcast here all day,slight rain, 27C now at 8:30pm....my angels love overcast ,rainy weather,possums hate the rain....yeah

Whew, nice that all had a great new years.
Helen, the Banyan tree is cool! It reminds me of Cairns! Where is Wonthaggi? Sometimes frangipannis take a couple of years to flower after propagation. The coloured ones take a bit longer I have found. Be patient! Full sun, well drained! And at my house, it's wine oclock all the time! LOL
Hi Colleen, I have geckos on my wall too, but will have to wait for the morning if I am to take a pic. Your sons geckos look rather nice! Thanks for the nectarines. What a lovely crop.
Hi Lesley, hot here too! Still 30 degrees at 10.15pm! It was nearly 37 during the day, and the portwine magnolias I planted are burnt, as is a birdsnest fern and no doubt others I have not discovered yet. Oh, well. If they die, room for more! LOL
Dalfyre, he, he! I had to laugh about your comment

Hello all, I can now officially greet you with the New Year. It was, though, only 24F(-4C) this morning when I got up. I was in bed waaaaay before midnight. I'm just an old codger. I viewed the celebration from Harbor Bridge and it really looked spectacular. Is the Opera House near there?
Will run and get out of this cold room. Take care all and stay cool. Lee

Good morning all. I want some of that warm I hear you talking about. It is another cold morning here. 6C.
The weather is supposed to warm up later over the weekend but then there is another cool spell after that. The way things are going here, I see us having summer in June. Did someone move our place to the northern hemisphere ?
I see that the Ice Cream cake disappeared. I'm glad you all enjoyed it or was it just Lesley and Marleneann ?
Hello Sue. Your poor garden sounds like it is feeling the heat . It will all grow back. You will have spaces to fill. Oh joy, time to buy a new plant. I can hear you from here.
I have somehow ( ha ha ) acquired a few Stapelias and am now waiting to see flowers. I have the one you are talking about or I would take some seeds. It had a flower once.
Hello Chrissy. Are all your visitors, workers etc gone ? Do you still have any of the giant blue things left or can you now see what's left of your lawn?
The Angel acre will be taking shape. What a beautiful place to have a seat and enjoy their perfume as they flower.. Never fear, the Cherubs will eventually join them. I know it's common but i find the good old Alyssum makes a wonderful ground cover under things like the Angels. I let mine selfseed and grow where it pleases. They might be small but a carpet of them smells heavenly.
Loved the nectarines , thanks Colleen. The birds leave mine alone until there is nothing else left , so I get a good feed. .
Sammut, glad you had a nice time over the Christmas and New year. What have you added to your garden now ?
Mya, nice to see you enjoying yourself.
hello Lee. . Did you send your weather to me ? I don't want to seem ungrateful, but you can keep it.
I know Helen is out there along with Lesley and Marleneann. Probably all waiting for me to put out the cakes. You will all get too fat to get in the door.
Steve and Stake are no doubt discussing their respective gardens, but not over a bottle of red this early, I hope.
I am going to move a few of the angels around this morning and hopefully the sun may warm up a bit.
I have some seeds from my Cootamundra wattles that I am going to burn , then try and grow. They make a good fil lin along the fence and cover that empty space as the gum trees have grown . Never plant gum trees as a windbreak, as hubby did years ago. They just grow up up and away. . The Cootamundras do a great job and can be cut right back with the chainsaw to regrow. I love the yellow in Spring too. I know they are classed as a pest in some areas but here, they seem to be well under control. You don't see them self seeding much at all . I am planning on putting them all around the boundary fenceline. A yellow oasis.
Better get some food out. I think I hear knocking at the door. Could be Kat looking for some aspirin after her New Year celebrations.
Of course you have all realised that it is only a few months to Easter. Ha ha .
Enjoy this, Blackberry Tart
Jean

good morning Jean and everyone ...Jean I also love the Cootamundra wattle ...the purple leaved one is just so lovely , don't burn the seed ...all you do is put the seed in very hot water and let them sit until they plump up ...usually overnight and they will be up in a few days. I have grown so many that way for school fetes.
Re Gum trees look this is what happens ...it came down in the winds from the next door stand of gums ...luckily it only came down on the fence

Yes the blue things are about 3/4s gone now ...I get the workers only a small percent of the time until hubby has organized himself here ...but here is the news ...grandaughter who lives in the little white cottage behind our home has asked me to take over the area we fenced off (new boyfriend ...new job no time to look after the enclosed yard) for her and because it is 3/4d fenced we have cleared stuff out and I am turning it into a new nursery for my baby plants ...whoo hoo! so only the big ones will go into angel acre I am wrapped.

Yesterday was cruel you would not have enjoyed it I promise ...may as well have just shoved shoved the garden into a fan forced oven ...today will be kinder I hope they say only 23C which always means a higher few degrees for us, nevertheless it will be better than yesterday and rain is forcast.
I hope you all are recovered from all the fun and celebrations ...the poor man talking from America said it was a cold miserable time in Times Square due to dreadful weather, it was very pretty though.
Better go post what sad frizzled little pics of my poor survivers (after yesterday) in Jan flowers ...see you all later
have fun.

Hi Helen

If your frangi hasn't flowered ,you'll just have to send it to me *LOL* just kidding.....

Have you got it in full sun? they love it in full sun for about 6 hours,no fuss,they thrive on neglect and no overwatering,,,,,I have to slap myself sometimes, because the big cuttings I had in pots were begging me for water, (or so I thought) and I have to refrain from watering. Frangi's really love the tropical coastal areas,where is Wonthaggi?

We've had very overcast, "SULTRY" (that word reminds me of a festering wound) weather for the past week and the plants are thriving.

Back to the real world , now that the holidays are over.....so everyone back to work....chop,chop.

Ha ha ha chop chop chop ...hack hack hack!
My frangipanni won't bloom until autumn (the fancy ones) the common white ones are blooming such a yummy Summery fragrance ...my gardenias are in full flight too ...throw those two together and call it Summer.
The bengal tiger angel cuttings are throwing out tiny leaves ...yay!
I thought I would have more trouble.
Jean I think sweet alice is wonderful too and boy does it bring the bees ...you will love Alphonse Mucha because it has an exquisite honey fragrance too.
Today I am potting up some succulents ...better get going before the heat makes it too uncomfortable ...have a great day everyone, isn't it wonderful to see all the new happy faces ...^_^

Chrissy I've also got a great cutting of Meroo totty that has heaps of new growth but I'll wait before I send to you as I've just taken cuttings yesterday of Pink Panther and Meroo Pink for you, so will wait for these to shoot before sending to you.
I also took cuttings from Axel Rose(variegated) Aztec Gold, Culebra(again,last lot didn't take) so will send these as well ...........X fingers and toes Chrissy hahahaha

This message was edited Jan 1, 2009 11:29 PM

OK Chrissy,what do you mean by fancy ones? What names /colours are they and pics if you have any?

Good morning everyone!

All things are back to normal after the holidays. Getting ready now for family from down south. Freds daughter, husband and three children will be here the middle of January.

Boy is my garden in need of water. Storms all around last night but we didn't get one.
A few of my best plants have died...why is it always the best ones to go?

Jean I think it is your fault I am putting on so much weight. Can I get myself bared from the tea room?

One of my new plants that is doing well is the the "stingray"

Does anyone know the name of this flowering shrub?
I have had it for years and would like to know the name of it.

Wow love that stingray!
http://www.centralfloridafarms.com/alocasia-stingray.htm
very unusual ...I am thinking that other one looks like an oak leaf hydrangia but I am probably wrong it is a bit blurry.

No not the hydrangia ...probably some exotic thing I have never seen ...something hat? good luck!
Mya anything not white is exotic to me ...I have a blood red ...called ******** blood (can't remember who's) ...a double white called something like whirly bird ...and a QLD pink ...pic taken last autumn a very nice pink.
You have rooted plants for me me? oh wow thanks! I did lose the pinks ...I will return the favour thanks very much! ...wow!
chrissy

Jean Here is one of your seed you sent to me ...love the idea of creamsickle ...here is Creamsickle x Sam ...as soon as it is big enough you will get some ...I don't know why but that one really appeals to me ...I am sure it will be white but I don't care because it carrys some good things ...my Earth Angel x Pink Smitty are smaller plants but full of leaves ...it is so fascinating to see how you can recognise which plants look like each other, the Earth Angels all carry that smaller leafier trait ...Ludgers are all big strong toothy fellas ...I am having so much fun now I am not scared of losing plants any more ...I remember running out every 2 hrs with my first babies a year ago ...day and night ...terrified I would allow a slug or something to steal one of my treasures ...now I know that once they have filled that cup with roots they are almost unkillable.
I am having the time of my life!
Here is our Darling

G'Day
Have you tried these new peaches yet? Generically they are Donut Peaches but different ones have different names the same as other fruit.You can buy the "Jupiter Peach" and others in the shops and buy the tree "Angel Peach" from some garden centres, these two are white fleshed probably classed as sub acid and very juicy. Because they are flat you can get a big bite without the juice running down the front of your clothes but there is a risk of the juice squirting in your ears if the bite is too big. If you get a chance try them and the kids or grand kids will love them. For the little ones I suggest you remove the stone because it is quite small and might be swallowed and get stuck part way down.
Regards

Hello again all. I have been chop chopping and hack hacking Chrissy. i finally got around to trimming the lavenders and a few other things. Now I have the new hedge clippers. Watch out plants.
I waded in through the spring growth in the cottage garden and found a couple of large prickly thistles that had taken a room there . I soon evicted them. Now the Alstromerias etc are dying off I will be able to go in that part.
I will tackle a few more of the larger plants around the house gardens but leave the paddock garden to do it's own thing. No need to wear myself out. I like jungle, even if it's not Chrissy's tropical one.
After about 12 years of shade, the trees are gone and look what's going to flower. See, some tropic lovers will grow here and flower. ( even if it took a few years ) Okay so bougies will grow almost anywhere but now I know I can have flowers on them , I will plant another.
I like the look of those peaches Stake . I saw the trees in the nursery a while ago. Maybe I should try a couple as one could protect them from the ravenous hordes a lot easier than large trees.
Better finish my cuppa and get back to chopping.
Jean.

I read that those are the best tasting peaches Brian ...is that your tree? they look very healthy ...what do you think of the flavour in comparison to say my favourite Elberta?
Jean you have some great new places for boges ...that is great ...Years ago I thought ugh boges? phooey no smell all those thorns and no flowers ...that was before I saw a show on tv where a woman living in a desert somewhere had the most magnificent boges you ever saw ...she grew them in sand a cow poo. I have found it is fantastic! colour 11 months of the year! and with the wonderful neon colours these days they just riot about the garden filling the grey days with dazzle, I love them, you will too.