Archive for the ‘Horticulture’ Category

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Magical Magnolia

Friday, October 16th, 2009

I have been away from my blog for far too long…

My busy life has prevented me from posting as much as I would like.  You see, it is now Spring here and because I am involved in the garden industry my life becomes very chaotic.

Anyway, nothing like a beautiful scent of rose or magical flowering magnolia to stop me in my tracks!

Here is a gorgeous specimen in my mother’s garden.

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The buds were lucky to survive on the bush this year, because last year the cockatoos chewed them all off!

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And just outside my bedroom window is my ever pretty Star Magnolia.

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We also have another new magnolia in the garden, just planted. It is called ‘Star Wars’ and has huge dark pink flowers, so looking forward to seeing that one out next Spring. The kids gave it to their dad for a fathers day gift. Very appropriate really seeing as my 4 yo boy is just MAD about Star Wars!

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The Orchid Club’s Annual Show

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

Last weekend our local orchid club had it’s annual show in the town hall.  As you can imagine, the hall was bursting with big, luscious, colourful blooms! All looking spectacular and enough to turn on the most ardent non gardener type.

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There were a lot of cymbidium orchids in the show but also some beautiful, intricate and extremely delicate natives such as the Sydney Rock Orchid shown in the next photo.

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These are such beauties and grow in our local area on the cliff faces around many river beds and waterfalls. They are an epiphytic orchid which means they thrive on trunks and branches of trees or even rocks. Epiphytes are sometimes referred to as ‘air plants.’

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How impressive are they? Many people are scared to grow them because they really do appear to be just so delicate. The orchid club does an annual demonstration and workshop at our garden centre each year and shows how to pot and care for them. Most of the club members say to “just keep ‘em in a pot under a tree down the backyard and they will be fine.” It seems that if you fuss over them, that will most probably be their downfall.

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I love the green ones, I think they are my favourite!

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My Grafted Emu Bush

Friday, August 7th, 2009

I have this lovely little grafted Emu Bush in my garden (Eremophila latrobei.) It is currently in flower even though it is Winter here and has been flowering for quite a while now. It is a bright and sunny sight on a cold miserable day.

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This particular species of Eremophila is from the inland states of Australia. It like the hot dry country, thus it can be difficult to grow in my Eastern seaboard garden. This one is grafted and it is grafted onto Myoporum rootstock. The Myoporum is in the same family as Eremophila and it is an extremely hardy little plant! This makes it then very easy for avid Eremophila lovers to enjoy this plant grown anywhere in Australia. How fantastic is that?

This little eremophila only grows to around 2 metres or so in height and it has the most beautiful purple flowers. The foliage is stunning too, being quite grey (which usually indicates drought hardy to me!) and it has very pretty little seed pods.

If you are interested in growing Eremophila’s, be sure to check out all the grafted species available now. There are many enthusiasts out there and about 200 different species to collect!

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Amanita muscaria

Sunday, July 12th, 2009

The beautiful Fly Agaric Mushroom (Amanita muscaria) is a fungi species that is not native to Australia. It has however become readily naturalised in our Southern states. This particular one is growing under some Monterey Cypress at my place of work.

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As it emerges from the ground the cap is usually rounded but then turns flat with age. The cap also the very pretty red surface with little white warts on it. It is a mushroom that many people would associate with fairy’s and other little fantastical garden creatures!

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Something else that I find fascinating about this mushroom is that because of it’s psychoactive ingredient, it was apparently used by Vikings to enter their berserker rages. This theory though has never been proven and to some it is just an urban legend that has perpetuated over the years.

The wonderful fairy image above is taken from here.

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The Wondrous Earth Star

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

Look at what is emerging from my soil and appearing amongst the grass! They are just so cute…if you are into fungi..and I am.

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It is called an Earth Star. I am not sure of the specific species but possibly Geastrum triplex. You can see that it belongs to the ‘puffball’ kingdom of fungi. That puffy section in the middle of the fungi is actually very soft to touch and when it is pushed it ‘puffs’ out all the spores through it’s little opening there. I find it really fascinating and so wondrous. There is a whole colony of them out there growing in my little bit of bushland.

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It really is that time of year for fungi and I have noticed some beautiful specimens around. They are just so intricate and often in the most amazing shapes and patterns. I will have some more great pics to share with you soon. Are you a fan of fungi too??

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Graceful Grasses – The Common Reed

Monday, June 15th, 2009

The other day I went for a beautiful long walk through the Panboola Wetlands.

The wetlands is a wonderful place to visit, especially if you are a bird watcher as it is teeming with birdlife. We saw many Egret’s and Swamp Hen’s foraging through the billabongs.

I of course, was most entranced with the absolutely beautiful and graceful Common Reed (Phragmites australis) that was growing so abundantly.

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This native grass is also known as feather grass or thatch reed. It grows prolifically all over these wetlands and is excellent for providing habitat and food from the seed heads for the many water birds there. The reeds also provide a home for insects, frogs and lizards too.

Apparently the reeds were used by Indigenous Australians to make rafts which were then used on the lagoons for helping to gather food such as fish. The underground roots are also edible.

It would have to be one of my favourite Native Australian Grasses, so tall and graceful at 2 to 3 metres in height.

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Siberian Kale

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

I have the most wonderful looking Siberian Kale (Brassica napus) growing in my garden. It has grown from seed purchased at Eden Seeds.

I love it’s crinkly, very dark green leaves that are packed with healthy vitamins and minerals. I decided to grow it after hearing Peter Cundall from Gardening Australia espouse it’s virtues for many years.

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It grows magnificently over the cold Winter that we are now experiencing in this part of the world. Apparently the frost on the leaves also helps to take out some of the bitterness and leaves them very tasty and sweet. You can use kale in any dish that you would normally use green vegies. I like mine just lightly stir fried with a little garlic and sesame oil.

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This would have to be one of the best vegies or food plants to grow in terms of value for money! For a $4.00 packet of seed you will be able to feed your family healthy, nutritious meals for many of the cold Winter weeks. Try putting loads of kale in vegie burgers or mixed through a yummy curry.

I also like it just for it’s sheer beauty, hope that doesn’t make me shallow!

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Misty Eucalypt Vistas

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

During a recent road trip to Sydney from the south coast of N.S.W, our journey took us up over Brown Mountain. The mountain is approx 1200M above sea level and is very often quite foggy and misty up on its peak.

We stopped on the top at Pipers Lookout and as we expected, were shrouded in thick mist. There is Eucalypt forest all around and many native wildflowers, although this is not the best time of year to see them. On a clear day it is an excellent view right down the mountain and across the Bega Valley.

I couldnt resist a few misty Eucalypt photos.

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It was very quiet in the early morning, very fresh and crisp too. Just very serene and beautiful, almost magical…

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Enchanting Grevillea ‘Superb’

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

I know I have written a post before about these beautiful tropical Grevilleas, but they are just stunning at the moment!

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I don’t think there is actually a time of year when they are not flowering. The Wattle birds just love them and are continually foraging the flowers for nectar.

Grevillea ‘Superb’ is actually a hybrid of a QLD Grevillea, ‘Grevillea banksii’ and a W.A Grevillea, ‘Grevillea bipinnatifida’. Now the QLD Grevillea actually has white flowers, whilst the W.A one has red, therefore the hybrid of Grevillea ‘Superb’ has these enchanting salmon pink coloured flowers.

This Grevillea is just so hardy and it even tolerates the moderate frosts we get here too! Because it only grows to around 1.5 to 2 metres high it is the perfect plant for many gardens.

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I love My Hips, Thankyou Very Much!

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

The beautiful, shapely crimson hips of my glorious Climbing Rose Masquerade.

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With raindrops still upon them and their glory by my gate, I marvel at their simple wonder and by chance I hesitate. They really are sublime, their colour just divine, and I so LOVE Masquerade because it reminds me of a simpler time.

I had this rose growing in the very first home I rented when I moved out of my parents home at the age of 19. I moved into a fabulous little fibro beach shack right on the sand and a stones throw from the water.

The garden was full of so many amazing, textural succulents and this one rampaging Masquerade Climbing Rose just rampant over the back fence. I fell in love with it and then after seeing it available in a nursery, I planted it by my front gate on our country property 20 years later.

Oh and aren’t her hips just luscious?

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