robble at zip

I'm moving to Tumblr.com 23rd February, 2010

2010-02-22T13:32:00.000-08:00

Hi there,
Im moving to tumblr.com. Please follow me here as I wont be doing any more posts on blogspot.
robbleatzip.tumblr.com
Thanks for your continued support,
regards
robble at zip

Warrigal Greens

2010-02-17T14:27:00.001-08:00

Lately I have been walking around the cliffs between Coogee and Clovelly . I noticed a common ground cover that I couldn’t identify at first. It’s Tetragonia tetragoniodes, common name Warrigal Greens. It grows in moist areas close to the coast and estuaries. The leaves of this plant are edible and were eaten by Aboriginals and early settlers. It needs to be boiled before eating to reduce the oxalate, which is poisonous.

“ The leaves are edible although bitter unless cooked. Captain Cook served them boiled daily to his crew and Joseph Banks thought they “eat as well, or very nearly as well, as Spinach”. Nowadays they are mainly enjoyed by native rats and other herbivores “– from Field Guide to The Native Plants of Sydney by Les Robinson

Joseph Banks – Botanist and Explorer

What a fall from grace this vegetable has had! It sustained the early settlers and is now mostly enjoyed by rats.

On my bookshelf…………………..

2010-02-17T02:14:00.001-08:00

I’ve recently started studying Horticulture Certificate 4 by correspondence. This has led me to search through a lot of gardening books on my shelves. I found this gem of a book. It was given to me by a work colleague and I’d forgotten how great the illustrations are.

It was published in 1953. I’ve found a few old newspaper clippings between the pages. “Gardening Without Tears, by Reg Edwards” and a recipe for prawn cocktails. I particularly love the 1950’s colour in the plates.

St Andrews Cross Spiders

2010-02-12T23:47:00.001-08:00

The rain is still bucketing down here in Sydney. For me (and many others) its a welcome change. All of my pots are soaked and I have been moving some of cacti and succulents undercover to stop them from rotting out. Ive noticed some new insect arrivals: St Andrews Cross Spiders They are so called because of the silky cross at the centre of their web. This is called a stabilimentum. At first thought to stabilise the web, it is currently thought to either help capture prey or avoid predators.

EDIT: Today, 17th February, I was standing on the balcony, brushing my teeth and a wattle bird landed on a nearby branch and ate the above spider, right in front of me. C’est la vie!

This one is either a baby or hasn’t had time to spin the cross yet. These spiders are common in Eastern Australia and are found from rainforest margins to open forest and heathland. And…. they aren’t poisonous!

Rain – and little yellow mushrooms……….

2010-02-09T04:34:00.001-08:00

We’ve been having lots and lots of rain lately. I moved my pots out to catch it. I think theres no substitute for rainwater. I have also been indulging in my somewhat obsessive habit of collecting rainwater. As I cant have a rainwater tank, I now have lots of containers of rainwater, which are fast filling up with lots of mosquito larvae. I might have to move my new fishes around a bit!
I’ve also noticed lots of mushrooms coming up in the pots. I checked, they are common and pretty harmless, although I’m not planning to eat them

Before………………………………………………………………………………………………………After (1 day)……..

Blue Banded Bees

2010-02-05T14:16:00.001-08:00

After a very mixed week, I was thrilled to find these critters buzzing around on my verandahThey are called Blue Banded Bees or Amegilla sp. and are native to Australia. They are, at the moment, all huddled on the tips of Lepiromia articulata which is in my watergarden. Its been pouring with rain for 2 days and they are all soaked Another interesting thing that I discovered from aussiebee.com.au, was that they are great tomato pollinators, and are used in greenhouse tomato production. They are very active foragers and each visit about 1200 tomato flowers a day. I don’t have that many tomatoes but have got a few pots going. They are my 2nd round of tomatoes for the summer and are grown from the seeds of my first batch. I’ m loving the little microcosm that’s developing here on my rooftop deck.

White Cloud Mountain Minnows

2010-01-31T00:01:00.001-08:00

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had started a watergarden. Its an old metal washtub with some reeds in it, as well as some Thai mint and a native Australian waterplant called Marsillea. Every time I look into the water, its full of wrigglers (mosquito larvae) The best solution to get rid of the wrigglers was to get some fish.

I went to Aqua Pets in Bondi Junction and got 6 Tanichthy albonubes, common name White Cloud Mountain Minnows. They are hardy fish which can survive warm or cool water temperatures. They are extinct in their native habitat of Guandong, China, and were originally discovered by a Boy Scout leader in the 1930’s. They are a member of the Carp family, which is already setting off alarm bells in my head as Carp are a huge pest here in Australia and are decimating native fish populations and causing widespread riverbank erosion, here in Australia.

Like many other plant and animal species, they are great when kept in a confined area, but become a problem when exposed to another environment where they may dominate and takeover because of their ability to thrive in a variety of situations.

I don’t know whether this species of fish could ever become a problem in the wild, but its always good to be aware of the potential.

Aechmea bromeliifolia albobracteata

2010-01-30T16:08:00.001-08:00

I finally cut the flower head off of this plant as its past its prime. Something came along in the night and had a go at extracting some seeds from it. I love that the plants on my rooftop attract birds and insects and provide some sort of environment for them

Sedum “Purple Emperor”

2010-01-30T15:54:00.001-08:00

I bought this Sedum at Lambley Nursery last year and it has just started flowering

It grows 35cm tall and the leaves are purpley bronze. It flowers from late summer to Autumn and requires little water. A great choice for a sunny garden in drought conditions

Sydney Botanical Gardens

2010-01-26T17:52:00.001-08:00

I recently went to The Sydney Botanical Gardens. The tropical hothouse is fantastic. Lots of exotic , tropical plants growing on different levels, so that you can see things from different perspectives. If the Gardens had more funding, I think that this would be a good collection to develop. Its really popular whenever I visit the gardens and its not cheap to get in. Theres is another glass pyramid type hothouse opposite that has mainly Australian tropical plants. Its pretty boring, and needs some work. There are lots of bare patches and the plants dont look very luscious.

The flying foxes that have colonised the gardens really depressed me. They are destroying a lot of the older trees in the gardens. Their droppings are everywhere and smell putrid. When is something going to be done about this problem. It seems to have been going on for too long.

Camping – January, 2010

2010-01-26T15:32:00.001-08:00

I went camping this weekend with my friend “S”. Above picture shows what happens when you leave your tent up and unattended over long periods of time. This is the new tent. The Coleman Lakeside 3, complete with its own vestibule. We put it up in 20 mins without directions

Hoya densifolia (I think)

2010-01-23T15:54:00.001-08:00

I was in Far North Queensland a couple of years ago and bought this unidentified Hoya from a small local nursery that didn’t have any other Hoyas for sale. I have been trying to identify it and have found that there is a lot of debate between Hoya collectors about the 2 species Hoya cumingiana and Hoya densifolia.

I think this is H. densifolia. It has small leaves 3cm long x 2cm wide. The new branches are upright at first, then cascading, not twining. There are 13 flowers in the umbel. It is apparently from the Phillipines and Indonesia.I love how the flowers look all waxy.

Significant Trees # 1

2010-01-23T15:24:00.001-08:00

I spend a lot of time driving around Sydney and various trees and plants become landmarks. They might be in a public place or in someones front garden. They might be something that you dont give much thought to until they flower spectacularly at the same time each year. Sometimes they disappear all of a sudden because the council has decided that they are dangerous or a developer has moved into a site and unceremoniously mowed down all things green.

With this in mind, I thought I might start an irregular post of some of my favourite landmark plants

The first one is an Angophora costata, or Sydney Red Gum. Its on a vacant block between a newsagent and an old house. Its on Rocky Point Road in Sans Souci. Its a beautiful tree that sits right in the middle of the block. I worry that sooner or later the block will be sold and the tree will be removed.I hope not!

Angophora costata is known for its curling limbs and its smooth pinkish brown bark. Its often seen growing from crevices in rocks.

Cotyledon orbiculata

2010-01-20T13:26:00.001-08:00

I have been reading another instalment on jeansgarden.wordpress.com about posting photos on your blog via Window Live Writer. As someone who has never had any computer tuition, this information is gold! Also this week have rediscovered a favourite blog of mine A succulent obsession which has fantastic photography and is invaluable for identifying succulents

Header and Layout

2010-01-16T18:48:00.000-08:00

Have spent most of the day, changing format and trying to change the header into something that will fit. I dont have photoshop. I think this is something I will have to get. I keep looking at other peoples blogs and wondering whether they have professional help. It says on the Blogger editing tab that it will shrink the picture to fit - but it doesnt! Aaarrrggghhh!

Dahlias

2010-01-15T15:36:00.001-08:00

I never used to like Dahlias much, but my friend, Don, bought me some bulbs and Ive become a little bit fascinated by them. They remind me of Chrysanthemums, they look a little bit Chinese and these huge showy flowers manifest from little bulbs. They dont really fit with all of my other plants, but I have realised thats its a great pleasure to watch the development of flowers, when you go outside to inspect your garden. Another friend cant believe how much time I spend inspecting my plants.But for me, that is the best part!

Draceana Draco – Callan Park

2010-01-11T00:57:00.001-08:00

I was in Callan Park today. Its an area of land that was originally bought in 1839 as an estate. In 1873 it was bought by the Colonial Government to be the site of a “Lunatic Asylum”. At the time the grounds were 104.5 acres. The parklands were designed by the Director of the Sydney Botanical Gardens. At various stages since then it has fallen into disrepair due to neglect.
There is a bit of a sad feeling around the place, due to its long history as a psychiatric hospital. It was also used to treat shell shocked soldiers returning from WW1.
Friends of Callan Park have a very informative website http://www.callanpark.com/ with more details of its history

There are some very significant trees in the gardens, including some Dracaeana draco that I think must be about 100 yrs old.Originally from the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, they can live to 400 years. These examples are very striking and are well displayed in the huge open landscape.I have to say though that they are a strange choice of tree to put in the front area of a psychiatric hospital. They look like giant brains, and could be a bit intimidating.

Pelargonium sidioides

2010-01-10T23:11:00.001-08:00

This is a test run as I am trying out Window Writer to blog as it seems to be a lot easier. Thanks so much jeansgarden.wordpress.com for your fabulous posting on how it all works. I think blogging is going to get a lot better from now on!Also, I have got a new layout. Im happy because my pictures are bigger and not cut in half

Watergarden

2010-01-09T21:35:00.000-08:00

I have started to plant a sort of watergarden in an old metal tub that was given to me by a friend. Ive got a pot of Marsilea mutica, which is commonly called Nardoo. It looks like a 4 leaf clover and is found naturally in freshwater marshes. Ive got 2 tall reeds: Restio tetraphyllus , another Native plant found in sheltered coastal marshes, usually in deep sand. The base of the plant looks striped. Also Lepironia articulata , a native coastal rush. Lastly Saracenia "Evedine". This is a native of South Eastern USA. I have been trying to find a good home for this plant, but it keeps getting burnt! .Also, I got some Vietnamese Mint that I was having trouble growing, which I have now discovered loves being in the water. My next step is to get rid of all of the mosquito wrigglers in the water. Maybe I might buy some fish! Im having a bit of a hard time at the moment trying to manipulate photos, and change the layout on Blogger, but finding it all a bit frustrating! Im going to persevere, so hopefully in the future, my blog can look a whole lot better!

2010-01-07T23:51:00.000-08:00

Portea petropolitana

More birds and Banksias..........

2010-01-07T23:40:00.000-08:00

New Holland Honeyeater Rainbow Lorikeet

Breakwater, Victoria.

2010-01-02T21:20:00.000-08:00

I visited my friend Shane in Victoria a few months ago. (Just found the photos!)
He lives on the edge of a floodplain which is kind of like living on the edge of the moors (in my imagination) Theres a lot of a plant called Lignum. Also I photographed a couple of interesting succulents growing there. The first one, I think is a type of Sarcocornia. Common name Samphire.
The area is rampant with rabbits, so there must be something unappetising about all surviving plants
While I was looking to identify both species. I found a great website:
australiansucculents.com
Its compiled by Attila Kapitany who has published a great book about Austalian Succulents, which Im intending to buy when I have some spare cash.
EDIT: Thanks Ian Percy. The yellow flowered plant is Cotula coronopifolia.
I had a look in Field Guide to Native Plants of Sydney by Les Robinson and got the following info:
" Common in slightly saline conditions on the margins of saltmarshes. The seeds emit a sticky mucus when immersed. This aids dispersal by sticking to birds. Native of South Africa"!

Sarcocornia sp.

Rain

2009-12-31T15:35:00.000-08:00

It has been cloudy and rainy in Sydney over the Xmas/New Year period. There has also been substantial rain in inland NSW, with more predicted. I hope 2010 brings some beneficial weather to our drought ravaged areas. We love rain!

S and D Garden - Part 1

2009-12-25T23:27:00.000-08:00

S and D garden - part 2

2009-12-25T19:28:00.000-08:00

My friends, S & D, live across the road from me. They've got a great garden made up of lots of bits and pieces. Theres a lot of old cement pots, things they find lying around. Plants get moved a lot. Some plants struggle to survive and others flourish eg a huge Eucalyptus tree in the back yard and some gigantic green bamboo. S made a sandstone path in the back yard thats a bit treacherous but looks like its always been there. Its a really nice place to be.

Christmas

2009-12-23T19:40:00.000-08:00

Im having the family to my place for Christmas, so have been cleaning up. I painted the walls of my deck grey and re arranged a few plants to make a cycleway for my niece when she gets her new bike. Sydney is so beautiful at the moment. Its supposed to rain tomorrow for Christmas day, which is a shame because we probably wont go for a swim, but on the other hand, we love rain because we usually dont get enough

Rainbow Lorikeet in Banksia tree outside my bedroom window

2009-12-19T21:11:00.000-08:00

Ian McMaughs Garden

2009-12-19T19:11:00.000-08:00

Alcantarea rubra

Tillandsias, Orthophytums.

My good friend Ian McMaugh is a Landscape Gardener. His business is called "Budwise". He recently turned his backyard fence into a green wall. He has used Orthophytums, Rhipsalis, Epiphyllum amongst Spanish Moss and other Bromeliads and succulents

Silver Grey plants - Cranbourne

2009-12-15T02:41:00.000-08:00

Chrysocephalum apiculatum

Maireana sedifolia

"Pearl Bluebush"

Ptilotus obovatus

"Silver Tails"

Grass Trees - Xanthorrhoea - at Cranbourne

2009-12-07T15:56:00.000-08:00

Cranbourne Botanical Gardens, outside Melbourne, Victoria, has a wonderful collection of Xanthorrhoea. One specimen, Xanthorrhoea johnsonii is 400 years old. Flower growth is triggered by fire, and the flowers can grow 2-3 cm per day

Kangaroo Paws - Anigozanthos - at Cranbourne Royal Botanical Gardens

2009-12-06T02:48:00.000-08:00

Philodendron selloum

2009-12-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

My friend Katy is opeing a restaurant in Northcote, Melbourne soon with some friends. We went out this morning looking for a plant to fill an empty place at the back of a narrow space. We found a Philodendron selloum at Palm Place Nursery, http://www.palmnursery.com.au/

It will be repotted and reoriented to fit in the space. We just plonked it on a stand to see how it would look. I used to be a bit scathing about 70's style indoor plants but I have to say I love the large, wild leaves of this plant. It has great impact from a distance and is hardy enough to survive the odd bit of neglect. Although I'm sure it will get lots of care and attention. Good luck with the restaurant Katy!

Confessions of an overzealous Plant Collector......................

2009-12-03T23:22:00.000-08:00

Ive been doing a job in Melbourne for a little while. Im staying in a hotel in the city which has a pretty uninspiring view into an office block. This hasn't stopped me from buying more plants at every opportunity, and they are lined up along the window to catch the sun. It also means I will have to drive home rather than flying! The Marrubium suppinum that I bought from Lambley Nursery has been flowering. I cant wait to get these plants home and into some big pots. This post was so grey I had to include a photo of Marrubium in its natural habitat - the mountainous region of central and Southern Spain. Apparently the name is derived from the Hebrew word marob, commemorating the bitterness of the juice when this plant was eaten to commemeorate passover.

The High Line

2009-12-01T14:21:00.000-08:00

High Line

Piet Oudolf Border at RHS Wisley

Battery Park Promenade

Ive been thinking about how I would like to visit the High Line in New York. Then I discovered that Piet Oudolf had designed some of the planting, which made me want to go even more. There are still more sections to be opened so maybe its better to wait. Piet Oudolfs blog has got some beautiful photos.
I have also been reading the High Line Blog, which is worth a look
oudolf.com
blog.thehighline.org

some more Lambley pictures

2009-12-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

Delphiniums

Clematis "Aotearoa"

Echinops ruthenicus

New Stuff!

2009-11-28T21:17:00.000-08:00

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"

2009-11-28T00:33:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-27T23:27:00.000-08:00

My last Wigandia photos!

2009-11-27T01:52:00.000-08:00

A little more Wigandia.......

2009-11-23T02:08:00.000-08:00

Wigandia 22nd November,2009

2009-11-22T00:04:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

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..................................

2009-11-21T21:26:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-20T01:22:00.000-08:00

Mrs Tappy, Eddington

2009-11-14T21:51:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-14T21:15:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-14T21:04:00.000-08:00

Australian Leafrolling Fly

2009-11-10T15:33:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-08T13:54:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-08T13:40:00.001-08:00

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.

Lambley Nursery

2009-10-31T22:26:00.000-07:00

Salvia x superba "Tanzarin"

Artemisia ludoviciana "Valerie Finnis"

Echium pininana "Snow Towers"

I wish I knew the name of this Aloe, because I want one!

I think this is Marrubium supinum "Scallop Shell". According to the catalogue, it gets "hazy purple pink hooded flowers"

I visited Lambley Nursery today. Its about 140 k's outside of Melbourne, 10 k's past Ballarat. They also have an online catalogue http://www.lambley.com.au/ . Like the sign says, they only water 3 or 4 times a year. They specialise in dry tolerant plants. A lto fo the plants are from the Mediterranean and South Africa. Unfortunately, I went to the nursery shop before looking in the garden, whcih would have informed my choices a bit more. Oh well, I might just have to go back!. I ve tried to identify some of the photographed plants. They have a great catalogue, that they post out. A very inspring place.

Things I bought at Lambley Nursery

2009-10-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

Aloe Glauca

Pelargonium sidioides

Helychrysum argyrophyllum

I bought some plants for myself and a friend who did me a favour.
Pelargonium sidiodes from South Africa.It said on the label "one per customer", thats why I bought it!
Aloe Glauca to add to my Aloe collection. This one was a bit sick and was on special.
Helichrysum argyrophyllum has very hard silver leaves and gets yellow everlasting flowers. 2 for Steve and Don, one for me....

Grevillea

2009-10-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

I saw this woolly looking Grevillea outside the Boort Agricultural Show.

Another plant that I intend to identify soon

Yellow Eucalypt

2009-10-17T19:49:00.001-07:00

I saw this Eucalypt last weekend on the road between Wedderburn and Maryborough. The blossoms are really spectacular, as are the seed capsules. I dont think its native to this area and Im going to try to identify it soon.
Please see later post 15/11/09. I have identified this as Eucalptus woodwardii

Pink Eucalypt

2009-10-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

Saw this beautiful Pink Eucalypt near Eddington in Victoria last weekend

Aloe Plicata

2009-10-03T22:47:00.000-07:00

At Roraima nursery, 3 different Aloe plicata. Even mature plants grow well in shallow containers.

Bearded Iris

2009-10-03T22:38:00.000-07:00

These are from the garden at Breakwater where my friend Shane lives. The bulbs of these Iris were left out in the baking summer sun for a few months before being planted. They have just flowered after being in the ground for a couple of years. In other words, they're hardy!

I love Echiums

2009-10-03T22:10:00.001-07:00

Echiums are going off in Melbourne at the moment! They look really spectacular en masse in different shades of purple, Unfortunately, they can look a bit crap for the rest of the year when they arent in flower. These pictures are from Breakwater, outside of Geelong, where my friend Shane lives.

RIP Rudith, the black cat.

Wigandia caracasana

2009-10-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

I know that William Martins garden at Noorat is called Wigandia, but I never new that it was named after this plant. ( Actually, maybe it isnt!)

I saw one today at Roraima nursery in Lara, Victoria. They can grow to 8m tall and are native to Mexico, South and Central America. They are from the family Hydrophyllaceae and should be handled with gloves as their stiff hairs can be an irritant to skin. Im thinking that one could look pretty good on my roof garden!

Some of my favourites................

2009-09-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

My Neoregelia marmorata has a flower coming up ! Also grown from seed some Kennedia prostrata - common name " Running Postman". Plus some pumpkin that a friend bought for me in punnets. Its growing so fast!

Windy Sydney

2009-09-26T17:45:00.000-07:00

Its been incredibly windy lately. Ive lost a couple of branches from my tomatoes. I probably should have staked them a bit better. Ive been trying to move stuff into protected areas but its all getting a bit frazzled!

Delphiniums

2009-09-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

I grew these from seed. I cant wait to see these when they mature into full grown plants. Growing things from seed is really exciting, if you have the time!

Sydney Dust Storm

2009-09-26T17:07:00.001-07:00

Aloes and Agaves Sydney Botanical Gardens

2009-08-27T15:06:00.001-07:00

Dendrobium Orchid

2009-08-24T18:04:00.000-07:00

Worm Farm Overload!

2009-08-16T01:46:00.000-07:00

I recently inherited an established worm farm. In my enthusiasm, I have overloaded it with too much stuff for the poor worms to eat. Today, with a little help, I added a new level and split the rotting vegetation over 2 layers. Worms were put on each level. I added some lime, for good measure, then added some newspaper which was dampened down with a spritzer.

Aechmea "Inca Gold"

2009-08-16T01:43:00.000-07:00

Has got a flower and ends have turned hot pink!

Colocasia

2009-08-01T19:00:00.001-07:00

This is the Colocasia that I rescued from between 2 buildings. The first leaf has been out for a while and there is evidence of another forming. I have just transplanted it into a bigger pot. I glazed the pot prior to transplanting with Potseal to help keep some moisture from leaking out when the weather heats up

Aloe

2009-08-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

I have been concerned that as the weather warms up, my plants are going to fry in the heat. My first attemp at mulching is white gravel in the top of this cement pot. I think it looks pretty great!

Winter Flowers

2009-07-31T21:08:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled to find that a Dendrobium that I have had for many years is about to flower. It must be happy here. I just have to make sure that I dont kill it with kindness as I find myslef fussing endlessly over it and moving it to positions that I think it might be happier in. My rhipsalis has also got some tiny little pink flowers. Dont know whether they will get any bigger. And one of my Cryptanthus has an indistinct flower in its centre. My biggest problem at the moment are loads of green caterpillars that I keep finding everywhere. I dont want to have to spray any pesticides around so will have to keep them under control by squashing them as I find them

Aechmea bromeliifolia albobracteata "Oscar"

2009-07-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Peter Tristram and Mark Paul for identifying this Bromeliad. I can wait till it flowers. When I bought it , the leaves were very yellow and it had a bulbous blue flower. It looked like an ear of corn. Very sharp spikes on the edges of the leaves. Seems to be doing ok in the winter sun but may have to move it to a semi shaded spot as it heats up

Agave gypsohila

2009-07-13T16:49:00.000-07:00

When I got this from the nursery it had lots of little offsets that I have repotted. Its a great grey blue colour and I like the curliness of the leaves

Mauritian Hemp

2009-07-13T16:47:00.000-07:00

Fucraea foetida - Another recent purchase. I cant wait till this gets really big. Looks great next to all of the spikey Aloes

Leucadendron salignum

2009-07-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

My Leucadendron salignum starting to display yellow winter highlights

Banksia blechnifolia

2009-07-07T03:45:00.000-07:00

This Banksia is originally from Western Australia but has probably been hybridised or grafted in order to be widely sold in Eastern nurseries. Its prostrate with large cones. I love the zig zag leaves

2009-07-07T03:44:00.001-07:00

2009-07-07T03:40:00.000-07:00

Cronulla

2009-07-05T16:23:00.001-07:00

Bird cages

2009-06-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

I bought these great old metal birdcages at an auction. Dont know what Im going to do with them, but I think they look great

Hoya kerrii

2009-06-19T00:14:00.000-07:00

Im keeping this one inside, just in case it doesnt like the cold winter. Unfortunately, I pulled the venetian blind down on it and broke off a couple of leaves

Tiger Grass

2009-06-19T00:12:00.000-07:00

Thysanoleana .........(something!)

2009-06-19T00:11:00.001-07:00

New plants

2009-06-19T00:08:00.000-07:00

This is a giant Colocasia that I rescued from a building newr where I work. It was going to be chopped down. One new leaf is unfolding

Coogee Coast

2009-06-08T02:36:00.000-07:00

Cement Swans

2009-06-07T19:24:00.001-07:00

I finally have planted something in them. Carex Apressa and Acacia Cognata

2009-05-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

Alogyne huegelii - Australian Native Hibiscus

2009-05-23T18:31:00.001-07:00

Lepironia articulata and Restio tetraphyllus. Water plants. Hopefully, I can get some tadpoles soon!

new additons to my rooftop garden

2009-05-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

Hardenbergia violacea: native Australian vine

2009-05-16T23:59:00.000-07:00

2009-05-12T18:03:00.001-07:00

Banksias

2009-04-27T17:10:00.001-07:00

Tree Ferns

2009-04-27T00:44:00.001-07:00

2009-03-30T02:51:00.000-07:00

2009-03-30T02:43:00.000-07:00

Camping weekend

2009-03-30T02:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend at Wheeny Creek myself and a fellow camper saw a Red Belly Black Snake on the road. Also, I saw a Lyrebird, which I believe is a rare occurence

2009-03-12T02:21:00.000-07:00

coogee beach, autumn

2009-03-04T15:10:00.000-08:00

Burnt Victoria

2009-03-04T15:04:00.000-08:00

Brunswick Bird

2009-02-11T23:12:00.000-08:00