Helen ,
You might like this one My dancer.---------sammut
TEA ROOM # 35
Hi All,
I am a new kid on the block, not long joined, live in Sutherland Shire, Sydney. Love the garden have quite a lot to look after. Have enjoyed reading the banter the last couple of weeks so thought I would join in. Have been plagued with Mealy Bug lately, tried everything,but it's not giving in. Any suggestions? Buggieman - Love your dressing table & could I have a piece of the red pelagonium
welcome to the tearoom rose. there is a wealth of knowledge here for you to learn .. and lots of lovely people to have a nice chat too.
shelly
Hi Rosebudgal. If I was you I'd just go and pinch some of Budgie's plant. He probably wont miss it. Welcome to the tearoom. I'm no help with the mealy bug but I know that oil, detergent and water are a good deterrant for a lot of pests. Colleen
Hi Sammut,
Yes, I'm loving your dancer! I mix in whatever I like too! Here's a pic of a birdcage I lugged back from Sydney, 60% off from Homebase years ago. And a mosaic birdbox I did a while back, in the background.
I have done 5 new hanging baskets today. Still hacking away at the lost bamboo in a massive pot, it's like concrete. Will try again tomorrow.
Welcome to Rose, looking forward to checking out your garden. Just remember I like to sneak in for the wine!LOL!! I'm keeping away from Jeans yummy cakes.
Have a great night everyone.
Helen
Hi Helen ,
Great birdcage I have a little one glued a bird I bought at bunnings on a stick in it.
Good luck with the bamboo I think you might need a Jackhammer .
have to go time to go to dinner. Sammut.
Hi Rosebudgal. Do I know you?
Welcome to this wonderful site. There is a piece of Red Geranium waiting for you. (can't have the dressing table - Jean took it) You only need to weed for a day to get it!
If only you had a good looking son to help you with your mealy bug problem!
Stay tuned. Help will come. These guys know everything.
Shell I don't think you were alone on the 1 pick week and a 5 should be enough to keep you near the top.
Chrissy I love the She Oak and the Black Cockies would too. I think I still need land the size you have
before I will be truly happy. Did you send the storm over tonight? Came out of the west.
Helen you may need a bigger cage for that bird. It's gone potty! ha ha ha (must be bed time - gone delirious)
Steve
Chrissy I know you love American Idol ,watch this from Britains Got Talent...put your headphones UP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
Mya That was absolutely fantastic. Thank you for that link up. Colleen
Hey Mya I saw her on the TV ...did you see the judges faces ...I just love that! ...I am loving Adam Lambert on American Idol ...very theatrical ...very talented and is the only AI ever to get a standing ovation from Simon. He will be on Utube somewhere ...smoking hot!!!! ...this picture looks like his head is missing but it is there when you open it up.
This message was edited Apr 14, 2009 10:58 PM
Good morning and thank you Mya for the link a beautiful start to my day I had the headphones up
not knowing whate to expect she has a voice thate brings tears of enjoyment as you listen .
Sammut.
Good morning sammut ...have you watched Australias Got Talent? ...there is a 15 year old boy that provoked the same reaction ...Mark Vincent ...his voice was such a shock and so beautiful that he made me cry and received a standing ovation from everyone ...similar to this lady Mya is talking about the look of total shock as soon as he sang the first note ...said it all. I hope he wins.
http://www.webtvhub.com/mark-vincent-australias-got-talent-video-opera-loving-teenager-sings-nessun-dorma/
Sigh ...swoon.
This message was edited Apr 15, 2009 8:03 AM
Hello everyone.
I see Helen has been in for a visit again, there are no cakes left. Helen did you eat all those chocolate eggs ? I see you washed them down with some wine too.
How are you going with your bamboo chopping ? Got it out of the pot yet ?
I have some small bamboo plants I have grown from seed . They are not the invasive sort though. It was an experiment to see if they will grow here as I wanted some screening plants for a very poor area of the paddock.
Sammut, I love your dancer. I do hope you are taking it easy now. You have such a pretty garden to relax in.
Welcome Rosebud. It's always nice to see a new face visiting. You will have to be quick though if you want any cakes or the odd glass of wine. Some of our ladies ( and men) are pretty fast at getting in for a share. Just watch out when you are walking around out the back of the Tea Room as I think Kat's python is still there somewhere. Tell us more about your garden and what you like to grow.
We all seem to have a particular favorite among our many plants.
The ladies will tell you I love my Epis and Iris but Chrissy has me converted to an Angel lover too. Chrissy is our Angel lady. Sue is the Brom lady and Leisa is a close one there too. Helen is the Parrot lady.
Colleen , your Angel is lovely. My pieces are growing fast. I hope for flowers next summer
Hello Shelly. How are things looking down your way now ? I would think the trees are all reshooting through the bush now . It doesn't take them long . Steve, don't go giving away my cabinet now. I will be creeping in one night to get it.
Hello Mya. That lady on the link you gave , certainly has a voice you can listen to.
Chrissy, I loved that boy's voice. I like tenors best of all. I was a great fan of Mario Lanza and had records of Caruso when I was younger.. There is nothing like a good tenors voice.
I like your honeysuckles. I planted one of the common yellow ones here a few years ago and had to poison it to get rid of it. It went everywhere and was not really pretty. A real triffid. A bit like the potato creeper which will also run amok here . I just wish my jasmine would.
Better go and do a check around the garden. We had shocking winds during the night but they have eased off now, thank goodness. There was a little rain but the wind was so strong it all blew away. I only ran out to check the angels before so now will go and check all the rest. Luckliy it was coming from the least damaging direction.
Hello to everyone I have not mentioned, I know you are all out there and will pop in for your cuppa.
I'm leaving something that should appeal to the men. Ladies please go easy on your portions.
Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce.
Have a great day everyone and happy gardening.
Jean
Good morning all, well another overcast day here today, it poured down last night, woke up to a swamp in the back yard, oh well it will dry out eventually.
Rose, mealy bugs melt when touched by metho, i use to have a plague of them as well but i metho'd the lot and they all just melted, some still come back, and i try to keep them managable now. I am still trying to catch up with all that went on while i was a away, sammut your carport is wonderful and i love the dancer and Helens bird cage. Chrissy the honeysuckle is lovely. Jean i am glad your parrots are doing so well, i am now trying a different tact with mine and i will see how i go.
i have to go and do some more catch up with all this work, but i have managed to find my desk under it all so i guess that is a start.
have a great day one and all
shell
Hey RoseB are you related to our steve by any chance ? ^_^
My pink honeysuckle is the one with the best fragrance (except perhaps the winter honeysuckle) I will root some this month ...yes it grows from cuttings taken in Autumn. It is very well behaved unlike it's wild cousin.I will grow out a dozen if I can for everyone who may want one, it is a beauty! Smells of the best French perfume!
Oh yes Mario Lanza ...who could not melt when he sings.One of my favourite movies is Mario doing Caruso's life story ...LOVE IT! when he sings to his baby daughter ...I still need a tissue.
Ok sammut what will you get up to today young lady!
shell 61 good luck with those mountains of paper work! ick I know what that is like ...but not any more.
Mya and everyone up North I hope all is well I saw another big flood happening up that way again ...I suppose at least your dam has risen at last.
Gosh look at the time ... the day is zooming past, better get back out there ...the sun is back today.
happy gardening chrissy
I"m back inside after 4 hrs outside playing the sun sure has some bit in it.
I have been improving my wall of pots sprayed 4 more pots green to match I think it was 25 hanging now and puting most plants back -I had to clear the BBQ and area to cook -.
I dont get to see much T V after I see the news I visit the tea room till I am picked up for dinner but now the cool weather is coming I will be eating more at home so will have time to view .
Oh yes I bathed the dog this morning as well , going to make a fruit salad for lunch now .
hope every one is having a great day .
Here is the hanging wall and the hehind is my repotting from yesterday------------Sammut.
Goodness Sammut you have been a busy beaver. It's all looking really pretty. Repotting takes up a lot of our time doesn't it? Take care. talk later. Colleen
Here is one happy gardener ------
You are a real hoot Elaine are you going to have that pineapple for lunch too? We have had fried bananas (done in a little extra virgin olive oil with a scrape of butter ) added a pinch of cinnamon and a spoon full of honey ...eaten on toasted wholemeal bread ...it was delicious! (a great way to eat those very ripe bananas ...they go a pretty pink colour when I cook them like that.
Go rest now!
Iam ready for a seconds I mostly mash the bananas mix with ice cream and honey and nuts on top Yum. always going to cut the pineapple but never do.
The photo was posted as a dare grand son said I would never let people know about my bad dress code I say this is how gardeners dress in my world even nice head peices to finish the look of .
batten down the hatches the wind has started to blow here
A smile goes a mile ---------Sammut
I'm with you Elaine,I have a very distinct garden dress code ....my husband has threatened also to post what I look like in the garden....I get a few stares from the tourists as they walk past our place for the bush walks,especially the footware....I have every colour leary rubber boots you can imagine....maybe I'll post a pic of them and just them.......I'l have to wait till I get home.........
You Smile,others Smile ,soon there's miles and miles of Smiles
BTW, beaut pineapple....
This message was edited Apr 15, 2009 12:05 AM
If we are going into dress code for gardening, I always wear my daggy, trusty old trackies. hubby hates them but they are comfortable and stop you getting scratched and bitten by savage plants. I wear old t shirts with them in the warm weather and even daggier jumpers in the cold. I have one old floral jumper that hubby always threatens to throw out.
It's warm and I like it, besides , it's only about 20 years old. Lots more wear yet.
It's the gardens that have to look pretty not the gardeners.
I like your pineapple Sammut and I think you look the height of gardening elegance.
Jean.
Good afternoon, Sammut i think you look lovely, i do love the tiara, and the pineapple looks delicious. i too am a grunge gardener i used to have my favourite old gardening shirt, but unfortunately it was getting holes in all the wrong places and my hubby tore it up so i could not get tempted to keep wearing it, it was a sad day for me lol. i find it ironic that all hubbies do not like their wifes gardening outfits, this must be a universal thing, maybe Brian and Steve could enlighten me lol, as i think we all look lovely especially with leaves and twigs in the hair and dirt from neck to toe lol.
had better get back to it, have a great evening all.
stay safe, be happy
shell
Have the hubbies ever looked in a mirror ? You should see mine when he has been in his 'playroom' ( workshop). Ha ha.. Sartorial splendor. ?? I think not .
Come on Steve and Brian . What do you wear in the garden ??
Jean.
I live in my work clothes and only put on my Sunday best for visits to the Doctor.
Brian
Hi,
Brian I would call you a true blue working gardener I am more a playing at being a gardener I do call it playing in the dirt sorry to say I dont have old things to wear only last seasons this is why he finds me a funney granney. He does have one normal grandmother he is a lucky man.----Sammut
I'm a lousy gardener Sammut but I like to grow plants, absolute minimum of paving and no statues and artistic works just plants and soil. Unlike your art and artistic work.
Brian
Hello everyone. Hope you all had a great Easter. We were up in Caloundra and managed to miss the three hour carpark on the highway going each way. The highway to the Gold Coast has been upgraded but the Bruce Highway going north still has bottlenecks. The turnoff to Caloundra has only recently been upgraded as it has been the same onelane each way affair as when I was a kid..same trees etc. I was very sorry when they changed it.
As usual, it rained and poured the whole time we were in Caloundra. There was far more rain than in Brisbane. I did get to BigW and followed the markdown lady around! :) Luckily we had the trailer but also chooks. I went to the Sunday hospital markets which are now at the sportsground but they are genuine markets and I always find good plants and other things there. I was very restrained and just bought an aechmea callendra or something. I also bought some more tools as the home ones seem to get collected en masse and taken down to the office building...even the hot pink measuring tape. I know you can buy pink tools but the quality is not the same.
The good news with all the rain is that the dams are filling up..another 2% and the drought is over! Then we will just be on maintenance restrictions. Whoo hoo.
It was so nice to get away and relax. As we were approaching home, we passed OTR (over the road) parking nut leaving the petrol station..he saw us and sped up the hill to nick into 'his' parking space, even facing the wrong way. He has graced our front steps today with more requests for car shuffling...kind of undid some of the euphoria of a holiday. I spent today washing and snipping vines in the garden. Garden seems the wrong word for a jungle. I had ordered some ginger purpurata and they arrived today. They will love the steamy conditions out there at the moment. We have had the wettest April for twenty something years.
Thanks for the links to the singers. We were listening to audio of the show on the radio so it was good to see the vision. have a good night all. Cheers, Kat
Kat,
Ever thought about punching OTR? Gee it would be hard to resist!
Jean if you really need to know what I wear in the garden it's boardshorts or less.
(can't send a pic as mum might be looking).
Shelly thanks for the metho tip. Always good to here these tried and true remedies.
Dinner is ready.
Cheers
Steve
Chrissy - put me down for one pink honeysuckle. As well as a bulb ark Sussex is going to be a smell ark.
The brugs are coming, Freesia Rose just planted, jonquils, Freesias and Daffodils on the way up.
Thanks
Steve
Budgie was that a typo or are there brugS coming?
Good morning all. Maybe I can get into the Tea Room first as I know Jean leaves the key u8nder this mossy log and there will be some leftovers!
I have holidays this week and spent yesterday washing from our stay in Caloundra. Even though we have a washing machine and dryer there, it was pouring so much, we brought a lot of the sheets back as I like to linedry them. The towels went through the dryer. The dryer needed a new belt..always easier to find electrical fix-it suppliers there..and the locals seem to know just what you want. It would be a trek across town in Bris. My hibiscus and other plants were flowering well up there. Even have jasmine along the front fence...someone keeps cutting it off the side fence as it does look weedy in its growing stages.
We were left a house full of goods and chattels when we bought Caloundra but not as classy as your stuff, Steve. Ours is silky oak etc..paler polish. The previous owners took the tv and an antique table. left all the kitchen stuff..cutlery..and as they ran a catering supplies business, we had lots of wine glasses etc..and umbrellas. Had to stash it away to make the place child-friendly. Even left the new shower curtain hanging. I joked at the time that they could have left bread cooking or dinner in the oven. They used it as a base when they were working up at the north coast and a few eeeks after selling it, wanted to buy it back. I think they bought a unit. the problem with all the stuff was that we had just acquired heaps from my parent's house! Certainly not a problem though! Lol!
Brought back the broms I snavelled at BigW..aechmea fasciatas and a variegated red-centred neo..price was okay at $5.91 each!..and some pink and red flowering frangipani...and a purple flowering vine..a new release of a type of veronica. I have run out of room. Do you ever buy things thinking you have just the place?..then find you have many things for the same place? The jungle canopy here limits the places I have for sun-lovers. The back is extremely steep, so in winter, the sun doesn't even reach the bottom. The sunny area is near the fence but things tend to get severely pruned by the neighbour. (yes, Steve, we lucked out with two sods. No one else in the street is like that.)
Today I will have to ignore the garden and get stuck into finishing some painitngs and framing drawings..art show coming up. Happy gardening all! Cheers, Kat
Kat, I realise even that is not ideal, but does your neighbour prune just to the fenceline? He's not allowed to reach over the fence to prune your plants.
May I ask how big is your block? That section at the back sounds ideal for creating a fern gully type thing. Who needs to build a shadehouse when you have a natural one layed on? :)
I'd love to see some of your art?!
While I think of it, I threw a seed pod of my black bat plant into the pot a while back, and they're germinating nicely, with about 6 or 8 tiny babies in the pot with the parent plant at the moment. Come Spring time they'll be able to be moved (not a good idea heading into the cool weather). If any of you would like one, please let me know.
Hello everyone.
I just knew you were back Kat . There was nothing left in the kitchen but a few crumbs. Glad you had a good time away. I;m with Steve. KO the OTR. It's time you starte dtraining all those pet turkeys of yours to invade and exterminate. exterminate, exterminate. Ooops , sorry wrong place.
Your jungle sounds like a wonderful place for crawlies (8 legged kind) I'm not going to move into your backyard after all. I may come up with a few buckets for some water though.
Leisa was going to dig a channel but I think she got tired after a few miles.
I do envy you all with the lovely broms but mine are doing well so far. Wait until they feel the winter.
It was a very windy day yesterday and cold. Today is fine but still cold . The wind has gone at least. Shopping today, so more orphans I hope.
Chrissy , the mystery Angel is nearly out. . The first Glasshouse Angel flowers are all out and I do like the cheeky way the flowers stick out to look at you. I am waiting for plant no 2 to open and see if there is any color difference.
Steve, your oasis is going to be lovely with all the bulbs. I do like lots of scented plants around. I have a couple of curry plants here and hubby loves the smell of them. I like lots of plants that send out their scent without you having to bend over to smell them. You must get a Blue Fountain Bush as the scent wafts around everywhere.
Brian, don't we gardeners all do the same thing, and only dress for outings ?
I have a neighbour who would not be seen in old clothes. Needless to say, she is not a real gardener. A cityite turned countryite. We do have a few around here. Being farm country, most people are quite happy to live in the old clothes and when you see them dressed at a wedding or funeral, you don't recognise them. You can always pick the recycled townies. I like to get dressed up for town as I was brought up that way. I remember even having to wear gloves to church as a child.
Sammut, I reuse clothes. As they fade they get relegated to garden use. I don't own a dress and have a wardrobe of slacks and trackies.
Hello Shelly and Mya.
Gardengal, congrats on your baby bats.
Better get a move on as hubby is looking at his watch.
Have a great day all and hello to all those I missed.
I see the bourbon sauce disappeared yesterday. I hope it was shared around.
Try these Lemon Cookies today.
Jean.
Hello Gardengal. It's just a quarter acre block but on a ridge with the house on the top bit and the back goes into a gully that goes curves around to the river in front. Our late neighbour on the other side planted ferns and palms down there and there is a walkway and bridge across it. It is part of the council's River Walk. The temperature drops and everything seems quiet down there. really hard to believe you are so close to the CBD.The annoying neighbour on the other side doesn't have gully access but likes to look into it through our place. I know he is not supposed to trim anything on our side but that doesn't stop him. Yes, we have had words and I have put some bamboo screening up which he objected to. The previous owner sent in tree loppers and there are still the cuts in some of the palms from when I caught them. They were only just starting so hadn't chopped anything and said it was a mistake but I had seen them pass the chainsaw through the fence and one then said he was told to say that but thought he wouldn't get away with it. Some people just have a nerve. Same with the one over the road..he comes up and trims/ removes trees he doesn't like and there is a road between..Claims they block his sun but he does it when we are out. I try to make access to those parts of the garden difficult. My son took my car to his casual job before 6am. OTR has already run out and moved his truck across both parking spots. This used to be a street of wonderful artistic souls..almost alternatives..as they loved the sylvan setting and were prepared to live with the difficulties to preserve the trees. Now, it has become trendy riverfront and expensive so different types are the only ones with the money! I guess the selfish attitude helped them get wealthy in the first place. One day we will move but this is so close to everything.
It is a lovely sunny day, the sky is clear and a wonderful blue and the birds have been sounding glorious..except for one of our roosterlings! Lol! After all the rain, the ground is sloshy and slippery out the back. You go for a slide! It would be great gardening today. I will do some but the rest will have to wait! Have a great day all. Cheers, Kat
Good morning, Jean..starting to think you had slept in! Thanks for the brekky! Hope you find some good orphans. I garden in shorts and sleeveless shirts. It's still warm here..very pleasant. I think I threw out some of my daggiest track pants. I get cuts and scratches on my arms and legs, especially from the wild bougainvillea. Have a great day. Cheers, Kat
Good morning to all,
Nice sunny morning starting to warm up now , I think I might have sounded a bit posh the reason I dont have any thing only last season cloths is I am a horder when I moved the only thing I did not down size was my cloths I still had things from the eighties and before last year my dear daughter in law said any thing not worn in the last six months goes so I had to start over It has not taken me long every thing is over flowing again Its her fault she takes me in the shops each week I buy some thing .
to- day Iam back to the green haven more baskets to hang .
--------------Sammut
Sammut, how are you today? I am a hoarder too..a packrat! I read about a woman who was killed when she went into her garage to get something and there was a landslide of her stuff and she was buried under it for three days. Unfortunately she was only found because she had died under it. At least I have stacked crates so the stuff and books are not likely to slide. Life would be so much easier without "stuff"! i think being an art teacher made me save things..bad habit! Cheers all. Kat (the packrat?)