Sydney Rock Lilly

Dendrobium speciosum,

My rock lilly is about to flower, which is astounding considering the rough treatment she's been given.

Totally neglected at Northam, left in the hot western sun for two years, not watered!  What an amazing plant, she is now sending out flower stalks, about 4 I think.

You can see that she is still looking quite burnt on the older leaves, I have repotted her & placed her in a sheltered spot, where I walk by every morning, lean over & whisper gentle encouragement. I have solemnly promised to never mistreat her again & I think she believes me!  The dendrobium speciosum orchid is a lithophyte (growing on rocks) or an epiphyte (growing on another living plant, but not parasitic in nature).  She is growing here in a specific native orchid mix, apparently they are also heavy feeders.

New plants

Well new to me anyway!  This azalea has one bloom with a new one coming on the side.  Not a big fan of azalea's, I inherited three with the house, I have transplanted two into pots from the front garden, this is one,  & the only one to flower at present.  It looks a lot better in the photo, its really quite small & we'll see if I keep these plants or not.  The azalea's I had at Oslo Lane suffered continuously from petal blight, so too high care for me, Im a tough love kinda gal!

Begonia of some sort, I have planted in a pot & has flowered continuously since.

Ipomea batatas summer lovin sweetheart with sun kisses in there somewhere, what a mouth full!  anyway looked gorgeous while it was warm, started to turn up its nose when the mercury plummeted, so will see if it keels over or bucks up with the warmer weather!

Heuchera berry smoothie, feeling very comfortable in his pot

& brother Heuchera lime marmalade likewise in his pot!

Ready for the good dirt!

We have dug out tonnes of roots & raked, shoveled & finally we have it level enough to order the landscape mix, 20 cubic metres of it!
But because I just couldn't wait any longer I had to plant something, so in the far corner I have planted a Bauhinia variegata purpurea (Orchid Tree). This tree grows to approx 8m with a width of 6m, it is partly deciduous, although we shall see as it still has lots of leaves at the moment. It has beautiful fragrant, magneta, orchid like flowers - a tropical looking tree.

Heaps of pot plants eagerly awaiting planting, some I dug out of the garden & others I have propagated & even more I have purchased.

Bella sunning herself in the warm winter sun, still lots of roots around, but hopefully they will break down under the new soil.  Rusty screen leaning against the pavers, which we will attached to a frame & erect across the entry way to the patio, it all looks outstanding in my mind!

A few pots

Just fiddling around with some little succulents

This is a planter for my mum that I have just redone & am nurturing until they grow a little before I give it to her.

Echeveria Perle Von Nuremburg

A couple of Aloe Fairy Pinks, aeonium, sedum & some unknowns

39.8C

What a stinker today was, & looks like another one tomorrow as well, have to get up early to water & hope nothing gets too badly burnt.

My spathyphyllum is flowering really well this year, it gets about an hour of sun at 6am & then is in full shade, which seems to agree with it.

  

Begonia
This begonia runs rampant & I have to keep cutting it back which means I miss out on the flowers.  The flowers are so pretty, a very delicate pink.  It is in full shade, but it doesnt seem to mind the morning sun & I need to turn it frequently as it strains towards the light.  I think it should be in a much bigger pot or the ground.

Heaven scent

Spring is nearly over, but these shrubs are just begining.

This hot pink carpet rose was a gift to my mum for mothers day many years ago, she had it in a hanging basket on her front patio & it rewarded her with a continuous display.  Mum & Dad have since moved to a "Lifestyle village" where only native plants are allowed.  I score the carpet rose & a gardenia, which I have repotted & I think they are all very happy.  I just love hot pink flowers!

These 3 gardenias are so happy this year & I know why!  WATER!

Im very very stingy with my watering, liking mostly drought tolerant plants, which these are definitely not.  They have always struggled, wilting, dropping their buds, and one year they lost all their leaves, I thought they had died, but no, it rained & little green shoots pushed through.  so end of spring 2010 I repotted all three into self watering pots & have made a (very) concerted effort to keep the water up and although its paid off I cannot believe how much they guzzle. They only get the morning sun, but already Im watering them every second day, wondering if its worth it, then I go out the back door & am knocked over by their intoxicating scent.  Some people arent that keen on the smell, but I sure am, so will keep with the spoiling & hope all my other plants arent feeling too neglected when the gardenia decides to showoff & force its scent upon us! 

potting up

A morning of potting, repotted my Mandevilla climber which hasnt climbed on anything yet, a dwarf crepe myrtle that my Dad struck in 1998, & dug out of front city garden bed my bush pearl (dwarf kangaroo paw), broke into 8 pieces and potted 5, leaving 3 to replant in garden bed.

Dad's dwarf crepe myrtle

potted mandevilla aloha red, bush pearls & bush diamond - flowering, which you can hardly see as its a white flower against the pale bricks

I had bought a small bush diamond from Trees A Green nursery, so the plan is to let these little "gems" grow on nicely in pots until next winter & then plant in new garden.  Also repotted Dad's maiden hair fern .

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.

Yesterday my S1 flew back up to Broome, we had a lovely week with him, coming & going inbetween him catching up with friends, even got to watch half of the grand final with him, he watched the first half with friends & then remembered that he had promised his Dad that they would watch it together. School holidays now, but isnt a big deal anymore as S3 & S4 dont really need my input into their lives except to drive them places, oh and hand out cash! 

new little succulents

I have 3 different Haworthia's planted in the one pot, the first two which I think are H Fasciata & H attentuata, I took a couple of plantlets from a house my parents were housesitting, they were very old and overgrown, have been in the pot for 1 year now & done nothing!  Today I purchased a H tesselata to go with them, doesnt look much like its picture, looks very grim & almost dead, hopefully being transplanted it will show some life now.  Apparently they are very slow growers, so will take some time to fill this pot.

I also bought what I think looks like an Agave, which one Im not sure, as the only label it came with was "succulent" which of course is no help at all.
The other two photo's are an echeveria black prince & aeonium chocolate rose, all of these I will grow in pots until we move & then they will find their home in my dry succulent garden.