I now have a snowball tree in Snowy's bed. It is in the corner where the standard rose that died used to be. While I was digging the hole I uprooted part of the rose root that was still there and the wooden stake. The snowball tree is the compact variety and I think will provide wonderful shade and colour for my garden, while I sit beside it on the tree stump.
Mitre 10 had a clearance sale and I couldn't resist, I had my eye on the bare branched trees selling for $7, originally $16. I also bought a dwarf agapanthus (why not, grows the best in Auckland), another hellebore (ruby red) and...another cranberry. I planted them all down the back.
So that was my morning shopping spree.
I am quite heartened to learn, from reading NZ Butterfly and Moth magazine, that my near-winter gardening efforts won't be in vain, and the seed I blithely scattered a few months ago WILL germinate come spring, as I've been adding plenty of organic matter to the soil. Sheep pellets, digging in green manure, straw, worm castings, leaf mould, compost, old potting mix...
Bulbs are now appearing, hyacinth has bloomed already but it doesn't look as perfect as it does in it's picture. I've noticed some cream coloured jonquils poking out of the ground. Gladioli is sending up shoots as well. The chickens have tried to dig my lily bulbs out so I moved one to another bed they cannot get at.
I'm tired out now and feel like a nap. As we are nearing the winter solstice it will be all downhill from here. I'm wondering will I need to buy any frost cloth for my chinese lanterns? Will my new plants survive? What am I going to do in the meantime? Terrariums?
Also did you know..the cabbage tree is actually a giant lily? Why they didn't name it giant lily tree I don't know.
