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Thursday 31 December 2015

Last day in the old year; Thursday, 31/12/2015




We may enjoy time, waste time,  but we never can ignore it.Ts


Billy the book dog;





Our good handyman/gardener has done a good job weeding out a very beautiful but aggressive ground cover/climber which was growing under the trees for many years.  He has mulched the area as well. I kept the tree aloe and some others, which I received from my neighbour, both flower beautifully in spring. 





The hens enjoy a big yard with Mango trees for shade.
As soon as I am around they follow me for treats.




If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then unto me.
William Shakespeare




the B&B garden along the driveway;

Penta flowers beloved by butterflies and bees.





It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.
William Shakespeare







Echinacea




Along the drive way;






Kangaroo Paw; 



Ethereal flowers of Salvia Peru blue.



Gladioli grow well in the subtropics.




Rose Crepuscule in the herb garden.




Happy New Year 2016


Believe it or not;
The simplest philosophy, everything has a beginning and an end. Ts


©Photos/text Ts Lavender & Vanilla

Monday 7 December 2015

Summer blooms in many colours; come and walk with me...


Borders along the the drive way and the she shed.

LONGER DAYLIGHT



I planted a few Buddlejas, Summer Lilacs,  also called Butterfly bush, this spring.

BEACH



Agapanthus and pink Abutilon;
FLIPFLOPS



Perennial Petunia reseeds  readily.
SWIM



Abutilon yellow;



COLD DRINKS



Gladdies are great cut flowers, around for many weeks.

ICE CREAM



Salvias provide colour for many month;

HOLIDAYS



Orchid Oncidium, "Dancing Ladies produces long sprays up to 1 m long;

SAND







This tree plays host to many plants, here to a small leaved Hoya with green and wine red flowers. Other plants are different Bromeliads and orchids.

WATERMELON




Buddleja white mingling with blue Agapanthus and Verbena bonariensis.




Lagerstoemia, Crepe Myrtle;



THAT SUMMER FEELING



Ostespermum, African Daisy;

BAREFOOT




Clerodendron splendens;

Believe it or not;



© Photos/Text Ts  Lavender&Vanilla

Wednesday 30 September 2015

September variations;


Spring seems to inspire new projects, new plans, it injects ‘une joie de vivre’ like no other season. Ts


Louisiana Iris are a beautiful addition to any garden; the flowers life 'short and sweet', but oh so worthwhile to grow.







When the sunlight glitters winter is dead; Ts



Reflection in the herb garden;



'Salvia my Love'  Salvia Fallax planted a few weeks ago shows its first flowers.

Fallax is one of the 2m evergreen Mexican shrubs of robust growth with pretty pale blue flowers late winter onwards. Its name might be more correctly roscida.It doesn’t like much frost so not a good choice for very cold areas though it can be grown in a protected area.It can be slashed around Xmas if you want to keep it smaller.It may seed a bit or can be grown from cuttings.The closest plant is polystachya, also a pale blue flower but slate blue, and autumn flowering rather than winter on a less upright plant. (from i Garden)

Salvia 'Mystic Spires' just started flowering in its second year.



The first daylily to flower; Cosmic Hummingbird,  a smallish flower, very floriferous.



A new addition to my Salvia garden; Salvia Canariensis.
Bright silvery-white, hirsute foliage and stems, makes a fabulous highlight in a sunny, dry garden. In a single season growing into a nice bush with an upright habit crowned from Summer to autumn with spikes  of rosey blooms held in rich violet-purple calyces. It’s best in well drained soil with some compost added. Cut back in winter. 
I planted mine in a pot, as I am a bit reluctant to plant it out, as we can get such a lot of rain in summer. As soon as I can make some cuttings I will plant one out and monitor its success. 




Coriander in the herb garden; it seeds itself. every spring I immensely enjoy its dainty flowers and foliage, plus its quality to add some Mexican flavour to certain dishes. Peter does not like its taste, but I enjoy it.



Spring is the time for all to empty old cupboards, shake out old dreams; turn upside down and watch the grass grow. Ts




Geraniums love spring in the subtropics, show their best behaviour at this time of year. I have made many cuttings from this one, now these softies peep out from everywhere in the garden.  I read once that planting habits like this make a garden.



This one grows since many years in the same wall pot. From spring into summer is looks brilliant, fed and watered... Later it will start to sulk and show withdrawing symptoms; which I ignore otherwise it would have found itself on the compost.



This one is a much darker pink than this picture shows.The flowers are big and double.




A new addition to the bulb garden. Ornithogalum; Ornithogalum thyrsoides 'Chesapeake Snowflake'
A fabulous spring show of large flower heads made up of clusters of small white flowers. As a cut flower, Snowflake has an incredible, extra long vase life.
Planting
Plant in a full sun or part shade position in free-draining soil with a bit of mature composted material added if necessary. Ornithogalum grow from a bulb which naturalises in the ground, so you never have to lift the bulbs.
Watering
Begin watering in autumn when first shoots appear. The plant goes dormant over summer, so there’s little need to water at that time.
Fertilizer
Use a good quality controlled-release fertiliser but avoid applications of high nitrogen fertiliser which will encourage leafy growth at the expense of flowers.
Pruning 
Remove old stems by cutting off at the base. Don’t remove foliage until the plant has died back, which will occur in summer as the plant goes dormant.

Believe it or not:
Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men. ~Chinese Proverb



©Photos my garden/Text Ts Lavender & Vanilla;

Sunday 20 September 2015

Spring is bloomin' marvelous;

The garden welcomes flowers in blazing and soft colours.



Spanish Lavender; this one does seed and it also grows from cuttings. It does as well as the French Lavender in the subtropics.



Walk between the flowers and be happy. Ts

Wisteria;


Dendrobium Orchids are welcome spring beauties; easy to grow in the subtropics. Let them dwell on a tree in semi shade and they will flowers for you every spring


 
No spring without daisy flowers.

Ostespermum; African daisies.




Chicorino rosso flowers;


Heartsease; Johnny jump up; spring is their happy time. I am always looking forward to see their sweet kitten faces. These Darlings seed themselves, in the herb garden. Wherever they want to grow I applaud them.



Strong colours of Tibouchina species.
  1. Tibouchina is a genus of about 350 species of neotropical plants in the family Melastomataceae. They are trees, shrubs or subshrubs growing 0.5–25 m tall, and are known as glory bushes or glory trees. 
  2. Scientific nameTibouchina


I always adored pink and mauve together, Bougainvillea and Wisteria.

Any garden is for joy.Ts


Pretty self seeders. They are highly recommended, admired and easy to grow. Perennial Petunia.





Lovely, wonderful China rose Irene Watts. Delicious colour, delicious scent, delicious blooms. Not a tall grower, but such a fine plant. Say if I could plant one only, (I love many roses) it would be this one.




Gerbera; many years back I used to grow Gerberas in my farm garden, then somehow they went into oblivion, until I saw them in my daughter's garden. She wanted to get rid of them. I dug them out and planted them in my Butterfly garden. They are delightful. Love especially these spider blooms.



My herb garden is always a delight to me.



Queensland Rainforest tree; 

Thaleropia Queenslandica (or Metrosideros Queenslandica)
Endemic to North East Queensland this small tree grows to about 6m in height. It is evergreen and upright in habit with new growth being apricot/red on stems. Leaves are shiney dark green on top and paler below. Flowering in late October to December, a spectacular display of yellow to orange flowers borne on terminal growth can cover the entire tree. Flowers have five spreading petals and five protuding anthems.




Little sun;



Hippeastrums play a big part in my spring garden.  I admire the single ones, and use them to make new cross breeds.To me, the double or triple ones have lost their typical Hippeastrum appeal; that is just my opinion. 







Salvia Love and Wishes; I grow Salvia, small and tall all over my garden. 


Did you know,  to touch a plant, smell a flower, hug a tree is the best therapy!Ts






Not to forget the fine Grevillias which bring oodles of nectar sipping birds.




Your garden may be your heaven on earth. Every morning I can not wait to go out into the garden, nothing on earth is as good as to have your own garden. Ts


Believe it or not;
I have so many plants I have stopped counting, I can show only a few, each one is special, each one is different.



©Photos my garden ; Text and quotes Ts