I am so slow with the garden. I can do a couple of hours and then I have to tidy and put away, as if I keep working, I won't be able to clean up without help. Trev is still nearly as bad as I am! Still, I'm getting there.
I did some work on the garden up against the front wall of the house. Today was my 3rd instalment on the Fijian Fire Plants. I have 4 there and I was going to dig one out, but neither of us can do it! LOL! I will say they are good value, nothing much seems to bother them and if you don't want to prune them into shape, you don't have to! I am cutting them back severely, this time and will be tip pruning as they grow through the Summer. I have 2 of a red variety which really doesn't need any, as they grow to shape nicely. the other two - a light green & gold and a dark green with red edges grow really long branches and get much too leggy.
- Planted the Fire plants in October, this is 29/12/10
However, they are just the thing to strongly contrast with my Mountain Blue painted house. The eaves, two feet wide, are painted bright orange. The lady who sold us the house was decorating it when her husband was transferred interstate. Trevor painted over the Chocolate brown feature wall in the main bedroom (shudder!)
- Here they are the following March 2011, which is the start of Fall for us. They look their best in Autumn and hold their leaves 'till Spring. Remembering we don't get snow or frost!
I planted all the frangipani branches she had acquired. Eventually pulled out the gardens she had planted. Hibiscus and lantern bushes all been chewed to green lace by hibicus beetles. 12 Photinias planted in a foot wide garden right up against an 18" wide cement path. I replanted then at the edge of the lawn above the terrace to stop my 3 Y.O. grandaughtes from throwing themselves off it.
What she also acquired was a load of free filling for the back lawn which must have entirely consisted of oxalis and onion weed corms! I will never ever get rid of them, short of having the entire lawn dug up, sterilized and re-turfed!
However:- As they have been overshadowing my 3 favorite roses I am going to put the roses in Pots until I can get the old Compost heap cut down for them. Thats up the back yard behind the clothesline.
Trev built it out of the new 'safe' type of treated pine and the termites got all the lift-out gates! Can't cope with compost any more, too crackety!... I will line it with weedmat!
'night all
Gabi
