The Border is coming along nicely, I have planted three silver ferns (ponga) and a wheki ponga, divided some reeds and fennel, added a little john callistemon bottle brush - great for moist soil - moved some carex, transplanted a blechnum fern and swan plants, as well as cuttings of abutilon that hopefully will root. I moved a hen and chickens fern. Then watered them in and added blood and bone and a mulch of manuka leaves. There's also a a sprouting choko in the mix too, having cut back the grapevine to one side.
I made a little edging with mugwort sticks. The dragons gold kowhai was moved to the front garden, although not sure if the transplant will survive as the roots were looking a bit sad. Also shifted a climbing rose 'Cecile Brunner' to near the peach tree in hopes it will clamber up the tree.
Elsewhere have added more to my Princess Diana flowerbed. Plants added include ivy geranium, scented geranium, abutilon, mint, catmint, lambs ears, marjoram, clary sage.
I made cuttings of hydrangea, hibiscus and luculia. The hydrangea cuttings have been laid lengthwise along the shady side of the fence and some uprights in the reserve.
Sounds like I had accomplished a lot this week, but there's still a bag of pebbles to use somewhere, that I got sucked into the buy more for less spiel, when I bought several for church and had one left over but one bag of pebbles is not enough for the entire bed in front of the house, so am not sure what to do with it now. Also it's very heavy!
Am still not happy with the maple bed (or Snowy's bed) as the guaras have died down and bulbs are coming up, but still looking a bit ratty. I have put in two clivia there but its not really going with the established licorice plant and lavenders. Too much silver, and there's purple sage which is ok, but seems to be getting eaten by caterpillars. So am not sure what to do. There's lambs ears, and also bracken fern that only looks nice with fresh growth, the dead fronds look terrible. Maybe I should just renga it. Although that would involve finding extra rengas somewhere. There's plenty of spider plants but they aren't growing there. Perhaps more hen and chicken ferns? I don't know. Seems like a dead area, nothing will grow there, or it will grow but eventually dies. I want something permanent that will look good all year round. Am almost tempted to put star jasmine in, but feel that star jasmine is best used as a climber not a groundcover.
So still more to do and think about, PLUS getting the church garden started now that the main established beds are tidied up and complete. Thanks to my workmate John for help getting clivias in! I need to buy or source new plants especially trees and shrubs soon and get them in the ground before winter.
Hoping to visit Ayrlies this Friday for the Ayrlies Plant Fair - it's on Friday and Saturday entry $10 and get some plants and a truckload of inspiration.
