New Stuff!

Have spent a very productive afternoon online. I discovered a new favourite blog
gardendesignchronicle.blogspot.com
which in turn put me on to a San Francisco shop
floragrubb.com
Which in turn has put me on to this great new product called Woolly Pockets, which I'm thinking is a brilliant idea!
woollypocket.com

                                               These are plants growing in Woolly Pockets
                                                   All photos are from floragrubb.com

Blue Hills Sea Holly - Eryngium x zabellii " Blue Hills"

This is my 2nd last weekend in Melbourne, so I made another trip to Lambley nursery today. I also wanted to go there as I think its about to be featured on some tv shows and in some magazines, and I wanted to beat the rush. The garden beds look so beautiful. Its great to see the plants growing at full size as most are in small pots when you buy them. I bought a mixture of plants and mistakedly, thought that I had bought some of these Sea Holly. Luckily Lambley sell by mail order, so all is not lost!

For more information visit  http://www.lambley.com.au/

Santolina neapolitana

My last Wigandia photos!

A little more Wigandia.......

Wigandia 22nd November,2009

I mentioned in earlier posts that I was finally able to visit William Martins garden, Wigandia, today.
Its situated in Noorat, 3 hours Northwest of Melbourne, Victoria. Unusually, it rained for most of the day. (I got bogged on the way home when I pulled off the road to answer the phone!) Wigandia was opened for 2 days as part of the Open Garden Scheme, maybe for the last time. (I hope not)
William describes his gardening style as "Bunyip Classicism". I think this is an antidote to boring clipped hedges and rose gardens. Unlike a lot of classical gardens, it doesnt require regular watering. I imagine that part of the reason that these plants are here are not only for their visual impact, but because they can survive harsh conditions.
For more information and photos please visit http://www.wigandia.com/

Glaucium flavum

This plant is grown at Wigandia - William Martins garden. Common name is the Yellow Horn Poppy. It is native to Western Europe. The foliage is really striking. Its very silvery white and felty. Looks great against the Scoria pathway.

Some kind of South African Restio..................................

I think thats a sedum in the foreground.

Today, I visited a garden that I have wanted to see for years: William Martins, Wigandia.  I took loads of photos, which I 'll post over time.
I bought a Polygonum equisetiforme. It is found from the Mediterraneum, Europe to Iran. It has some medicinal uses but can be poisonous. Its extremely drought tolerant.

moss

Mrs Tappy, Eddington

Eucalyptus forestiana

Eucalyptus tetrapera

This is a West Australian tree that has huge really leathery leaves(you can see a little hand in the corner!)

I went to visit my firend Jules in Eddington this weekend. One of her neighbours, Mrs Tappy has a small plantation of some beautiful Eucalypts that she grows and collects seeds from. She kindly showed us around her property. I will try to get the name of her company.The Euc. macrocarpa below are also from Mrs Tappys property

Eucalyptus macrocarpa

Beautiful West Australian trees. Unfortunately a lot of my photos were out of focus. The tree is so spectacular with silver leaves and huge wooden seed pods

Eucalyptus woodwardii

A couple of weeks ago I posted some photos of Eucalytus seen on the road to Boort, that I was unable to identify. Mrs Tappy of Eddington has kindly identified this tree. It is Eucalyptus woodwardii. She thinks that these trees were planted in the 1950's. Their common name is the Lemon Flwered Mallee. In its natural habitat, it is found in a few, restricted sites east of Karonie in Western Australia. It is a small to medium tree with a weeping habit, which is prized for honey production and prefers low summer rainfall

Eddington Nights

Australian Leafrolling Fly

The other day, i found a little pile of dirt coming out of one of my pots. Upon further examination I found in the pot some little tubes made up of rose leaves that contained baby insects. Apparently they are the larvae of the Australian Leafrolling Fly. I put the pot back together with the larvae inside (with assistance from a neighbour, I was too freaked out). The mother came back and re excavated the soil to get back to the babies. Im a bit excited as I have never seen this before.

Portea petropolitana

My Portea petropolitana is in flower at the moment (for the first time ever!) I already have gotten 2 pups from it. It seems to be hardy and quite prolific. I just have to get it in the right position. I have seen it planted in full sun but my one burns easily in full sun

Home grown tomatoes

Ive been away from home for a while and didnt have any food in the fridge. So I made some pasta out of my home grown tomatoes and herbs. It tasted so good, that Im thinking about growing more things - maybe capsicums and lettuce.