SEPTEMBER 2011 - VISITORS AND NEW PLANTINGS.

Visit from Colac/Otway Australian Plants Society
Early in September I had an email from my cousin, also a very keen grower of Australian native plants, asking me if I would be prepared to have a group from the Colac/Otway Australian Plants Society come to have a look at my garden. My immediate reaction was “Aaarrrrgh!”
However, when I recovered, I went outside and wandered around, looking at the garden with an outsider’s eye. Eventually I decided that it was in reasonable shape and, with a little work, I could invite other gardeners to have a look at it without too much angst. I wrote to the secretary, Brendon, and asked him to suggest a date – not too far distant, as lots of plants are in bud and will be at their best very soon. He suggested Sunday, 25th September.
This decision promoted the immediate need for ‘a list’. All the things which needed to be done, should be done, or could be done were on the list; all the weeding, planting, trimming, tidying, and – most important of all – mulching. For that I needed the big grandsons and their muscles, so a call went out and two large boys (men?) turned up to assist.


Stefan and his brother Alex spread heaps of mulch
and we ended up with some very attractive paths through the Bush Garden. 

Spring plants. After winning the $100 worth of plants from an online nursery through Gardening Australia (see last month’s blog) I checked out their spring catalogue and made yet another list: plants I’d like, plants I must have and plants that sound interesting and a little bit different. There were some I wanted that they didn’t have in stock but I managed to order a fine selection of various trees, shrubs and ground covers. Some are to replace ones I have lost through drought or flood and there are some that are new to me, so I’m eagerly looking forward to their arrival. Nearly all are in 15cm pots as they are sent by mail, so there’ll be a wait of a year or so before I see them fully developed. Ah well, that’s gardening!

Watering pots!
I KNEW there was a reason I didn’t like growing things in pots! Because I had lost a few shrubs with wet feet over this last season, I bought two big pots for a new Grevillea and an Adenanthos (Woolly Bush). I made sure they were well drained, used good potting mix and settled them in comfortably. We had lots of rain for a week or so afterwards and then – yes – I forgot about watering them! Suddenly I realised that the Grevillea’s beautiful new bud was drooping! Fortunately it was rescued in time and I don’t think any permanent damage is done but …..!


So I have now bought a moisture indicator!

All I have to do is remember to use it! The advice on the packet says not to leave it in the pot so maybe I’ll have to put an alarm reminder on my phone. That should do it.

Seeds
A lovely warm weekend encouraged me to sort out all the seeds I’d collected last autumn and get organised for a big sowing session. Seed-raising mix, trays of pots, labels & pencil, spray bottle, watering can, and many envelopes of seeds – all gathered together and set out on the old BBQ stand which Geoff wheeled out into the sunshine for me – and I spent a very happy hour or three outside with the sun warming my back. By the time I’d finished I had sown seeds of Native Iris (Patersonia orientalis), Grass Lily, pink Alyogyne, Grevillea “Winpara Gem”, a mauve Native Violet from a friend and a whole tray of the big everlastings that did so well last year – Xerochrysum bracteatum. Everything is all beautifully labelled with date collected and date planted and, after all that work, I ended with a wonderful glow of virtue and a well-earned glass of wine!
I also planted out the X. bracteatum that came from seed I sowed in April. There were so many of them that I only picked the very strongest and discarded the rest. I collected so many seeds that I’ll be scattering the rest around out in the Bush Garden later this month. If they grow, fine. If not – I’m sure I’ll have more than enough anyway.

By the end of the month I have positivly hundreds of X. bracteatum - far too many!
Looks like some rapid thinning out is called for.

Arrival of plants by post.
I was very impressed with the promptness and the packing of the plants from the online store. They arrived about a week before the impending Colac visiting day, so I quickly re-potted them into something larger until I can find time to put them out into the garden.

Sunday 25th Colac visit.
We managed to turn on a lovely sunny day and had a great visit from five very keen and very experienced growers of Australian plants. It was great to be able to talk about our experiences and, because they had all been at it much longer than I have, they were able to provide me with lots of advice about taking cuttings, making seeds grow, etc. etc.


And with a little sun shining,
it looked pretty good.



This notice was to
show off the Bush Garden first!



I felt my garden was very small and new compared to theirs but I was quite pleased with the way it looked and they were all very encouraging. We plan to visit one or two of their gardens in the next month or so.

More pics.
There are many more photographs on the Picasa Album showing just how lovely the garden looked for our visitors. Just click here.
Meanwhile, enjoy your gardening.
Gillian the Gardener.