Hello All. Isn't the garden looking great this spring? Not only that, but the water laying about the paddocks and flooding the creeks and rivers is also a long awaited gift. We measured 94ml for August and with September almost over, it too looks much better than this time last year.
All this rain has helped my recent plantings at the Francis Hewitt Centre enormously. I ended up using a mixture of hardy exotic and native shrubs again including; Rosemary, Rock Rose, Hebe, Diosma, Hakea, Grevillea, a couple of interesting Banksia varieties and some self-sown Wattles. I can't wait to see it all transform in a few years!
The rest of my time has been taken up with maintenance as usual. I picked a recent wet day to dart around with some fertilizer and feed all the roses and a couple of other shrubs. That always raises eyebrows for a few days, but it is worth it. I've also been into a few hedges, starting with the Pittosporums around the edge of the Birches and finishing with the mixed hedge along Tyres Street at the Francis Hewitt Centre, before the trimmers went all wrong and needed mechanical attention.
I also had to spray weeds everywhere too, finishing with the paddock adjacent to the new ambulance station. Unfortunately it rained soon after (I'm often luckier than that), so I re-sprayed it a bit later. Once the builders are out, I can have the area levelled properly and it can all be slashed like the other paddock.
Finally I pulled out the poppies at the Birches and replaced them with Petunias for the summer (even though they were still soldiering on strongly.) In the other small plot, I planted a mixture of cherry like tomatoes for the residents to grow on when the time comes.
At home, nothing has changed much, though my cabbages are thinking about heartening up and the Dutch Cream potatoes are well up. I've planted some basil and Grosse Lisse tomato seeds as well, which have just emerged, so I can't wait to plant them out.
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Mowing, mulching and more!
Hello again bloggers! Hasn’t the rain been good? July recorded 63.5ml here, not quite getting to the 69ml of last year. But with August at 66ml so far, we’ve already passed last year’s total of 55mL and with a few days to go and the chance of more rain predicted, nice!
Since the last blog, the lawns out the font that were planted with leftover soil from the front garden bed, have bounced into life and Mick has cut them once already. It looks great.
I finally managed to finish the rose pruning too, only just ahead of their regrowth. Two weeks later and they are all full of spring promise. My next move with the garden in general, is to fertilize everything to give it all a good change to thrive.
With Mick away a bit lately on other errand, I’ve employed the use of the mowers, cutting all the grass. I was quite surprised at how much it had thickened up and was growing. It all start with the English type grasses than once the ground warms a little, the Kikuyu kicks in and then you know what grass is!
I’ve finally had a crack at the gardens over at the Frances Hewett Community Centre / Dental Clinic area. With Peter having had loads of mulch from the tip spread, we went about spreading some soft fall pine mulch around the more public areas, to make it all look good. Some of the older areas needed some attention too, post works (some ground levelling, rose shifting etc), and so they were neatened up as well so that everything blended in and looked the same. All I now need to do is plant it out. Fun time!
Back at the base, the Kenny boys laid a temporary car park around the big ash tree on the lawn behind physio, so I’ve had to level some rough edges up there and sow some lawn seed as well. Once it emerges, it should all look a lot better. The path edges leading to the Farmers Centre had the same treatment.
There’s not much happening at home in the vegie garden yet but the broad beans are still growing and I think the Dutch Creme spuds are poking through. Can’t wait to try them!
Since the last blog, the lawns out the font that were planted with leftover soil from the front garden bed, have bounced into life and Mick has cut them once already. It looks great.
I finally managed to finish the rose pruning too, only just ahead of their regrowth. Two weeks later and they are all full of spring promise. My next move with the garden in general, is to fertilize everything to give it all a good change to thrive.
With Mick away a bit lately on other errand, I’ve employed the use of the mowers, cutting all the grass. I was quite surprised at how much it had thickened up and was growing. It all start with the English type grasses than once the ground warms a little, the Kikuyu kicks in and then you know what grass is!
I’ve finally had a crack at the gardens over at the Frances Hewett Community Centre / Dental Clinic area. With Peter having had loads of mulch from the tip spread, we went about spreading some soft fall pine mulch around the more public areas, to make it all look good. Some of the older areas needed some attention too, post works (some ground levelling, rose shifting etc), and so they were neatened up as well so that everything blended in and looked the same. All I now need to do is plant it out. Fun time!
Back at the base, the Kenny boys laid a temporary car park around the big ash tree on the lawn behind physio, so I’ve had to level some rough edges up there and sow some lawn seed as well. Once it emerges, it should all look a lot better. The path edges leading to the Farmers Centre had the same treatment.
There’s not much happening at home in the vegie garden yet but the broad beans are still growing and I think the Dutch Creme spuds are poking through. Can’t wait to try them!
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Maintaining our winter garden.
Hello again. It's been a bit cold on the hands lately yes? And a little wet as well with May delivering 56 1/2 millimetres of rain, up 8ml on last year, and June with 64 1/2, up 27ml on last years total of 37 1/2. Good news. Over half way through July and we're up to 38ml, though it might be a bit much to match last years 69mls for that month but you never know.
On the ground, I've been busy with a couple of projects. I've just finished turning the front lawn into a garden bed. Unfortunately with the dense shade of the trees there and the odd lazy trespasser, very little grass grew and so it was sensible to cover it in mulch and plant it out to shrubs which will handle those conditions. So with shrubs such as camellias, clivias, plectranthus and a few correas, I'm Hoping for success. It does look decidedly better and Ive had a few positive comments in passing which can only be good. As a result of that job, I had heaps of topsoil to use somewhere, which brings me to my next present project. As a result of the new car park, there's a couple of lawns that need rejuvenating, so that soil, though full of Kikuyu roots will the do job nicely.
Once that's over with, I really need to continue with the pruning. There's the usual roses and the odd fruit tree and I thought I'd do other hedges, overgrown shrubs etc on the way around. It can take time once you factor in the lot. Its all good fun though, for me that is! Ive got some quite good friends whom regard gardens as hell with secateurs. They prefer concrete.
Finally, at some stage soon I'll need to focus some attention on the new F.H.C.C. / dental clinic area. It's quite a large canvas to work on though I have a few ideas for it. By the time I get there, most of the mulch should be down and a boundary fence should be up and I really only to plant. I look forward to doing that job.
At home, I'm still eating carrots and parsnips and the broad beans and peas have taken off. I recently purchased a packet of "Dutch Cream" seedling potatoes to try out, so I need to get them in soon. The red cabbages are experiencing mixed success with some larger than others. You win some and you lose some in this game!
On the ground, I've been busy with a couple of projects. I've just finished turning the front lawn into a garden bed. Unfortunately with the dense shade of the trees there and the odd lazy trespasser, very little grass grew and so it was sensible to cover it in mulch and plant it out to shrubs which will handle those conditions. So with shrubs such as camellias, clivias, plectranthus and a few correas, I'm Hoping for success. It does look decidedly better and Ive had a few positive comments in passing which can only be good. As a result of that job, I had heaps of topsoil to use somewhere, which brings me to my next present project. As a result of the new car park, there's a couple of lawns that need rejuvenating, so that soil, though full of Kikuyu roots will the do job nicely.
Once that's over with, I really need to continue with the pruning. There's the usual roses and the odd fruit tree and I thought I'd do other hedges, overgrown shrubs etc on the way around. It can take time once you factor in the lot. Its all good fun though, for me that is! Ive got some quite good friends whom regard gardens as hell with secateurs. They prefer concrete.
Finally, at some stage soon I'll need to focus some attention on the new F.H.C.C. / dental clinic area. It's quite a large canvas to work on though I have a few ideas for it. By the time I get there, most of the mulch should be down and a boundary fence should be up and I really only to plant. I look forward to doing that job.
At home, I'm still eating carrots and parsnips and the broad beans and peas have taken off. I recently purchased a packet of "Dutch Cream" seedling potatoes to try out, so I need to get them in soon. The red cabbages are experiencing mixed success with some larger than others. You win some and you lose some in this game!
Monday, 1 June 2009
Winter plantings
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
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, 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.
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