I haven’t written here for a while…
But things are growing!
My snow peas and beans have finished so I pulled them out. I didn’t sow anymore cos I want to do something different. I’ve weeded and plan to dig or mulch the weeds back into the soil to enrich it.
Mum dug out much the soil that had been piling up at the back and blocking drainage so I still have to figure out what to do with that bare soil which is very poor with nothing much to grow as well as being dry and too far to carry much water to and fro.
There is one lone swan plant, a grapevine, a loquat, a lemon tree/bush and a red canna lily.
I tried to sow alyssum under the grapevine, it came up then shriveled again cos of lack of moisture.
I’m thinking maybe blanket the area in green manure - mustard, oats and lupin and then once those dug in with nitrogen back into the soil I can think about what I can grow there again. Or phacelia, to encourage bees. I’d love a wildflower border, and have recently been inspired by Prince Charles garden at Highgrove. I watched a doco in which he showed us the garden with Alan Titchmarsh. It’s all grown according to organic principles. Still looking for that sundial.
Sweet peas are doing well, have flowered, though small, they have lovely scent. I’m picking a few to press into my garden book..keeping leaves and flowers and just having a record of what I’ve grown. Some have seeded already..have to keep these seeds.
I want to dig out those pesky roses at the front I hate the thorns and give them to Tembe but still haven’t got round to it. It’s flower carpet so it’s prolific but the flowers have no scent so it’s useless to me.
My brothers planted those. You cut them back and they keep growing.
They also planted other roses down the back but problem is with Auckland’s humid weather they get black spot easily plus the blooms don’t last long and wilt in the heat.
And I hate the thorns too! grrr.
The peach tree is fruiting, mum bottled a whole lot the other day, I can hear them thud on our garage roof as they fall. I put in a comfrey plant underneath, a bizzy lizzie (impatiens) and also that hydrangea which now has new leaves.
I plan to do a bit more underplanting in that area which is also where the chickens have their coop.
I have put the hen and chicken ferns still in pots underneath the verandah..not sure where to plant just yet but maybe underneath the peach tree?
As for the begonia, it didn’t survive. Sorry.
I planted it in Sock’s garden but it was too dry there and also the chickens kept digging there, so…no luck. Socks’ clivia is doing well, I put in a spider plant too, but if do manage to find more clivia will put those in as clivia looks good in bunches of three underneath the shade of the feijoa.
I’ve made a little rock garden in the corner with spider plant, mint, echevrias, aeoloforums (sp?) succulents and money trees. this little patch I’ve put in logs and also air lillies to make a kind of wild terrarium kind of garden. I also found moss and seaweed magic mulch is good, esp for hanging baskets.
My hanging basket did not hang as was too heavy, but I now have those window boxes that do hang off the side of my verandah and they have strawberries, succulents, trailing rosemary, alyssum and basil.
My attempt at growing thyme was thwarted when I forgot to water them on a particularly hot day they all shriveled up and died. So I wasted that packet of seed.
I bought a sack of the King of Mulches as they say pea straw and lucerne and have mulched my pots and tyres and strawberries and the frangipani, hibiscus and olive tree.
It’s good stuff.
I have in another pot sweet william and lambs ears. The lambs ears have grown giant and seem to be listening to Sweet William, who has pink flowers.
I cut him back and he’s still growing more. So…looks like he’s here to stay.
I gave my christmas tree to Operation Christmas Child charity and the manager said do you have a name for it? I said…oh Mr Tree?
I also gave them back their bizzy lizzie I had been looking after over Christmas and they said they missed her.
Yea I don’t know I thought I was the only one giving personalities to plants…
Moses in the basket..doing well, tea tree…sort of growing…passionfruit..still looks the same as ever and hardly grown at all. BUT heard it said that, they just putting down roots first. Phew. American thornless hybrid blackberrry..seems to be doing well, but we’ll see if this hybrids fruit is any good.
So…am gearing up for Autumn!
ps. bought the latest nz gardener came with a garden diary and free gloves. Gloves were too big for me so gave to my Dad. Otherwise I am not spending that much more on my garden as now getting free cuttings, the only thing I’m spending on lately is mulch.
That’s all for now..
S.
