TEA ROOM # 28

Of course it's been a catastrophic event for all of Australia but more so for those directly affected.
But don't tell me that the post by Synda didn't bring a smile to your face and if some one was feeling very down it might have lifted the spirits a little.
Good on Ya Synda I reckon I used to have an Aunt that looked a bit like that.
Regards Brian

Thanks Synda ...sorry Brian ...having almost burn't out in 2001 it revises a lot of dreadful memories. Hard to smile when there is so much sorrow ...but since it is Valentines Day I send this out to each and everyone (hope it works)

We all know what Brian means but we also all grieve in different ways. Not everyone can come out and talk about such terrible events whether we were in them or not. Our Tea Room friends will gradually come back when they feel able. I am moved to tears every time I see a paper these days, but as I am a natural talker, I can come on and chat whether anyone is out there or not. I for one, hate being 'cheered up' when I am very upset so i know we must leave things be, until each in their own way returns to 'normal'.
I have been moving epis into their new abode. Until I started, I didn't realise just how much they had grown. One could not see all the length of branches as they were interlocked. . It is going to be a job later today, getting them to stand upright against the trellis while I tie them up .
I am putting up a pic of some of my new broms. Maybe later I will show a few more.
It's very hot here today and lots more to come next week. Lets hope the wind doesn't come with it.
Jean.

G'Day Again to all,
Changing the grapes up the back but I won't throw out the frozen ones yet. This new one is a patented variety called "Midnight Beauty" a seedless variety with a very apt name. In case you can't make it out the coin is a 10c.
Plenty of them to share so get stuck in and get your fill.
Regards Brian

Jean, your Epi house looks all sparkly and new, and it seems like only last week you made reference to your 'only' brom. They do have a habit of breeding ..... a bit like Epi's and plastic shopping bags! lol

Stake, is Midnight Beauty an edible or drinkable variety?

I ,myself have never had this kind of grief,but I have had grief.And it is hard to laugh or even smile,in some way you feel guilty to show any kind of pleasure during such sad and sickening times.I have always want to visit your beautiful land,but have never had the extra money to do so.Maybe someday.But even just watching on the news and reading things here I get physically sick to my stomach to think of the loss of human,animal,and plant life,all of which are so precious.And yes we all grieve in a different way,our way,to help our minds and hearts heal.And only time can do that.All I can do as your friend is be here to listen if you need to talk,or show me what you've lost,and for me to tell you I care and I am so sorry this ever happened to anybody.I can pray,which I do already,but maybe my saying it helps.What I want everybody to know is even though I haven't felt the actual pain,that I am grieving, I care, if I could be there to help pick up the lives I would be there in a minute,and you aren't alone.There are so many from near and far that have you in there daily thoughts.And God is with you.

Valentine's Day is a day of LOVE so try and have a pleasant one,and hug everyone you see that is safe and cry if you want ,for the ones that have been lost.

Great Big Hugs and Kisses,
Synda

This message was edited Feb 13, 2009 11:22 PM

Hello everyone. Gardengal your waterfall is absolutely beautiful. I was wondering why you couldn't have put thick plastic under the rocks? It probably would have made the job a lot easier and would still have not let the water gather into little pockets. Just a thought. Synda that little gorilla is perfect isn't he. Thanks for the Valentine's card Chrissy. It's the only one I got. Brian, I'm nearly out of grapes. hint hint. I have done a bit more to my big cacti garden. I also put a false Jade and a Dianella in there too just for some foliage plants. I thought that some different Mondo grasses might look okay as well. What do you think? Shelley4kids, so glad to hear that youre all okay firstly and that the plants aren't too bad after all. Anyway let us know if anyone needs more plants to restock or start again. We'll all be watching to see who we can help. The boys school is creating a box of love to send to a school in Victoria who have been affected by the fires. They're going to fill it with pencils, colouring books, reading books, and any toys that they will part with. I think that is a great idea because it shows them how to share and also gets them talking about what happens when fire goes through towns and schools and nothing is left. Jean your epi house is magnificent, and I had to laugh just alittle when I saw that the Broms have already multiplied. As Chrissy said all plants seem to have that habit of breeding, and of course Shopping bags, and empty jars. Anyone got anything else that multiplies rapidly at their place? Must go now Colleen

Hi Jean, going by the size of those epi's it wont be long before they have grown out of their new home. I spent yesterday trying to catch up with all the news, that sure was a mission. I am back on deck for a few days then into hospital on thursday for surgery..From there I will play things as they develope.. Supposed to have been last thursday but the surgeon got sick.. I managed to get all the things that needed doing done re lawns hedge gardens potted plants etc etc.. A few days to catch my breath is probably not a bad thing as my life has been a bit hectic the last few weeks with not much time to relax.. Also it has been stinking hot and humid.. There isin,t a fan to be bought any where in Gisborne and the shops haven,t been able to source them any where else either.. Yesterday was a bit cooler and today has been cold winter clothes type weather. I actually woke up shivering in the night.. I have brought my Adeniums inside so they won,t get a chill from the temperature change. The little fatties are doing wel,. all but one that has only 2 tiny leaves and is makig no progress at all.. The larger plants are starting to get flower buds, yippee.. I have a yellow frangi flowering and the babies are all looking good.. Everything else is doing quite well but watering has been a big part of why and we are about to go onto water restrictions, only being able to between 6 and 9 at night, seeing as that is when I water anyway I can,t see it making any difference to me or the garden..
Hi Chrissy, Brian and Steve and Teresa, Sammut, Debi Shelley and Gran, Marleneann and Sue, how are you both.. And anyone else I have missed but not forgotten, just misplaced for the moment, lol. Oh and Lee.. I certainly have missed all your informative and friendly conversation.. It must be true as I have just joined up for another year... On that note I will depart until later..
Lesley..
Tillandsia "Creation"

Jean, I'm interested in your epi abode. When you talked about tying them up to the trellis, can you explain that? I'm trying to figure out how to take care of mine a little better, as the critters knock them over at night and the wind will sometimes get them, too.

I don't appreciate people trying to cheer me up before my time, either. Seems like the grief, horror, whatever has to be sweated out from the inside. However, any girl can appreciate a bad hair day pic!

>Hello everyone. Gardengal your waterfall is absolutely beautiful. I was wondering why you couldn't have put thick plastic under the rocks? It probably would have made the job a lot easier and would still have not let the water gather into little pockets.

Thankyou Colleen. :) This place had some serious erosion issues when we came here, including a dam that was not properly built and had leaked big-time from the start. One person's effort to stop it had been to line one side of it with black plastic. The water had worked its way around it and eaten ginormous cavities inside the dam wall. It took many, many hours to remove it and repair the damage that had resulted from it.

I had suggested to Hubby that we line the waterfall with pondliner but he was reluctant to do so because of that experience. As you say though, it would have been a lot easier.

Awchid, your Tillandsia is stunning!

G'Day Gardengal Midnight Beauty is a table grape but wine can be made with any grapes some will be reasonable and others "Plonk" but you can't make the very good wines from the newer specialised table grapes. Remember that The "Muscat Gordo Blanco" is a seeded table grape that a lot of people love because of the muscat flavour and it is used to make the very popular wines called Muscats as well as other styles but still with the muscat flavour. Apparently the name means The Muscat that is fat (big) and white. If you know the variety a very fitting name I think you'll agree.
Brian

Good morning to everyone .
A cool morning again after a warm day yesterday. It is turning back to the Autumn weather we were having just before the awful weekend last week. I have naked ladies all around the garden. Sorry Brian and Steve, they are not the human variety.
It is always a sign of Autumn when they poke their pretty heads up.
The trees are starting to yellow a bit now too. Of course a lot of the leaf fall has been caused by the dry but this is getting to be more than that now. I do like the Autumn and Spring as planting and growing seasons. I know the plants need the hot Summer and cold Winter but I don't .
I will be moving more epis around today. I put the pics of the finished house on my epi house thread if anyone wants to see how it looks.
Hello Lesley, I have missed you running around the kitchen. I hope all goes well for you in hospital.
Synda, it's nice to see you in the Tea Room. Thank you for your kind words on our fires.
Brian, those grapes look really nice. I must get some more grapes this week . I ate all I had and I am a real pig with grapes.
Gardengal, I do like your waterfall. Water adds such a nice look to a garden. I did mention one brom, but when I saw some in the shop, I decided they would add some color to the epi house. I now have 20. I bought various pups from eBay and they are lovely little things. I also found 3 pups growing from the base of the old 'dead' rubbishy ones that were in the collection of epis . One of the 'dead' ones is about to flower. I think I mentioned it as Bilbergia 'Gerda".
They still all look dead to me but apparently there was some life left in them.
Hello Chrissy, I did like your Valentines Day card.
I gave hubby a rose from the garden, about the only survivor left there at the moment.
KaperC. , nice to see you here too. I have seen epis tied to supports in pictures so thought I would try it for the extra long branched ones. They just sprawl all over each other if not tied up. I know that the larger collectors have a better area to put their epis. They like to hang down but I can't build high enough for that so have to make the best use of space I have. I will see how they do. I did try tying a few to stakes last year but the weight of the branches tends to tear them, or they get heavy and overbalance. this way they are not able to fall over and hopefully will grow upthe trellis and hang from there.
Hello Colleen.. Your ideas on other plantings in with your cacti sound good. I do like some of the ornamental grsses. They add a bit of substance but look light and airy.
Shelly ( Melb ) If you need any plants replacing, let me know and I'll see what I can find for you. So glad you are safe.
Better get some nibbles out and get started on moving the rest of the epis. Please have a nice day and stay safe.
Hummingbird Cake.
Jean.

Morning all!

If I may just offer a tiny bit of advice Jean? Broms don't like copper- it's toxic to them, so unless it's painted, keep them away from any treated pine you might have in the epi house. I'll have to duck over and have a peek at your pics.

Well the sun is shining here for the first time in nearly a week after about 15 or 20 cm of rain. Aparently we're getting a reprieve today, with more rain predicted right through the week. Our dam is full and most of the plants have perked up nicely. A couple have succumbed to the excess moisture including my grafted Grevillea Bronwenae, which is a bit sad, but on the whole everything's looking pretty good.

I'll probably get in today and do a bit of badly needed dividing of broms today. While I have plenty of planting to do, our clay will be too wet to plant into for the next couple of weeks.

Enjoy your day all.

Pam

This message was edited Feb 14, 2009 5:47 PM

Third day of rain here today ...and it is cool (20C),
Can't do very much without being drenched ...
Jean those Datura seeds you sent are all up ...I planted them and they have popped up while I was distracted by other things ...I am thrilled because I had some earlier that did not grow out. I think those must have been very fresh.Thankyou isn't it wonderful that we have a share of our friends garden within our garden ...makes you feel like they are walking around beside you each day.
shelley4kids ...please let us know if you need to pass around seeds and cuttings for anyone in Victoria ...meanwhile thank goodness you and yours are safe.
I hope everyone is getting on with things, I see most of you are, thank goodness for gardens ...our refuge in troubled times, a new little shoot or bud ...a box of cuttings ...the change of season bringing new challenges and treasures ...always something to look forward to ... today we count our blessings.

Hello all. Hello to Pam also nearby. :)

It is freshly washed and green outside after the rain. The air is always so much clearer and we can see Cunningham's Gap very clearly on these days. Colours seem dazzling. Sky is cerulean going into azure. I wonder if all days were like this before we polluted the air? And fenceman is spoiling the effect by getting out there spraying anything that moves!..next will be the clippers and mower. He's already done it twice this week!

I have bought some wonderful brom pups from ebay too, Jean. I love the aechmeas with the colourful inflorescences. The bigger the better. Maybe we have been bidding against each other. Now that we are just numbers, you have no idea who the other bidders are. Maybe that is good as I did once get weird emails from a fellow bidder who was in France. Anyway, I have had a few pups with very little stalk and they just rotted. Now I keep them dry till they are established..bit like starting epi cuttings.

Brian, thanks for the grapes. I seem to buy a few kilos whenever I go to the shops. I leave them on the table in a big bowl and we all just snack on them. Some days we go through about two kilos. Always have green grapes (in season), bananas and Granny Smith apples.

I love your epi motel, Jean. I think my epies are envious. i will have to seriously do something about accommodation for them. Hugs all. Kat

Thank you for the advice on the broms Pam. I will be careful when I put any up as the trellis is also treated pine. I have some pieces of old tree fern that I will use plus some nice wood . It will be an experiment.
I also found another large brom that I had forgotten all about. It was hiding in the begonia house . It was too big to post when i sent some north last year. It is on a large log so I will have to get hubby with chainsaw to shorten the log to fit where I want it.
Kat. I'm glad you got some pups too. I am pleased with the ones I bought. they all seem very healthy.
Better go and tackle the epis or hubby won't get any lunch. I do tend to become absorbed in plants when I'm working with them.
Jean.

G'Day All, I like those happy, cheery & helpful messages, goodonya.
Re copper. Copper is toxic to all plants except the copper sprays in carefully measured doses. Some years ago a nurseryman I know was trying to grow grafted grapes where the graft was held together by a staple until the union was complete. One batch of thousands that was done copper staples were used and it killed the lot. Tree roots won't grow around copper pipe because when the growing tip of the root touches the pipe it is killed the rest of the plant is not affected as no copper is absorbed. You are probably aware of the application of Copper Sulphate (Bluestone) to control Algae,Fungi, mosses and weeds in glass/poly houses and on footpaths, all plants of course.
Photo is Old Man Cactus flower, this plant only flowerd the once and a big cactus blew over in a storm and broke the old man, although some of the pieces regrew there has been no more flowers.
Regards Brian

This message was edited Feb 14, 2009 11:06 PM

Hi All,
Somehow the past weeks has got away from me! The horrific fires were beyond words.
You folks move so fast - I can't keep up ;-)
We've got a white ant infestation in our back fence & so I've been trying to get quotes for a new fence & also pest control to ensure the house doesn't get attacked. Luckily it's brick, but seeing them destroy the fence so quickly has been a surprise.

I've been repotting more of my bromeliads & trying to find good homes for some of the extra pups with friends. I've run out of decent pots to put them in even!
Pam, re the problem with broms & treated pine, I've got a piece of old lattice that I'd like to mount vertically & then hang bromeliads in pots from using circular metal hooks. Do you think that would be a problem? It'd be a neat way to display my "stoloniferous" broms & not take up too much space, but I don't want to kill them!
Here's a pic of my Vr. Sundance (I think) that's been flowering since last year.

Hi all. Back from the Inlet. I have naked ladies too Jean and unfortunately they are not my preferred version. Last week I dug up a few dozen bulbs that have been in position long enough to expand and push out a concrete edging. Stuck them in the new garden down the back for the moment. Not much else to report on the garden as it rained. Can say that I can finally retire the paint roller. A bit of gloss to throw around and the decorating is basically finished. Yah! Started building the housing for the bore pump and began planning irrigation.
Now over to see what headaches the nasty cryptic people have left me.
Cheers
Steve

LeisaD, the pic of the brom is lovely. Might you tell me the kind/name? Lee

Hello everyone. Thought that you all might like to see my Desert Dawn now that it is fully out. Jean the epi house is marvelous. So much room, but probably wont take long to fill. I can't believe that you already have 20 Broms. Wow that didn't take long. I have to go and read a goodnight story to the boys now. See you tomorrow. Colleen

Colleen, the flower you posted is beautiful. Is it an a Hippeastrum? Lee

Yes Lee it is a Hippeastrum. How are things going over there? Colleen

Hello Colleen, the pear trees and forsythias are just starting to bloom but Feb. is a fickle month for us and a freeze could nip them in he bud, so to speak. . Soon, I'll need to sprinkle some sulphur around the gardenias. I don't measure, I just sprinkle on until the ground is yellow. Thanks for asking and do take care. Lee

G'Day Lee. What is the Sulphur for with the gardenias? Is this for disease or pest control or to acidify the soil?
Regards Brian

Hello Brian, I use the sulphur about every 3-4 years around the gardenias when I notice chlorosis. As I said I don't measure, I just sprinkle until he ground is yellow. I use it to acidify the soil.
With regards. Lee

Morning All!
Just a quick reply, as I'm off to work today. The trick is to get there in business clothes without sweating like a pig!
Lee I think the brom is a Vriesea Sundance. The flowers come in Dec or so, & last for about 3 months. These are the biggest I've had since I've got it.
Re the chlorosis on the gardenias - is that where the leaves are yellow & look "drained" - I think my brunfelsia has this .

Anyway gotta run - have a lovely day all!
Leisa.

Good morning all. I finally moved us again. It was getting a bit far to walk again.
It has been understandably quiet lately with all the sadness about the fires.
I hope with the new season of Autumn coming up, it will be a time of hope and renewal for everyone concerned.
Life and gardens go on and we all have to get ready for the Autumn planitings that I'm sure everyone is planning.. After the hot weather, I will be having a large scale cutback of the plants that did not do well.
I will be putting in more of the better ones such as the salvias which have flowered right through.
Hello Lee, I will have to try your remedy of sulphur on my Gardenia. . One did not make it through the summer but the other looks well.
Steve, I have 3 colors in my Naked ladies here. The common pink, a 2 tone pink/white and a white.
It alawas signals Autumn for me when I see them up. Glad your painting is done , some of that rain would be nice.
Hello Leisa, I love that brom of yours. I bought a Vriesa Flammia in a lot from eBay. I hope it grows here.
I have only bought Aechmeas and Neoregelias as it seems they are the hardiest from what I have read.
Brian, sad that your poor cactus was assaulted by a bigger one. It will flower again . Colleen , your hippy is gorgeous. They don't do well here. I have a few that have just existed for years . Never had a flower. I tried putting them in pots but ended up just sticking them back in the ground and forgetting about them. They did put up some new leaves this year but they were burnt by the sun.
Hello to everyone else. i am off to do some posting and a bit of shopping . stay safe and enjoy the day.
Have some Caramel Peach Upsidedown cake.
Jean.
We have moved to here
.http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/953172/

Thank goodness for the move Jean - the long walk wouldn't have been quite so bad if it wasn't uphill! lol

Just slipping in a quick post here for Liesa - even though the lattice is old, it can apparently still leach chemicals. It's easily fixed though with a couple of coats of oil based paint.

Hello All, So glad all of you are safe and well. Each morning, I'd go to the ABC website to check on the current events but this morning they are reporting less fires. I'm so happy and relieved for all of you. Just because I haven't been posting much doesn't mean all of you were far from my thoughts.
Leisa, thanks for telling me about the Vriesa Sundance. It really is lovley. and the chlorosis of my gardenias shows up in the yellowing of the leaves. Jean, you and Leisa try using the sulfphur to lower the ph of the soil, thus allowing for more uptake of nitrogen and preventing the chlorosis. I'm sure there is some tedious formula as to how much to use but I don't know it and the sprinkling of several handfuls of it around the base has worked for me all these years.
First I moisten the soil, sprinkle on the sulphur and water it in. That's all.
All take care. I can tell by the tone of your postings now that your anxiety levels are down somewhat. Lee