Auckland Botanic Gardens

The tour.. yesterday dawned bright and rainbowy, after several ums and ahs Mum finally decided she would come with me as Bev invited us to head to the gardens to brush up on my flower ID. It turns out we knew the names of most things but the annoying thing is those we didn't know the name of, didn't have name tags and what labels there were, were always in latin, leaving us none the wiser.

I know it's a prunus whatever, but what do normal people call it?!

The cherry blossoms were still not quite there yet, we predict next week they will be out in full glory, when the Chinese have decided to put on their festival, but I did  manage to see some glorious specimen trees in frothy pink bloom. There's daffodils at their feet, but Bev, ever the artist, preferred that they be yellow and not the white and orangey ones for full effect. Even so carloads of Asian families were strolling through the grounds, all having the same idea - taking selfies.

Half the gardens were fenced off undergoing renovations, so we did not get to see the subtropicals, or the perennial beds, or the walled vege garden, but other parts that we did not see last time were open, like the herb garden and the new landscaped carpark, which was just a paddock/gravel last year.

I recommend you take picnic or snack foods with you and a thermos because you can't just buy a latte and expect to have it without waiting twenty minutes or more...Mum. The cafe staff were rushed off their feet.

This time of year, the standout blooms on display were Red Waratahs, Purple Babiana, Florescent Orange Ice plants, Purple Granny Bonnets, and Bright Pink Daisies.

Some ideas worth borrowing include - a roof garden (I'm eyeing the garage roof)
Hardenbergia tunnel (could I scrap my arch and have a tunnel instead??)
Bricked up herb garden (if we bust down this house could make a herb garden out of the bricks, but we would need to have somewhere else to live, possibly in a container)
Red waxy begonias for year round colour
Purple Kale border with parsley
Banksia rose arcs
Fields of purple babianas.

Bev agreed with me she was not really a fan of camellias, rhodos, hellebores and azaleas. I was going to add hydrangeas and thorny roses to that list of old fashioned plants I just don't like. (Sorry hydrangea and rose lovers, but half the time they look like sticks)  So maybe it's best I don't set foot in Taranaki, because those are the star plants there. I have planned to go down to Te Awamutu after all with the Floral Circle, and good news Cenny is going to come with me too. We are going to visit 7 gardens and it will all be full of floral surprises.

Mum made the comment that one garden the threatened natives garden was messy and it did look a bit neglected, and then of course she turned on me and said like my garden...however Bev valiantly defended my honor and said I didn't have the time and anyway did mum ever help out? No? Well then just let it be. And there is nothing really wrong with a wild garden.

I felt like giving her a hug but Bev wasn't that type of person so she was content to have a feijoa icecream instead. Thanks Bev for a grand day out.

Spring into Action

I scored some seeds from the Ranui Community garden  they are

Sweet Pea Bijou Semi Dwarf
Marigold Crackerjack
Cleome Pink
Radish Diakon Japanese
Dwarf Peas W.F. Massey

Not sure what the deal is with all the dwarf seeds it makes me feel a bit like Snow White. But those are the seeds I have to play with now spring is here. I've uncovered my chamomile lawn and hoping they will just romp away this summer. I am tempted to fill every gap with plants and cram cram cram, as I can't leave bare soil for Martha to dig away..but I know things take time to grow and fill out.

I caught Martha eating some daisies this afternoon and didn't know she had a penchant for those. Aunty has given me some furry begonia cuttings so they went in the remaining bare patch in the Fat Lady Sings garden -- (I can't remember why I call it that, something to do with the camellia bush?)

Anyway. Bev the Floral Circle lady has offered to take me on a Botanical Garden tour this weekend and hopefully the weather fines up and we'll see cherry blossoms all over.

It's our working bee to down at the community garden again and we're going to enlarge the banana circle. I've been pruning the dead leaves and hoping for more banana pups so we can get a Banana Republic going.

Hooray for school holidays! Spring is out in force and there's lots to do. So am going to be busy as the bees are, so that by summer I can be in my lounger lazily flicking through garden magazines and sipping lemonade. Note to self must install garden hammock.

I must also grab some arum lilies from Aunty, yes I know they are kinda weeds, but I won't let them get out of hand. Last time I tried to plant them they all died but now I know to plant them in the wettest spot in the garden.

There's also the Henderson Baptist Church garden, which could do with a spruce up, but I will need to do that on the sly because I learned if you try to tell anything to a church board they will just say don't bloody bother us with your garden. Well they won't say 'bloody' because they are Christians but you know what I mean. It's a bit too late to plant Christmas lilies but I'm sure I can find something to go in the beer can strewn front entrance way. Not poppies because they will get stolen. I'm sure I can find something, otherwise they will need to be content with dandelions.

Secret Diary of rambling gardener

number of potatoes planted 17

new plants 2 (furry begonias)

weight - still 50 kgs

cigarettes smoked - none, breathed fresh air

Dear Diary

Am still singleton. Asked out mates to movie but no dreamy architect with big garden to look after on horizon. Mr Darcy still ignoring me. Went for cherry tree walk with mum in Cornwall Park but wasn't romantic as blossoms aren't out yet. Looked at all the couples holding hands and running round with dogs. I have no dog and can't run round with Mummy Cat. God it was noisy and annoying.

Big Sis birthday and got the brag she was in Palermo, Sicily, having Italian breakfast with her lovers. Sigh. Mr M still annoying me so I blocked his phone. He kept txting me at 9 in the evening to say goodnight but I don't like being woken up by my phone. 

Am having miserable week. Everyone got drunk at quiz night but had terrible fizzy coke and a dental appointment today. Lord I don't want root canal. Save me from distress. No I don't want to marry a dentist as I have crooked teeth that refuse to be fixed, as I still have no money, my $5 Lotto win didn't go far.  Handsome Gardener man at Woodside just told us he was married the other month, and nobody even knew. We weren't invited to the wedding. 

Bridget Jones eat your heart out. Am ALL BY MYSELF. Sob! On plus side, echium is blooming. 

Dear Diary

As promised some pics. Spring is here...

Yesterday I caught up with Joanne from Ranui Community Garden and her Rongoa group. We had a working bee and I scored some mint, parsely and mint, vege seeds, and a whole lot of geranium and osteospermum cuttings. 

I did some weeding at the entrance with a Garden Planet listener who I met at Kings Plant Barn. I suspect she's following me around? 

Today the garden wanted me to start Chamomile Lawn number 2. So that's what's going by the Wisteria. 

I was thinking how popular diaries are with the 8-12 year old set. Dork Diaries, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Puppy Diaries. Ella Diaries. The Diary of Anne Frank. I'm wondering if Rambling Garden Diary will join the heights of literary famedom, but I suspect not. Besides, it's no secret, it's a blog, and while it contains some overtones of 'my parents don't understand me' it doesn't have the cartoony pictures or drama of man-eating plants. Perhaps if I wrote a crossover spinoff like The Secret Garden Diaries. But then I wouldn't have time to be a librarian/gardener would I? Follow the thrill of the seasons as winter turns into spring. Oh no are Selina's plants going to die in the summer drought? Will her dad cut down her tree again? On Valentines Day, Selina doesn't receive any roses or chocolates. Will Selina stay single forever??

Bees and Butterflies

Echium in bloom

Upgraded Riverpark playground at last...with carex and pratia planting

Adopt an orchid

Spectacular Orchids were on show at the annual Orchid Show held at Kelston Community Centre.
Fab Garden Mama Brigita came along and adopted one, while my own Mum persuaded me not to adopt any as we already had quite a few under the citrus trees. No pink ones though just yellow cymbidiums and those tiny 'poor man orchids'.

You can join an orchid club and get really into it, the showiest ones win cups and trophies. Some tips - you can grow them in tree forks or ponga logs, and they look spectacular in hanging baskets. Grow them in bark, not potting mix and make sure they are well drained and in indirect sunlight, in a sheltered spot.

We bought posies for $5 each and now I have one sitting in the living room that will last months. I think orchids are like the plant equivalent of ladies shoes. Shoe aficianodos can't stop at one they have to all kinds. You have your Nike airs and ones with racing stripes, your peekaboo toes, and your slippers. Once you start with one you can't stop...

I didn't find any plants on my shopping list but did come across big pouches of flower seed at Mitre 10 going for $5 with mulch and fert included. They say Gro-sure' but whenever anyone mispells a word like 'grow' I'm rather sceptical. However they come with a 100% personal guarantee so, if they don't 'gro' I will write to Kiwicare and complain.

Still on the lookout for an architect to date. Hmm no takers. You would think they would be cruising round the garden centres looking for gardeners to help them set off their designer houses. Or maybe you have to call them. I don't know I've kinda given up on dating. I think it only works if you just date your friends, then you don't need to worry who calls first. If a man can't set up a proper date (movies are not dates! Movies are boring, go to sleep affairs, like going out to watch TV basically) then sorry I'm just not interested.

My next blog posts are going to be all pictures because...spring has sprung! Hooray. Once I figure out how to do it. I'm supposed to be all tech-savvy, but actually I still read books. I'm just used to cutting out pictures and pasting them on pieces of paper, with glue. I still do that sometimes. I can't press flowers online. It just doesn't work.