Volunteers Ferns On The Wind

I'm not sure what it is about this pot it seems to be a breading pot for ferns, for the third time I have have had volunteer ferns sprout in it. It is situated at the far end of the ferny and is the furthermost pot from the ferns and has a chain of hearts growing in it. There appears to be at least five different fern types including maidenhair fern now growing in the pot this time. This pot is the only pot in the ferny that has a cover of moss also growing in it. About six months ago I emptied this pot washed all the old potting mix and moss off the chain of heart bulbs and re-potted the bulbs back into the same pot. Once sprouted I lift the ferns out and plant in the garden where they thrive. Go figure!!!!

What a bounty is little 10 inch pot yielded five different fern types and a total of 14 baby ferns. All now picked out and re-planted into separate pots.

Hibiscus heterophyllus

Hibiscus heterophyllus

Last year while in Adelaide I fell in love with the Hibiscus plant, as they were in full flower in many parts of Adelaide we visited. There seemed to be a large variety of colours and the fact that they seemed to thrive in the heat of Adelaide with there dry hot climate was good to see. On my return home while out walking I began to notice Hibiscus plants around my neighbourhood growing equally as good as they did in Adelaide. This spurred me on to see if I could fined one for my garden. And find one I did, and when I looked at the label and it said Australian Native, I knew that this plant was the one for me. I found the ideal spot for it in the garden and watched it grow, until the frost of spring hit. How disappointing it was to find all the new growth on my Hibiscus burnt by the frost, when the label had stated that this plant was frost tolerant. Never one to give up on a plant, I covered it from further frost and waited to see just how bad the damage would be. DH took one look at the plant and advised me to pull it up and throw it in the bin. But this I could not do, I carefully trimmed all the burnt foliage from the plant, fed it and kept it watered and it has come back. Still only a small plant less than a metre in height I had not expected it to flower this year, but while out in the garden picking tomato's I saw my first flower. What a pleasant surprise this flower was, it was worth all the effort I went to trying to keep this little hibiscus alive. Here is a photo of my first flower, I just love it.
P.S Update this bush as of the 8.3.2010 is now growing and flowering well and stands more than a metre high.

Fairy Garden

Fairy Garden

Recently little miss grand daughter (seven years) came to visit, as always she must check out her fairy garden to see she what has changed since her last visit. So out we went camera in my hand to see what the fairies had been up to while see had been gone. This is her favorite place in the garden and she will sit and play here as often as she can. After re-arranging some of the fairy ornaments, she asked if she could take some photos. So I handed over the digital camera after setting it up for her and here are the photos she took. It was wonderful to watch this little pro at work, getting up and down checking the angles to get the shot just right. Check out some of the pics she took, I was a very proud Nan.

Summer colour in the garden

There is always so much colour in the the garden over summer, this is a wonderful time of the year as the weather allows us to get out and enjoy our gardens. I love this time of the year the sights, sounds and smell of the garden can not be beaten.

Marysville

Marysville

On Saturday 31.October 2009 we went to visit a friend in Marysville almost twelve months to the day since our last visit. What a difference twelve months makes, after the devastating bush fires of Saturday 7 February 2009 we had know idea what to expect on our return. It was a surreal feeling driving through the black spur and into Marysville, burnt trees in all directions. It was an eerie feeling as we came closer to Marysville to smell smoke in the air from recent burn off's as people prepare for this summers fire season. There were so few home left in Marysville that survived the fires and so little has yet been rebuilt. The loss of life in this once beautiful little country town surrounded by Forrest will never be forgotten. As the towns people try to rebuild their homes and their lives. I found it hard to believe that families were still living in temporary accommodation after nine months. Have they been forgotten because their plight is yesterdays news????
As we walked around what were the main streets of Marysville we could see mother nature at work giving back some of what she had taken away. The Oak trees had started to re-shoot and some had quite a bit of leaf cover on them. Trees in and around Marysville were starting to recover, this was a most heat lifting sight. Here are some photos in and around Marysville showing mother nature and the re-birth of the bush.

Photo 1 & 2 Forrest coming into Marysville. Photo 3 tree in full flower near the lake

Oak trees main street Lake view burnt hills in background Lake view

Hill views Trees recovering

Hanging Rock Visit

First views of the rock

What a very cold wet day to make our first visit to Hanging Rock. We left the sunshine behind when we turned off the Calder Highway and the closer we got to the rock the more the weather deteriorated. But I enjoyed my time at the rock, in spite of the weather and I managed to get some photos that I was happy with.

Hanging Rock was formally known as Mount Diogenes, it is a distinctive geological formation, 718m above sea level. Approximately 70 km north-west of Melbourne and a few kilometres north of Mount Macedon. The Rock is best known as the site depicted in the book PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK WRITTEN by Joan Lindsay.

On the way to the summit



Views from the summit storm front

In My Garden Today

Well it has been some time since I posted anything in my blog, other interest have for some months taken over my time. But with nearing to the end of winter and spring not to far away, it is time to once again make the effort into the get out into the garden and get ready to watch the re-birth of the garden in spring.

Here are some photos taken of what is in flower today in my garden.