October 2015 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Maggi Young]

Don't eat cake ladies.. it's poison didn't you know?

  Possibly poison, Jamus ---- but what a way to go!!

[Jupiter]

I do love a good lemon cheesecake. I haven't eaten cheesecake for.... can't remember the last time, over a year easily! 

[Parsla]

I’m with you Maggie (sorry Jamus). Cake is one of the most important food groups.
Now for the garden..

1. Brimeura amethystina is a tiny wisp of a thing.
2. Claret orb-like flower buds of Sarracenia standing out against a green backdrop
3. A saxifrage grown from a cutting.
4. This pretty white forget-me-not forms tight cushiony clumps.

[Robert]

Thanks for your kind words Robert. I do consider the garden on different scales when I'm planning structure or planting. I stand back and look broadly at the vista and also create little nooks with minute interest. I view the garden as a whole with many parts; areas; microclimates at different levels. Some of it is planning, much is serendipity. It's only a small garden so not too overwhelming for someone as time poor as I am.

Jamus,

I appreciate your wise admonition concerning gardening. Too many times I just go out and plant. Composition, design, and detail are so important. Maybe this is why I like smaller gardens as all these aspects can be considered, even with time constraints. I definitely appreciate your efforts, serendipitous or not. 

[t00lie]

Hi Dave,

I am very envious of your Fritillaria collina flower. Have a few plants but they have never flowered for me. Guess that extra couple of degrees latitude might make the difference.

I think your unknown frit is F. thessala.

Cheers, Marcus

Thanks Marcus
I've gone and written a label ..

Lovely  to see the Calanthe in bloom Jacqui ...grows well enough for me however shy in flowering .....

Jamus I like the look of Lysimachia atropurpurea 'Beaujolais .

Cheers Dave.

[Jupiter]

Tall bearded irises are starting to open, I'll post more as they come out. Some of these we are seeing for the first time as they were bought as very small plants and have taken a couple of years to reach flowering size.






Thalictrum delavayi

[Mini-daffs]

 
Photos from our garden.

[Mini-daffs]

 
Hi
A few more photos of what is flowering for us now.

[Jupiter]

Oooo... Graham your paeonia are magnificent. I don't have any flowering age yet so I'm very envious...

[Lesley Cox]

Lovely things in the Australian gardens just now. We are making do, Aussie-wise, with the well tanned faces of Fermi and Will. 

Maggi there was definitely cake, several kinds including my favourite cinnamon oysters (little, light-as-a-feather chocolate sponges split most of the way through, filled with whipped cream and dusted on top (turned upsidedown) with icing sugar. I was restrained, having only one while two (not to be named) men almost came to blows over who should have the last one.

[Parsla]

There are indeed lovely things on these pages right now - despite the unexpectedly hot and windy weather that hit the southern states this month. Flowers have seemed to come and go in a flash, burnt by the sun and wind.

The cake sounds delectable Lesley. I sincerely hope it wasn't any Australian men fighting over it.

Just a few tiny things.

1&2. Lavandula canariensis has silvery fernlike foliage and sparse, but brightly coloured, floral spires. A delight from Otto.
3. The maidenhair-like foliage of Vancouveria clothes the ground under a spreading oak
4. The frothy opalescent pale pink flowers of ceanothus pallidus have proved a revelation
5. I feel twinges of lazy gardener guilt showing this tree paeonia bloom after all the beautiful seed-grown ones shown by Graham. This beauty (cultivar Artemis) was purchased from Stephen Ryan only weeks ago.

[Maggi Young]

I can see why you bought Paeonia 'Artemis', Jacquie - I would have too - such a delicate colour - irresistible

[Maggi Young]

Lovely things in the Australian gardens just now. We are making do, Aussie-wise, with the well tanned faces of Fermi and Will. 

Maggi there was definitely cake, several kinds including my favourite cinnamon oysters (little, light-as-a-feather chocolate sponges split most of the way through, filled with whipped cream and dusted on top (turned upsidedown) with icing sugar. I was restrained, having only one while two (not to be named) men almost came to blows over who should have the last one.

Men fighting over cakes - how undignified !  We Gals would just grab quick and run!!

[Jupiter]

I spent the whole day cleaning up in the garden as we have guests coming tomorrow. Now the wind is blowing so I expect to find leaves everywhere tomorrow morning.

Here are a few photos taken this morning...


Bought this as Aquilegia alpina, but it could be anything... (I'm guessing Aquilegia flabellata)


A. formosa


Geranium cinereum 'ballerina'


This is Rebecca's rose, I don't know what it's called but it's very nice!


Lilium pumilum just starting.

[johnw]

Men fighting over cakes - how undignified !  We Gals would just grab quick and run!!

Yes, but make that singular ...cake.  The girls likely absconded with lion's share.  The men were after all fighting over the very LAST cake.