Hi all. Well what a great time to be working in and admiring our gardens. Autumn leading into Winter is my favourite time of all. You have a stunning array of deciduous foliage from all manners of trees and shrubs as well as the distinctive aroma of a couple of classic old shrubs; Daphne, Winter Sweet and Osmanthus, for example. Of course we expect to see some rain at this time too and last month afforded us 39 mls. All told, up 15 on April last year. Nearing the end of May and we've already exceeded last May's total of 48 mls by 5 mls.
On the ground, the grass continues to grow and the leaves continue to fall. All of the Ash trees, our large Pin Oak at the front of the hospital and the Weeping Elm have finished and we're now cleaning up after the English Oaks, the English Elms and the Liquid Ambers. That should take us into mid June before that chore is over. These all end up on our larger garden beds as mulch where it breaks down into compost.
It's also a good time of year to plant a few things. I've put a couple of silky oaks (Grevillea Robusta) on the bank at the rear of the hospital where a couple of old natives had blown out, so I can't wait for the day when their branches sit proud with the rest of the foliage and produce that stunning golden yellow shock of colour in Summer.
Other plants include some smaller Grevilleas, Eremophilas, Callistemans, Banksias and a favourite of mine, the Pincussion Hakea. In the main courtyard, I've planted a few pots of Anthropodium here and there which should, like the Clivia, handle both the shade and the dry. Also, I found I was able to divide those I had bought, so 6 or 7 plants turned into 24 or 25. By Summer, all these plants should have established root systems in order to tackle the dry.
Another area I look forward to getting my grubby hands on is the Frances Hewett Community Centre. As a result of recent renovations, it appears I have quite a sizable canvas to work on. I've also decided to fill the front lawn up with shrubs as well. As the main entrance to the hospital it looks rather second hand as grass struggles to grow so I might as well change tact. Keep you informed on those two projects later.
At home, I'm still grazing on carrots, parsnips and pumpkins while recently planting broad beans, red cabbage, some lettuce from a generous friend with abundant extras and peas, something I don't normally plant but adored by a neighbour, so why not?!
Ciao
Monday, 1 June 2009
Monday, 27 April 2009
Green Patches
Welcome again bloggers. How's your green patches looking? The lawns around here have all bloomed back to life since the rain of last month and while we haven't seen anything of note since then, the meteorological so sayers are predicting a nice drop, around 20ml or so by weekends end. Cutting grass for the last couple of days while Mick is away has shown me how dry things are again however, so this drip will be quite welcome.
I ended up cutting back that big, sick looking birch so now I'm hoping it can bounce back. I believe they're quite shallow rooted which is half their problem. I see many unwell birchs in Hamilton as I move around but for every couple of crook ones, you see one that seems not to be affected. We have a weeping birch here that grows in quite an exposed lawn and yet seems exceptionally healthy. I suspect its foliage shelters its root zone from the sun, keeping it cool and affording it a greater chance of survival.
Another job I've started was to cut out the old hydrangeas near McKellar house. I pulled 2 out but it as difficult work so I've decided to leave the 3rd in and poison it as it shoots up. Shouldn't be difficult. I'll check out the nursery for some plants to go in there, so long as they're drought tolerant. That should spare us having to water that bed again. I quite enjoy the thought of planting natives for the future. There are some interesting and stunning varieties of banksia, gum, wattle and bottle brush etc that rival the old types. Having said that, I won't give up planting tough exotic plants either. The camellias at the doctors clinic for instance have just rocketed ahead and in fact are budding up to flower.
I've also just been around the entire place with the poison sprayer as well. That last rain set off a new round of seedlings and helped the kikuyu off so it means work.
On the home front, the vege garden is looking quite lean. I've cut into a couple of pumpkins which were nice and I've picked and pickled all the beetroot. The carrots and parsnips are still being grazed on and the basil is hanging in still, just! The tomatoes are all gone but the capsicums are only just ripening. There's apples galore and I made a dozen jars of quince jelly on the weekend too...yum!
I ended up cutting back that big, sick looking birch so now I'm hoping it can bounce back. I believe they're quite shallow rooted which is half their problem. I see many unwell birchs in Hamilton as I move around but for every couple of crook ones, you see one that seems not to be affected. We have a weeping birch here that grows in quite an exposed lawn and yet seems exceptionally healthy. I suspect its foliage shelters its root zone from the sun, keeping it cool and affording it a greater chance of survival.
Another job I've started was to cut out the old hydrangeas near McKellar house. I pulled 2 out but it as difficult work so I've decided to leave the 3rd in and poison it as it shoots up. Shouldn't be difficult. I'll check out the nursery for some plants to go in there, so long as they're drought tolerant. That should spare us having to water that bed again. I quite enjoy the thought of planting natives for the future. There are some interesting and stunning varieties of banksia, gum, wattle and bottle brush etc that rival the old types. Having said that, I won't give up planting tough exotic plants either. The camellias at the doctors clinic for instance have just rocketed ahead and in fact are budding up to flower.
I've also just been around the entire place with the poison sprayer as well. That last rain set off a new round of seedlings and helped the kikuyu off so it means work.
On the home front, the vege garden is looking quite lean. I've cut into a couple of pumpkins which were nice and I've picked and pickled all the beetroot. The carrots and parsnips are still being grazed on and the basil is hanging in still, just! The tomatoes are all gone but the capsicums are only just ripening. There's apples galore and I made a dozen jars of quince jelly on the weekend too...yum!
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Rain
hello again all. Well we got the rain! With only a few days left of this month and a slight chance of a bit more, we've already recorded about 70mm. It took about 2 weeks and all the couch, kikuyu and buffalo was green again and thousands of seeds had germinated, most likely clover.
Of course, the lawn mowers have been recommissioned and the Gater has been laid to rest. Our tank received a healthy boost of fresh water as well. Its been healthy all round. I'm just about to go and trim back all the tree ferns as they have re shot since the rain, but still their old foliage hangs burnt and sad beneath them.
I finally finished the courtyard only minutes before our huge dump of rain. I couldn't have timed it better. Once established, the clivias should pretty much thrive on their own in the shade with little need for attention apart from the odd summer watering, perhaps. The next change I want to make is to remove a couple of hydrangeas from near McKellar house and replace them with hardier shrubs to cut down on watering. Its a recurring theme but with a lack of water and tough restrictions, the choices are limited.
Other jobs at the moment include a lot of trimming back after the Spring/Summer growth. The pittosporum hedges are looking like they need the clippers again, some lavenders at the Birches have finished flowering and need a trim and I've just cut back along some walls around the Ed Centre so the ants can't get into the building as easily. We've also got another perilously sick birch tree at the rear of the Birches building that I'll have to trim right down low as all the outer branches have died right back. It was a healthy tree over ten years ago but the trauma of the demolition of the nurses home, the building of the Birches and the subsequent drought have taken a toll. I'm not sure how well or even if it will recover. A hard prune should help sort it out. Its a pity the Birches wasn't called the Beechs as they are a lot hardier tree and seem to be slowly taking over around the place!
Of course, the lawn mowers have been recommissioned and the Gater has been laid to rest. Our tank received a healthy boost of fresh water as well. Its been healthy all round. I'm just about to go and trim back all the tree ferns as they have re shot since the rain, but still their old foliage hangs burnt and sad beneath them.
I finally finished the courtyard only minutes before our huge dump of rain. I couldn't have timed it better. Once established, the clivias should pretty much thrive on their own in the shade with little need for attention apart from the odd summer watering, perhaps. The next change I want to make is to remove a couple of hydrangeas from near McKellar house and replace them with hardier shrubs to cut down on watering. Its a recurring theme but with a lack of water and tough restrictions, the choices are limited.
Other jobs at the moment include a lot of trimming back after the Spring/Summer growth. The pittosporum hedges are looking like they need the clippers again, some lavenders at the Birches have finished flowering and need a trim and I've just cut back along some walls around the Ed Centre so the ants can't get into the building as easily. We've also got another perilously sick birch tree at the rear of the Birches building that I'll have to trim right down low as all the outer branches have died right back. It was a healthy tree over ten years ago but the trauma of the demolition of the nurses home, the building of the Birches and the subsequent drought have taken a toll. I'm not sure how well or even if it will recover. A hard prune should help sort it out. Its a pity the Birches wasn't called the Beechs as they are a lot hardier tree and seem to be slowly taking over around the place!
Thursday, 26 February 2009
No rain!
Hello Bloggers
Well its been 2 months now since we saw rain last which would have to be some sort of record. Punishment for having nearly 100ml in December perhaps? Looking at Queensland and parts of New South Wales, we can take heart that it hasn't forgotten how to rain, its just forgotten how to here! I'm an optimist; it will come again.
Needless to say, lawn mowing activities around here have all but ceased. There's practically no life left in most of the lawns about the place and the patches of kikuyu and couch that are hanging on beg the question how? I have couch, kikuyu and buffalo at home and its surprising how well they're doing with no water, especially where they're offered some shade. They're the only practical lawns to bother with in my book. There's still the odd dandelian or plantain flowering which also presents a reason to cut.
As a result of this, Mick has been busy trimming all of our roses back and the spent agapanthus flowers as well. Its a worry even the agapanthus plants have never looked so weather beaten and impoverished as this year. I have no doubt however, that they'll survive.
Water wise, we just keep the stuff up to them as they need it. The azaleas out the front of the hospital and the ferns at the front of the Birches are the two main priorities and concerns. Most of the rest of the place is doing quite well considering. I'm most impressed with the new camellias at the doctors clinic (which replaced the hydrangeas). I water them once a week when we're allowed with town water and they're rocketing ahead. The day will come when I don't have to bother with them. The few that we have here that are older have required nothing to date, even in this dry spell, which is quite pleasing to know.
As far as the courtyard project, well its progressing slowly. I only have to dig in the new fern sand with the soil already there, relay the old spray system, then I can plant the rest of the Clivias and mulch the lot. It should look great and be a lot more hardy than the azaleas ever were.
Well its been 2 months now since we saw rain last which would have to be some sort of record. Punishment for having nearly 100ml in December perhaps? Looking at Queensland and parts of New South Wales, we can take heart that it hasn't forgotten how to rain, its just forgotten how to here! I'm an optimist; it will come again.
Needless to say, lawn mowing activities around here have all but ceased. There's practically no life left in most of the lawns about the place and the patches of kikuyu and couch that are hanging on beg the question how? I have couch, kikuyu and buffalo at home and its surprising how well they're doing with no water, especially where they're offered some shade. They're the only practical lawns to bother with in my book. There's still the odd dandelian or plantain flowering which also presents a reason to cut.
As a result of this, Mick has been busy trimming all of our roses back and the spent agapanthus flowers as well. Its a worry even the agapanthus plants have never looked so weather beaten and impoverished as this year. I have no doubt however, that they'll survive.
Water wise, we just keep the stuff up to them as they need it. The azaleas out the front of the hospital and the ferns at the front of the Birches are the two main priorities and concerns. Most of the rest of the place is doing quite well considering. I'm most impressed with the new camellias at the doctors clinic (which replaced the hydrangeas). I water them once a week when we're allowed with town water and they're rocketing ahead. The day will come when I don't have to bother with them. The few that we have here that are older have required nothing to date, even in this dry spell, which is quite pleasing to know.
As far as the courtyard project, well its progressing slowly. I only have to dig in the new fern sand with the soil already there, relay the old spray system, then I can plant the rest of the Clivias and mulch the lot. It should look great and be a lot more hardy than the azaleas ever were.
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Hot
Hi there all. Hot isn't it! I for one am well and truly over it. To have the odd 40C day is bad enough let alone a weeks worth of 43. Needless to say, we've been watering a lot and even still at these temps, a lot of usually hardy things have had leaves burnt off. December recorded 98mm of rain giving us a total of 488.5 for the year. As for this year, January has offered us nothing at all.
As I've already said, watering is the priority at he moment. Things have been kept alive pretty well on the whole through a few shrubs have had a lot of leaves badly burnt. They should recuperate. Our reasonably well established Ginkgo (about a metre and a half high) has lost most of its leaves, but I saw its much older mate do the same thing a few years ago and it refoliated again, only dump again naturally in Autumn.
The new rule is that I'm not bothering with plants that can't tolerate dry conditions. this means that new garden beds are planted with hardy native or exotic perennials. for example, in planting out the mobility garden area, I used miniature agapanthus, dwarf golden diosmas, abelia, lavender and Nepeta (all exotics) while also using thryptomene alongside the existing Geraldton wax plants (both natives). There should be no fear of any of these plants perishing easily with a little luck.
At the Birches the petunias are still faring quite well, but the sweet peas were replaced with portulaca which seem to love the heats and as an annual are quite hardy. I would water the portulaca at least half as often as the petunias.
In the main courtyard, I've begun replacing the azaleas under our Chinese Elms with clivias, a hardy perennial which should require very little water, yet thrive in the shade the trees offer and once a year, produce lovely orange flowers. Its a work in progress.
At home, I've had mixed success with the planting of beetroot, with about only half emerging though these few are holding up well. Going well are the parsnips, capsicums and pumpkins and I'm now harvesting tomatoes, turnips, carrots, zucchini, strawberries and basil.
As I've already said, watering is the priority at he moment. Things have been kept alive pretty well on the whole through a few shrubs have had a lot of leaves badly burnt. They should recuperate. Our reasonably well established Ginkgo (about a metre and a half high) has lost most of its leaves, but I saw its much older mate do the same thing a few years ago and it refoliated again, only dump again naturally in Autumn.
The new rule is that I'm not bothering with plants that can't tolerate dry conditions. this means that new garden beds are planted with hardy native or exotic perennials. for example, in planting out the mobility garden area, I used miniature agapanthus, dwarf golden diosmas, abelia, lavender and Nepeta (all exotics) while also using thryptomene alongside the existing Geraldton wax plants (both natives). There should be no fear of any of these plants perishing easily with a little luck.
At the Birches the petunias are still faring quite well, but the sweet peas were replaced with portulaca which seem to love the heats and as an annual are quite hardy. I would water the portulaca at least half as often as the petunias.
In the main courtyard, I've begun replacing the azaleas under our Chinese Elms with clivias, a hardy perennial which should require very little water, yet thrive in the shade the trees offer and once a year, produce lovely orange flowers. Its a work in progress.
At home, I've had mixed success with the planting of beetroot, with about only half emerging though these few are holding up well. Going well are the parsnips, capsicums and pumpkins and I'm now harvesting tomatoes, turnips, carrots, zucchini, strawberries and basil.
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
No rain...
Welcome bloggers. And droughtish it is! We only registered 10ml for October, and so far only 15ml for November. Unfortunately we've had thunderstorm weather without the water. Unlucky though, as there seemed to be numbers recorded everywhere around us. Lets hope something changes soon.
Needless to say, we've had to water quite a bit here and there. Mick and I have been coming in a little earlier to take advantage of the restriction times which gives us a total of 3 hours a week in which to use town water. This will soon not be enough and we'll have to engage the use of the gater more. Any water collected over the winter in our tank has now been exhausted and we're waiting on our first truck full to arrive. So far things have fared quite well between the garden beds and the odd new plant that went in this year. The only needy beds are those small flower beds at the Birches and while the sweet peas have finished, they grew enormously and flowered prolifically. The petunias are now in full bloom and look fantastic. Its easy enough to keep these beds alive when the rest of the place is quite hardy.
On another front, the foundation of the mobility garden is almost complete and it'll be up to me to add the finishing touches garden wise. At this stage, there will be a strip of garden bed that will have sensory things planted in it, (lavender, rosemary, thyme etc), a lawn area that will be used as part of the exercise yard and a small garden bed which will help mask a small awkward land slope. There is already a young tree there and I envisage that it will all look quite presentable down the track.
Maintenance wise, the iris have all but finished flowering and the roses are winding up their spring flush as well, which prompted me to trim things up a little, just to keep the place looking somewhat dapper. At home, I've got some fantastic red cabbages almost ready for the kitchen, broad beans which I'm picking and zucchinis which are ready to produce. The tomatoes are really taking on now and I've managed to get the carrots and turnips up though the turnips are taking their time. I also put in 6 butternut pumpkins and some strawberries which should taste great fresh.
Needless to say, we've had to water quite a bit here and there. Mick and I have been coming in a little earlier to take advantage of the restriction times which gives us a total of 3 hours a week in which to use town water. This will soon not be enough and we'll have to engage the use of the gater more. Any water collected over the winter in our tank has now been exhausted and we're waiting on our first truck full to arrive. So far things have fared quite well between the garden beds and the odd new plant that went in this year. The only needy beds are those small flower beds at the Birches and while the sweet peas have finished, they grew enormously and flowered prolifically. The petunias are now in full bloom and look fantastic. Its easy enough to keep these beds alive when the rest of the place is quite hardy.
On another front, the foundation of the mobility garden is almost complete and it'll be up to me to add the finishing touches garden wise. At this stage, there will be a strip of garden bed that will have sensory things planted in it, (lavender, rosemary, thyme etc), a lawn area that will be used as part of the exercise yard and a small garden bed which will help mask a small awkward land slope. There is already a young tree there and I envisage that it will all look quite presentable down the track.
Maintenance wise, the iris have all but finished flowering and the roses are winding up their spring flush as well, which prompted me to trim things up a little, just to keep the place looking somewhat dapper. At home, I've got some fantastic red cabbages almost ready for the kitchen, broad beans which I'm picking and zucchinis which are ready to produce. The tomatoes are really taking on now and I've managed to get the carrots and turnips up though the turnips are taking their time. I also put in 6 butternut pumpkins and some strawberries which should taste great fresh.
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
Hello again bloggers. Well I don't know about you, but if feels droughty to me! Overcast days with no rain or very little at most. In the dying throes of October and only 8ml so far with nothing much forecast. I certainly hope something changes before summer.
As a result, we've already had the gator out to water a few things. Our top dressed lawns are sand dunes unless we bed them down with a bit of water. I've every faith in the kikuyu coming through and covering it up quite soon but till then we wet it mainly so it can be cut with out too much dust. While our seedlings need water, the azaleas need it too.
On another front, the long dry as ensured the demise of one of our birch trees. It had 3 trunks and I assume three trees were planted together in order to take advantage of their silver trunks down the track. Unfortunately, it has been showing signs of stress for a couple of years and I assumed it would die. On falling it, I noticed that there was a significant rot in all three trunks. Fortunately there is a larger common ash in that areas a swell as a claret ash, another, much healthier birch and a young magnolia tree. I also planted a young golden ash near the now extinct tree this year in anticipation and it has shot away quite well. Its one that I hit with gutter guard and mulched so that it will handle the summer.
All the roses and iris are doing their thing and must only be a week or so away from a full spring flush. While there are a the ubiquitous aphids, they tend to not upset things on the whole, so I let the lady-birds eat them until the summer burns them away. This year, however, there was n infestation of young caterpillars on some hybrid teas in front of the Birches building. Closer inspection revealed that while they were massed on the golden diosmas under the roses, it was the roses that they ate, defoliating whole bushes. I may have lost one or two! I have been using a pyrethrum based spray to get rid of them.
Homeward, young broad bean pods are developing and the red cabbages are starting to heart up while the zucchinis, tomatoes and basil have taken off. The punt on keeping the basil alive has paid of fortunately.
As a result, we've already had the gator out to water a few things. Our top dressed lawns are sand dunes unless we bed them down with a bit of water. I've every faith in the kikuyu coming through and covering it up quite soon but till then we wet it mainly so it can be cut with out too much dust. While our seedlings need water, the azaleas need it too.
On another front, the long dry as ensured the demise of one of our birch trees. It had 3 trunks and I assume three trees were planted together in order to take advantage of their silver trunks down the track. Unfortunately, it has been showing signs of stress for a couple of years and I assumed it would die. On falling it, I noticed that there was a significant rot in all three trunks. Fortunately there is a larger common ash in that areas a swell as a claret ash, another, much healthier birch and a young magnolia tree. I also planted a young golden ash near the now extinct tree this year in anticipation and it has shot away quite well. Its one that I hit with gutter guard and mulched so that it will handle the summer.
All the roses and iris are doing their thing and must only be a week or so away from a full spring flush. While there are a the ubiquitous aphids, they tend to not upset things on the whole, so I let the lady-birds eat them until the summer burns them away. This year, however, there was n infestation of young caterpillars on some hybrid teas in front of the Birches building. Closer inspection revealed that while they were massed on the golden diosmas under the roses, it was the roses that they ate, defoliating whole bushes. I may have lost one or two! I have been using a pyrethrum based spray to get rid of them.
Homeward, young broad bean pods are developing and the red cabbages are starting to heart up while the zucchinis, tomatoes and basil have taken off. The punt on keeping the basil alive has paid of fortunately.
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