Yesterday

Yesterday, I went out to Bunnings and scored myself a bag of potting mix for the Tahitian Lime Tree, a bag of 'Snow White' stones for the front garden, some Command Hooks for the home office and a box of Munns blue lawn seed to put out on the lawn.

Yesterday, I got everything unloaded from the car, and sorted out before the stinking heat hit us... and that included putting the stones into the front garden.

Also yesterday, we were hit by a huge storm here in Brisbane, and it was a right hum-dinger! It wasn't the first one for the season, but it gave us some much-needed rain! I'm thankful I didn't put out the lawn seed, it would have been washed away!
But the storm was a great light show, with thunder and lightning playing the game of give and take as it normally does. Wind howled around the place, and rain poured from the darkened clouds!

Today, though I put out the lawn seed - which is blue to stop the birds from eating it. It's got a coating on it so when the birds eat it, it tastes bitter and they spit it out. It's not poisonous and it'll stay where it's supposed to (in my yard and not in a bird's stomach) and I'll have a good lot of lawn this year. 

So, how's your garden going? All good? I hope so!

October

It's Spring - I think it is anyway!

Over the past week, we've had Summer and Winter within 48 hours. So, who can say what season it is?

Anyway, it's been stinking hot, freezing cold and raining - along with some thunder rolling overhead. Yeah, our weather doesn't know whether it's coming or going - and that's Spring in Australia, right? Yeah, it sure is!

I'm not well at the moment, and am in the process of losing my voice - I'm always the last to catch something,  but I'm not fussed. Anyway, today, I got to catch up with what's going on in my garden.

I moved a few things around and made room for the new pot I'll be buying in the yard for the Tahitian Lime Tree - as it's really wanting more space. Then, when I moved my Ficus, I found it needed a new pot too! So, I'm up for 2 new pots. But the Lime Tree needs it more than the Ficus; mainly because it's putting out fruit - or it's doing its best to do it. and it's got long branches. So, yeah, I'm going with the citrus first. 

Anyway, I moved the massive pots first and some of the smaller pavers out of the way, and then shifted the metal steps to where the large pots used to be. 

I looked at the big black pot that the large leaf jade is living in happily and almost pulled it out... but then, realised: no, not a good thing to do that to a happy plant. I shifted it to where it was going to live and left it well alone.

The Dracaena Plant next to it and then shifted everything else back into place. 

I put the Ficus on a large piece of paver to stop it from pushing another root into the ground and reorganised the solar lights again. The other Frangipani was shifted next to the fence - and I realised it needed a new pot too - and then I added a third pot to the list of pots I'll be buying before Christmas.

Yep, this is going to be something I'll be organising in my garden. Big organisation for me today - and over the next three months - because I'll need to. So, how's your garden going? 

Spring At Last!

Well, at long last, this season of rebirth is here! I know that sounds weird and kooky, but really it's a great circle of life in the world of nature.

I've been looking forward to Spring, as it's when the bees come into the garden to pollinate the budding flowers. Then the Rainbow Lorikeets go crazy over any berries and food on the Moch Orange - and they have too - which is sitting around. Every morning for the past week or so, I've seen these lovely, noisy and crazy birds have a go at the two shrubs in my back yard and they're just gorgeous little guys! I've also had a pair of very shy and illusive Fig Birds enjoying themselves too. 

Well, the garden is looking great now too - even after the dust storm and the bush fires which followed. And early this morning, I woke to rain, and more rain. I really do hope it sticks around for not only us city-dwellers, but also the farmers out west who really do need it more than we do. 

But over the Winter, I've been just maintaining the garden looking after it. And it's been looking great! I still need to repot a few little plants, otherwise they're looking wonderful. 
The discounted herbs I found in the past week or so have begun to grow back in the greenhouse. They look great! The Basil and Oregano are looking lovely too - they're bought herbs though. It's all looking great. My cuttings will take time to get their feet, but I've got faith in them. And the bees have found the flowers in the greenhouse - and I spotted a few happily enjoying them.

In the next week or two, I'll be getting some lawn seed for the back yard. After I put down Dynamic Lifter, and prepared the lawn for Spring and Summer, it's absorbed the rain and any water I've put into it lately, and now, it's a matter of adding more cheap potting mix and Dynamic Lifter and then lawn seed to get it growing for this Summer and - hopefully - it'll see through next Winter better than it did this year. 

So, how's your garden growing? Mine is getting better on its first year after its facelift. I hope it gets better and better. Well, until my next post, happy gardening!

August

Well, Winter seems to not want to leave us just yet, and this has given me a good chance to get in and do what needs to get done around the yard that I forgot to do.

The Agapanthus have been taken from their original pots, separated and put into their new pots with Brunnings Garden Soil - and after a bit of rain, they are happy little plants. They're sitting up and enjoying the afternoon sun when it touches their leaves at around 2pm onwards.

My Lavender flowered early, and so I took the flowers off to encourage it to bush up more - and it's going really well. And the Verbena Ka-Pow is going very well too! The possums just don't like that plant very much - and I'm glad I'm getting flowers in the middle of the colder months now. 

The Tahitian Lime Tree has been getting some great growth on it lately. But the damned grasshoppers found those tender little leaves yesterday! So, today, early, I sprayed it with Yates 'Nature's Way Citrus and Ornamental Spray' to keep those little bastards at bay. I'll spray the plant again before the day is out; then do it again tomorrow morning. I have found 4 flowers on the tree this year - I may yet get limes on it by Summer. 

However, a damned cat has been crapping in the middle of my yard - and I mean right where I walk! So, I pick up the poops with a little shovel and throw them over the fence to show where he/she is allowed to poop. And today, I mixed up a strong bottle of vinegar and water and sprayed that everywhere - as I've heard cats hate that smell - and tied up a warped paling where that cat has been getting in with a strong length of wire. 

Well, everything is going so well right now. However, the greenhouse really needs a good going over... as my herbs aren't looking great. 

The goals I need to get set by October are:

* Solar garden lights - need not be expensive ones.
* New herbs for the green house.
* Lawn seed and 'Feed & Weed' to work the lawn up for Summer.

Yep, just those three things... and my garden will be ready for Summer. Like I said at beginning of the year, it's a maintenance year - and I really haven't spent a lot of money on the yard this year; which is great. So, how's your garden going? Until my next post, happy gardening!

Budgeting

I've been budgeting for this month - and the next and I'm going pretty well. And I've found a great little nursery not far from my place which is far cheaper than Bunnings too! 

Well, I have a large bag of Brunnings Garden Soil - which for $7.95 is an absolute steal! And I'll be buying more bags of that for this next month of July. Then, I've recently bought a 'forever pot' for the Dracaena plant and have recycled the black stones from the rose pot I pulled from the front garden and put them in the bottom the new pot; in preparation for next month. 
The massive ants nest in the Dracaena plant is gone now - where I don't care, so long it's not there anymore! And this will make it far easier to get the plant out without being attacked by a nest of angry ants.

Then, I've been looking at bringing back birds to my garden; so have bought a bird house to attract at least one family into the garden. And in the past two weeks I've had a few birdies looking into living in it. Now, isn't that cute? I think so. And with the platter of water nearby, it's a real attraction too.

Now, the little nursery I've discovered is called Chadwick Nursery. It's about a 10 minute drive from my place and the plants are a quarter of the price they are at Bunnings and the pots are far, far cheaper than at Bunnings too! So, I ended up buying a pot there (a terra-cotta one) for $13.00 with a plate for $8.00 and it saved me about $10.00... now that's great. It's such a quiet place and it's got all kinds of soils, statues and every plant you'd ever want to have in your garden - and the place doesn't sell bamboo. They consider bamboo a weed, and they don't grow weeds. How cool is that? I could totally relax in the place due to my allergy to bamboo.

Well, that's what I've been doing with myself in the garden - besides feeding my plants just on Winter with dynamic lifter. Otherwise, life in the garden is well and truly slowing down with this cold snap happening around South East Queensland; and the snow at the border of New South Wales. Until my next post, happy gardening!

Winter Comes Early

Well! Here comes the Winter months - and I'm happy to say that I love this time of year simply because of the cold, and that I can get into my garden so much.

Right now, here in Brisbane today, it's raining; which means I can get in and do planning instead of running out and buying things. 

But so far, there's an extra bag of Brunnings Garden Soil, I have almost finished with the pavers in the garden, and I've yet to buy a large 'forever' pot for the Dracaena plant... then I'll get in and divide the Agapanthus up and it'll look great for next Summer.

I'm looking outside right now at the chilly day and am pleased to say that I'm happy to stay inside all rugged up and away from the rain. Yep, I've had a big week of shopping, op-shopping, cleaning out, donating unwanted goods and vacuuming the house.

So, chilling out and having a day to myself is in the cards today - oh yes, and planning my next move with the garden. 

What are you doing with yourself this Winter? Planning your garden for next Summer or saving up for something big in your garden? I'm hoping to also save for few new seats in my garden too - you know park benches to replace the ones I have already which aren't looking too healthy. I want my place to look classy. Until my next post, happy gardening!

Phew! Busy Morning!

Wow! I've been busy lately.

First off, I paved the area in front of the greenhouse and it looks great! Seriously, it looks fabulous! I then waited until this pay and bought more pavers of the same colour and half-paved the other section I have my eye on. I could only afford 10 pavers this time, but that's okay, I'll get the rest next pay. 

Today, I ended up at my folks' house asking Dad if he could help me move the large pot from out the front to out the back. Well, I was in a grumbly mood (I know why, and didn't mean to be snappy at them; and it wasn't related to anything they said). Well, while I was repotting a small-leaf jade - which had rooted itself into the ground - I spotted that Dad had arrived to help me out. 
Well, we moved the large pot, with the Dracaena Plant still in the pot, out the back and put it in the place it's going to stay. Dad laughed, saying I have to stop buying big pots. I told him that I had the really big rose pots since 2013, and they're being moved to be reused for the Agapanthus... he said that's a good idea.

Otherwise I've been thinking about what else to save for this year. And I have to replace the lights in the garden, get a few more statues (when I find the right ones for the right price) and work on the street sign.  Otherwise, the garden looks good so far. Until my next post, happy gardening.

Indoor Gardens

I've been a big fan of terrariums for years; and it's taken me time to get in work their mojo successfully. But once you do get into that world of the enclosed garden, you become addicted to them very quickly; and you look for places around your home to put one.

I've got two in my house, and their in the most-used room in the house - my living room and my bedroom. And the best thing is that they're a set and forget kinda garden. 

My first one is made from Italian Glass; and they're hard to come by and very expensive in this day and age of the throw away society. And so, when you're looking for a terrarium like this, you have make sure it's properly sealed and the cork in the top is working. If not, it's good to know where to find another one. Here in Brisbane, there's only one company at Bardon (behind the Mt Coot-tha Lookout) that supplies corks for bottles. And you have to take in terrariums to be fitted. They work from a home and they're well worth the drive too! I bought mine in 2014, and ended up having lunch at the Mt Coot-tha Lookout Restaurant; and what a place to chill out at! I loved it - and it turned out to be a great day out just to buy that cork.

But when you do get your terrarium sorted out with the right plants - and not ones that flower otherwise the whole thing rots - you'll find your fascination for that thing will be big. When you're rugged up in your Winter woollies, it'll be warm, moist and raining inside that bottle, like a real rainforest does in the tropics. So long it's not in direct sunlight, the terrarium will survive perfectly.

And the history of these things goes further back than people think. A lot of people think these were invented in the 1960's; but really they just came into popularity in that decade. They were created in the mid-1800's through a scientist, Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward, who left one of his enclosed gardens unattended and one of his plants grew and threw spores. This turned out to be a great discovery about these things he had gotten built for him; as he lived a sheltered life in the UK. Well, that's what I've heard and read about. 

A lot of people are getting back into terrariums as people don't have a lot of room for outdoor gardens anymore; but they're not only sealed ones, you can have open ones as well. I don't see the point in having an open one, as to me they're just too much like pot plants. So, I'd rather have a sealed terrarium and watch it to its thing over the years... or just ignore it and it'll become its own little rainforest as I live my life around it. 

So, do you have a terrarium? If so, how big - or little - is it? Is it open or sealed? How long have you been interested in them? Until my next post, happy gardening!

Winter Planning

Well, it's Autumn and I'm right into planning what I'm going to do with my garden this Winter. Yes, I plan, I have to seeing I'm living from pay to pay.

Okay, last year, I spent so much money on the back yard - renovating it - and now, it's all about maintenance. It's all about making it stay the way I want it to, repotting, updating and making sure the Agapanthus doesn't strangle itself in the pots they're in.

So, I'm bringing the large rose pots from out the front to out the back and using them for just that plant this Winter. Yep, I'm splitting up the Agapanthus this Winter, and it'll all flower by next Summer - if not? Well, it'll do it late 2020. 

Then, I'll get two bigger, taller pots for the Lime Tree (which is really spreading its wings) and the Dracaena plant to let them really do their thing this year. I'm hoping they'll work out this year. 

Out the front, I'll get two more bags of ice white stones into the garden and make it look better, more even and pretty. It'll hide the roots of the Small Leaf Jade and make my townhouse look prettier and house proud and tidier (I know, it's pride thing for me but that's how it goes). 

Well, that's the plans this year. It's not much, but I'm getting in and saving some money for it all. Well, until my next post, happy gardening! 

Autumn Arrives

Well, it's finally cooling down here in Australia - and it came with a bang and not a whimper! One day it was stinking hot, the next there was a cold enough night for us to pull out our duvets and put on our Winter pajamas. 

Yeah, it was that fast... it showed up that quickly that it's also begun snowing in the Australian Alps too!

This has gotten me to really look into the garden faster than I normally would. Today, I mowed the lawn; before it rains tomorrow, and then I hacked back the Mock Orange too. It only flourished twice this year due to us not really having any storm season - which is unfortunate, because we didn't get much rain over Summer. 

I'm looking forward to getting in and fixing up and maintaining the garden this Winter while I save up for something else I really want which isn't for the garden... yep, it's gonna be a fun thing for me.

Anyway, I've got flowers popping open in the greenhouse, there's new Oregano and Thyme and I've clipped back a few plants to stop them taking over sun space from others underneath them. This will help them kick forward next Summer.

I'm going to repot some of the ones I've clipped back into bigger pots I've got laying around the place and start the others into the ones which are left from those I've repotted (does that make sense? I hope so!). 

Well, that's my Winter. It's all maintenance around the garden, seeing my garden got the much-needed facelift last year. and I'm really looking forward to it too! Until my next post, happy gardening!