E ucalytus luecoxylon rosea - Pink flowered yellow gum, yellow gum
found in open forest and woodland in western Victoria, South Australia and south-western New South Wales.
a medium-sized tree which reaches 10-30 metres in height. The bark is retained on the lower trunk but the upper trunk and branches are smooth-barked and cream to grey in colour. The flowers are usually seen in autumn and winter and may be white, cream, pink or red.
It performs best in well-drained, moist soils but, once established is tolerant of extended dry conditions.
E.leucoxylon is regularly planted for windbreaks, shade, honey production and for ornamental purposes and it grows well in alkaline soils.
These two E luecoxylon were bought as tube stock, I have replanted them in 1L milk cartons as Im going to attempt to plant them in the paddock next autumn using Bill Hicks long stem planting method. In order to do this I need the roots to grow down to the bottom of the carton & the stems to grow taller than they are. Using the long stem planting method a 1 metre hole is dug & the tree is planted deeply with soil up its stem, it then grows roots from its stem making it more stable & stronger.
Casuarina cunninghamiana - River She-oak
Tall pine-like tree, usually straight, 35m high, with dark rough bark. Initially their shape is narrow pyramidal becoming more rounded in maturity. Dark green foliage with predominantly fine branchlets with leaves reduced to tiny scales or leaf teeth occurring in whorls or rings around the stems. These rings are 4-9 mm apart. River she-oak is the largest of Australia’s she-oaks. Trees have either male or female flowers. Male flower spikes are about 2 cm long: female flowers develop into woody fruits or cones, globular to 1 cm. long with hard, projecting valves which open to release winged seed.
Naturally occurring in Victoria, NSW, Qld and NT on freshwater streams and watercourses.
Hakea laurina - pincushion hakea
found in the south west of Western Australia, a small tree to 6m with rounded reddish flower heads, that look like pincushions in autumn to winter. Drought tolerant.
A rather boring post, but I want to record these little beauties right through, maybe I might even see them fully grown? It will also be interesting to see how the long stem planting goes, I will need all of my trees to be drought tolerant as they will be hand watered for their first two summers only, then they will need to survive on approx. 300mm of rainfall a year.
This flower is on a strappy leafed plant that came from Dad, The flower only lasts a day, which is a huge let down as its rather pretty, dont know what it is, but would love to.
This is the Giant Boab 'Gija Jumulu' that was transported to Kings Parkin July 2008, it journeyed over 3200 kilometres, from Warmun in WA's Kimberley region, to Kings Park in Perth.This iconic tree, estimated to be 750 years old, weighs 36 tonnes and stretches 14 metres high and eight metres wide (branch span). Its trunk measures 2.5 metres in diameter. The boab had to be moved as it was in the way of a highway, this was a first in Australia, transplanting such an old tree over an enormous distance. I remember the journey was followed every evening on the news, the nation held its breath & hoped that this incredible endeavour would be successful, when the first tiny shoots pushed through in spring you could almost here the collective sigh of relief. Boabs are deciduous and the kimberly in WA is the only place in the world they are found, they are related to South Africa's baoabab's. Now this proud giant enters its third spring in his new home & we await the first signs of life with baited breath once again. Nature is so exciting!
These photos are of my city suburban back yard, west facing wall, very sandy soil. Growing plants here has been a continual struggle as the water will not stay in the soil, just leaches 
as soon as you put it there, we are only allowed 2 watering days a week in summer, 3 if you have a bore & total ban over winter. Although I like the look of the garden at the moment, I know by the middle of summer I will not be enjoying it at all as it will take all me efforts just to keep it alive
Had I started this garden from scratch I would have planted only indigenous species as I think they are the only ones to survive without a mammoth effort. The asparagas fern and ponytail palms always do well, but the cordyline electric pink is no longer there, sorching sun & lack of water killed it off.
