Black thumb proofing

The 'green-thumb' gene is not on my family genome chart apparently. Both my children have an astouding ability to have plants die on them. Generally through lack of water, and any skerrick of interest. Not true. Kirsten has an interest but is time-poor.

So, over the next little while I am giving her 'garden' a lobotomy, much to the relief, I suspect, of my SiL. Whereas, 'til now, she has struggled with penunias and violets and marigolds, we have agreed that I replace them with a variety of succulents. I am establishing these in pots in my courtyard, and when I get back from Melbourne in the middle of November, I will transplate them into the planter boxes hanging off her juliet balcony.

A year down the track

My, doesn't time fly! This time a year ago, I was signing a contract for this apartment and trying to not have it cost me too much to break another lease. Now look at it! Like a rumble in the jungle ...

In the pink

Gardening in a courtyard does not afford vistas of annuals, or deeply fertile raised beds. It relies on ingenuity, nooks, and bric-a-brac. I have a range of plantings, but not multiples of the same variety. This week, I realised how many flowers there are in pink. Next week I will show you the difference a year makes.

Damn blast

I tried, I really did. I had this lined up for what seemed ages before she jumped. But I grabbed at the shutter, instead of depressing gently. I think most of the movement in the image came when I allowed my shutter finger to come up too early.

Drats! However, I just know she will do this again. She is that sort of little black duck.

A pretty pink Protea

This was a gift from the English couple who house-sat for me whilst I traipsed around France. It is a variety of Protea with the botanical name 'serruria florida x rosea' so I can see why the label says 'Pretty n Pink'. I have already increased the size of its pot and will now cut these buds to increase the quality of the foliage. I expect it to be a highlight of my 2011 spring!

My courtyard jungle

Interesting progress in the case of the purple Iris from the previous post. The flowers last about 24 hours and then seem to self-implode - closing in on themselves, a bit like melting glass. This then gives rise to the next flush of blooms, which I expect to see over the weekend.

My courtyard is a bit purple and yellow at the moment, as you can see. The spray of flowers in the final photograph is from one of my olive trees. When I left for Europe, the tiny blooms were opening. Now the trees are awash with the blooms at the end of their cycle. Next is the wait to see how many fruit set for 2010. From memory I had about 40 last year.

Prehistoric

A friend gave me a couple of cuttings of this last Christmas, and it has grown like the dickens ... mmm ... wonder where that expression comes from.


She thinks it to be an Iris. I have googled Tall Bearded Iris and it is not one of those. The TBI is like a double bloom, hose-in-hose and this looks like a totally different kettle of fish.


It is gorgeous though. And like a creature from another world. If I can tomorrow, between the rain, I will get a photograph of the entire plant. I put it up on my outside table so that the 'fronds' can gracefully dangle. It had its first flush of blooms whilst I was away. Yet about a dozen more graced me with their presence overnight.