Welcome back to Sunday
Selections!
This once-a- week-meme
was originally begun by Kim of Frog Ponds Rock, as a way to showcase some of
the many photos we all take, but don't get around to showing on our blogs.
The rules are very
simple:-
1. post photos of your
choice, old or new, under the Sunday Selections title
2. link back to me,
River, somewhere in your post
3. leave me a comment so
that I know you've joined in and can come over and see what you've posted.
Kath and Andrew often
join in.
There are a couple of other
participants too:
Jackie K at Working
Through It
Gillie at The View from
Here
I usually go with a
theme for my Sunday Selections and this week I'm continuing with some photos of
the garden I'm making alongside my flat.
the first few things planted, Banksia "Birthday Candles" on the back left, a Kangaroo Paw "Bush Gold" at the back right and the Grevillea "Apricot Tingle" in front.
here you can see the Jades in a row along the bed, there is about 75cm between them and the path, I hope that's enough room. The large greenery at the back is the softer grasses in front of the flats behind mine. The new green things in this bed are three varieties of Kangaroo Paw, "Bush Gems", "Bush Dance" and "Bush Volcano" differing heights and flower colours, but essentially the same plant. Do you see that tiny white plastic frame behind one of the trees? It is sheltering two teeny tiny apricot trees growing from seeds I dropped there last year. They have now been moved into a pot on the porch and two more seeds have been dropped into it also. I saved the seeds a few years ago from the best tasting apricots I ever had.
in front of the jades, I moved the remaining grevillea groundcover that didn't get stolen, plus another of the same type that I hadn't planted yet.
Kangaroo Paw "Bush Gems". I only planted one of everything and left the bed for a week to see if they stayed where I put them. If they'd gone walkabout, I would have been very disappointed. Angry too.
the first Coprosma also went in on this day, it should be easier to see as it grows.
Grevillea "Peach Blush". If you look closely, perhaps enlarge the image, you'll see tiny pink & creamy yellow flowers on this one. They curl around like snail shells and are no bigger than my pinky nail. There is a better picture on the labels featured in last Sunday's post.
flowers of the Kangaroo Paw "Bush Gems". A little blurry, planting is hard on the wrists, so holding the camera was a little uncomfortable.
long view of the bed with all remaining plants now in place. You can see there is plenty of space I still have to fill, but I will leave these to grow and spread for a while before deciding what else to buy. I have seeds of marigolds, stocks and hollyhocks that I can put in for summer colour. I'll plant those tomorrow. It's a bit late for hollyhocks, but I'll put them in and hope.
a closer view, where you can see I made a clump of the Bush Gems, a row of the Bush Dance and have spaced out the Bush Volcano and Bush Gold. All Kangaroo Paws.
not a very tight clump, but they will all grow into each other a bit.
both Coprosmas, they should grow together and form a small hedge 1.5m high by 2m long and will hide the soft grasses a bit.
the three Bush Dance plants with the two Bush Volcano behind.
now there are two Banksia "Birthday Candles", these will grow 45cm high
the spring bulbs are all making good progress, that second pot from the front is a pelargonium.
I bought a few little Solar lights to stick into some of the pots, Cheap as Chips $2 each, they look quite nice at night, I can see them through the window, but it is far too cold at night to get out there and take photos. I'll do that in the warmer weather.
I also bought this cute little Solar Ant, also from Cheap as Chips $4,
with Welcome to my Garden written in his book.
Now I have a question for Elephant's Child. All these plants have bird and butterfly attracting flowers, but will birds be scared away by the plastic kookaburras I have hanging in two of the trees?
And could anyone please offer a couple of suggestions for fill in plants? Something that doesn't grow too high, 40-60cm is okay and perhaps not strappy leaves as I have plenty of those in the Kangaroo Paws.
Anything I plant will have to survive in clay soil and in our hot summers.
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Exciting times. I am really, really pleased that the thieves have left your planting alone this time. LONG may it continue.
ReplyDeleteI would be surprised if the kookaburras scare off the birds. They may be wary at first, but they learn remarkably quickly what is (and isn't) a threat.
Your garden is already looking good - and is going to get better and better.
PS: Have you thought about native violets as a fill in plant? They spread fairly happily and are low growing.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Elephant's Child re the kookaburras...I have a couple of leadlight creatures hanging freely in my patio area...from the ceiling and the birds, without a care in the world, hang around there, walking about and looking through my screen door...either waiting for a feed or having a chat with Remy & Shama.
ReplyDeleteYour garden will look absolutely wonderful when all your plants really get a good go on.
Have a good week, River...cuddles to Angel. :)
These are wonderful, River. Great job.
ReplyDeleteI always am excited at newly planted beds - so much promise of lushness to come.
Sending wishes that the plant thieves stay away for good.
Nice work. I had forgotten what coprosmas are. I had to look them up. Of course, the little red berries that kids like to flick at each other. They are a bit of pest species though. The name coprosma means 'smelling like dung'. I don't recall that they do smell bad.
ReplyDeleteElephant's Child; I did think about native violets, but want other things as well. I'm going to have a couple of spreads of those soft grey Lamb's Ears and maybe one other grey leafed plant. Good to know about the kookaburras.
ReplyDeleteLee; I will leave the kookaburras where they are and maybe hang another bird in the remaining trees. They have upright branches so a bird feeder won't hang well, but I'll eventually get a stand to hang one on.
Vicki; I'm planning a birdbath and one of those 1m high ornamental windmills as well. I remember they used to be available for $50, but that was 20 years ago.
Andrew; little red berries? I don't recall seeing that on the label but the birds should be happy with that.
How nice to be able to rent a place that allows you gardening space as well.
ReplyDeleteThat garden is going to be beautiful. It already looks great.
ReplyDeleteYou have been so busy and it is all looking good including everything in the pots as well.
ReplyDeleteAs a fill in what about those tiny daisy ground covers you featured last year. Ours nearly died with our dreadfully hot summer but some have come back to life so are very hardy.
With the 'jade', if it is the same as the one we have one of ours has grown to about 5' high by about 4' across. Will take a photo and email you a picture to give you some idea. Ours seem to have plain green leaves but I am sure they are the same type of plant. You can of course keep them pruned if they grow to large.
You have inspired me to try and get something going in our back garden if I possibly can. I just regret I can no longer do it and have to rely on help from others.
So glad everything has remained in place with no plant robbery taking place.
Love the idea of the solar lights in the pots. We have them in our front garden and my spinning light is still working well too.
Delores; these blocks of flats are all only two stories high and surrounded by community gardens. Many of the tenants have taken over the patch nearest them and made it their own, so I've copied. The area gets plenty of heat and light in the summer so I may put a tub of tomatoes and lettuce out there as well in the mid-spring.
ReplyDeleteJackie K; I'm hoping it will be beautiful as everything grows together and covers the bare spaces.
Mimsie; yes, it would be the same Jade, I know they will grow too big and I'm hoping they won't shade the smaller plants too much in summer. I don't want to bother with pruning because that is a never ending task. They will make a lovely hedge though and possibly just shelter the other things from intense sunlight. Let us all know how your back yard goes.
Mimsie; my jade has the red tipped yellow leaves because they don't get enough water I think. They did green up a lot last spring and new growth is generally green. Does yours have small leaves about the size of a five cent coin? Mine is the large leaf type, the leaves are about fifty cent coin size.
ReplyDeleteI was mistaken. I was thinking of Cottoneaster. The mirror leaf bushes that were everywhere in my childhood were Comprosmas, I think.
ReplyDelete