Followers

Tuesday 14 May 2013

MAY has entered through the back door;

Nature’s force we do not fully understand, 
 we are overwhelmed by its relentless reasons of cruelty,
 or we are awestruck by its actions of beauty and serenity. Titania


Sunrise in the Valley;



Autumn;


Allamanda cathartica is also notable for its medicinal properties: all parts of the plant contain allamandin, a toxic iridoid lactone.  Iridoids are a class of secondary metabolites found in a wide variety of plants that function as defensive compounds. 

 The leaves, roots and flowers may be used in the preparation of a powerful cathartic; the milky sap is also known to possess powerful antibacterial  properties. 

The genus name Allamanda derives from Dr. Frédéric-Louis Allamand (1735–1803), a Swiss botanist of the late 18th century.




Cat's Whiskers; Orthosiphon aristatus
Plant Type: sub-shrub
Plant Height: 1.2m
Plant Spread: 1m
Sunlight: hot overhead sun to warm low sun
Soil Moisture: dry between watering to constantly moist
Plant Uses: informal hedge, mass planting, border
Plant; Prune after flowering.




Herbgarden;

“So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.” 
 William Shakespeare, 



Iceberg roses flower all year round in my garden.

By that sweet ornament which truth doth give.
The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem 
For that sweet odour which doth in it live. 
W. Shakespeare



Billy, my friend and companion, in the garden he chases away the snakes!



Angel wing Begonia, slivers of sunlight make its leaves glow.



Camelia sasanqua  Plantation Pink, with its papery petals is an asset to any garden.

Camelia sasanqua has the  distinctive advantage of tolerating both full sun and partial shade. Camelia sasanqua are the most robust and versatile of all the camellia species - a finer choice for a hedge, topiary or espalier could not be made. The first of the camellia species to flower in abundance in autumn.


Camelia sasanqua. Wahroonga;


“Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?” 
 William Shakespeare,




Tree Dahlia, highlighting  the garden in autumn through winter.

The tree dahlia or Dahlia imperialis is a dramatic, fast growing perennial from South America. It grows three to five metres high with tall, sturdy bamboo-like canes topped with large lavender flowers in autumn and winter. The best time to cut them back is in winter after they have finished flowering.

* Remove all the dead wood.

* Cut down the canes that flowered last autumn; these are the ones to use for propagation.

* You can see a big bulbous bit at the bottom. That is the bulb of the dahlia that will shoot in spring and be three to five metres high again by autumn. 

* Cut canes into 50 centimetre lengths. Ensure you have at least two nodes per cane, because they’ll actually root and shoot from those nodes.

* Choose a site that’s sunny, protected from the frost and wind and dig a trench 10 centimetres deep. 

* Lay a cane horizontally along the trench. They shoot from the nodes and in no time at all, you’ll get a lovely clump.

* You could put three canes in the ground to get a nice thicket of plants.

* When new growth gets to a metre high, nip the tips out. The canes won’t get as tall but will be sturdier and more resistant to wind damage.



Sunset in the Valley;  

Believe it or not:
A man's friendships are one of the best measures of his worth.
Charles Darwin



©Photos/Text Ts

9 comments:

  1. Your garden is filled with beauty and serenity. This is a lovely time of year isn't it.

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  2. Missy, yes your are right; it is my favoured time of year.

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  3. Wow!So beautiful photos of your garden and so different flowers and plants,Titania!Lovely!

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  4. So schön wieder einmal einen Sonnenuntergang zu sehen, auch wenn es "nur" auf einem Foto ist! Die bunte Vielfalt in deinem Garten ist im Moment Balsam für die Seele, bzw. das Auge. Ihr geht dem Herbst entgegen und wir stecken immer noch am Anfang des Frühlings (hatten noch Schneeflocken letzte Woche und entsprechende Kälte). Wer weiss, vielleicht sind wir bald einmal Jahreszeitengleich, wenn das so weiter geht mit dem nassen, kalten Wetter ;-) !! Desto mehr geniesse ich den virtuelen Spaziergang bei dir mit Billy zusammen. Das Schneewittchen ist wirklich eine tolle Rose, mit ihr hat eigentlich meine Rosenliebe angefangen. Deine spezielle Kamelie ist ein Traum! Ich hoffe, du bist gesund und munter und ich schicke viele liebe Grüsse in deine Richtung
    Barbara

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  5. Barbara, danke dir so sehr für deine Freundchaft.

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  6. Lovely and sweet! First is the new banner pic showcasing a garden admired by a little gal. And that pic of your herb garden is such a wonderful place to be. As always I admire all the lovely blooms you have. I like that pic with the yellow leaf on the nice smooth rocks. How wonderful is your autumn!

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  7. "Your garden is filled with beauty and serenity."

    Indeed, awesome garden I must say.. Is that a shed beside the chair? Might try this cool shed to add some more beauty to your great garden http://www.cheapsheds.com.au/garden-sheds/timber-garden-sheds/fernshaw-2-5m-x-4-8m-x-2-65m-gable-roof-timber-shed-with-2-windows.html

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  8. What a beautiful garden and lovely photos. Thank you for taking the time to find beauty in small things that only a child might admire, like the textures and colours of the pebbles and the autumn leaf.

    ReplyDelete